Lisbon to Évora (by train): When we were planning this trip, Bill wanted to see the Chapel of Bones in Évora, and we were pleased to make it work, with an only-slightly-ridiculous amount of transit. So we got up and got a cab to Entrecampos Station, where we grabbed breakfast and took a 90-minute train ride to Évora
a gate in Lisbon |
Lisbon has bike and scooter rentals, as well as many outdoor tables |
statue in Lisbon, complete with bird hat |
what. (we didn't learn this at the time, but it's called the Elevador de Santa Justa, and it was built in 1902 to carry people between lower and higher streets in hilly Lisbon) |
street corner in Lisbon |
a building advertising careers for idealists |
train platform at Entrecampos |
tagged train entering Entrecampos |
on the train to Évora |
crossing the Tagus River |
view from the train |
Casa Branca station |
a graffiti-covered building near Évora |
arriving at Évora station |
door and tiles at the station |
around Évora (on foot): We had 6.5 hours in Évora, and we walked all around. Our first stops was the Chapel of Bones, which is located in a Franciscan church, and the Roman temple. Then we got lunch, did some souvenir shopping, went to a bookstore, poked around for evidence of the Jewish Quarter, stopped in another church, sat in the public park for a few minutes, and played a couple of rounds of pinocle while waiting for our train back to Lisbon
walking around Évora |
World War I monument |
we walked through an outdoor market |
cheeses |
nuts (we got a bag of almonds; they were good) |
not just pork rinds... Iberian pork rinds |
signage, public art, and a bench, all in one |
giant hamster wheel of Évora |
a fountain with a slightly distressing person/sea serpent hybrid thing happening |
entrance to the Church of St. Francis, which contains the Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones) |
walls and ceiling of the Church of St. Francis entry room |
approximately: we the bones that are here, are waiting for yours |
the walls of the chapel are decorated with human skulls and femurs |
here is the explanatory sign in case it helps; the chapel was built in the early 17th century, and the bones used were those of people connected to the church |
ceiling of Chapel of Bones |
column in Chapel of Bones |
sharing this informational sign too, because i'm very unsure what the takeaway is |
interior wall of Chapel of Bones |
segment of wall of Chapel of Bones |
ceiling art: non moriar sed vivam |
floor stone from 1808 |
wall art: sketches |
tiles with detailed art |
nativity scene set in Giraldo Square in Évora |
nativity scene carved of wood |
nativity scene set in the Roman Temple in Évora |
sundial, again, missing the sundial part |
courtyard visible from the church's balcony |
so the other thing happening in this church was a giant display of nativity scenes from around the world |
clay nativity scene |
nativity scene with rocks and seashells |
roofs of Évora |
more roofs |
back to nativity scenes: the one with many colorful berries |
the one with round clay faces |
the one set inside a gourd |
the one where they are gourds |
the one with strong colors |
the one where all the adults are making the Scream face, but the camels seem very content |
the one where the belltowers look like ducks |
architectural fragment from the original medieval church on this site |
photo: the space where the museum is used to be the friars' cells |
sculpture: Our Lady of the Conception |
sculpture: St. Agatha |
14th century foundation stone for the cloister |
here's Giraldo Square, which you previously saw in that first nativity diorama |
wall of the Cathedral of Évora |
our next stop: the Roman temple, built in the first half of the first century CE |
column of Roman temple |
Gina, a human who is over 6' tall, stands next to the Roman temple for scale |
next to the temple is a park dedicated to Diana, from which we got a good scenic overlook of the town |
street of Évora, with distinctive partially-yellow-walled buildings, from above |
a tower |
we got lunch at A Bruxa de Évora, which had some helpful informational signs about the witch for whom it is named |
our booth was a converted stable pen |
Bruxa d' Évora olive dish |
shishito pepper appetizer |
Gina's lunch, involving many mushrooms |
my lunch, a smoked salmon sandwich |
the bathrooms were also converted stable pens |
more information about the Witch (Sorceress?) of Évora, and her history mentoring Cyprian of Antioch |
clocktower |
arched door |
this store sold many types of fish and shellfish in attractive tins |
we wandered around the streets of Évora and did a bit of souvenir shopping |
a sticker about a ghostly encounter |
a steep staircase |
Gina and i went for a walk to look for the Jewish Quarter which existed in Évora in the 15th and 16th centuries |
helpful google maps users pointed us to this doorway on Travessa do Barão |
there's no monument, but you can see a slot for a mezuzah in this stone doorway |
we met back up with Bill, Scott, and Helen in Giraldo Square |
what is it? |
this picture of Giraldo Square shows a narrow street with archways, as well as the sun, our constant companion on this daytrip |
next we went to check out Graça Church |
a Roman doorframe inscription |
interior roof of Convent of Your Lady of Grace |
we went to the public garden for a few minutes of shade before catching our return train; this tree commemorates the end of World War I |
Bill is sitting on a bench in the shade |
fountain in the public garden |
a peacock! |
diced stones, for stone soup |
a large residence with trees and blue trim |
a building with arches |
blue murals on the walls of the train station |
Évora to Lisbon (by train): We returned to Lisbon and took a cab back to our hotel, and then four of us set out for our last major culinary adventure of the trip, a dinner at Michelin-starred vegetarian restaurant Encanto. Many photos below, but short version: it was excellent, and if you're in Lisbon, you should check it out.
a Burger King ad for impossible burgers |
bridge over the Tagus |
crossing the Tagus again |
Aqueduto das Águas Livres, an 18th century aqueduct in Lisbon |
a very blue corner, seen on the way back to our hotel |
a public art, possibly a flower or a giant ant |
Helen and Scott in the lobby of Browns Central Hotel with their complimentary cocktails |
our walk to dinner was about five blocks, all uphill |
we had made dinner reservations at Encanto, for their Michelin-starred vegetarian tasting menu |
Gina looking around at Encanto |
our meal consisted of twelve 'moments', and could be paired with either an eight-piece wine pairing or a nonalcoholic cocktail pairing; we tried both |
first moment: carrot tartlet with tonburi, white beans with avocado, eggplant azevia, satay peanut, gold hummus egg |
summer tomatoes with spinach |
zucchini with zucchini flower |
beetroot and sweet potato |
a terrible photo, but it captures the seaweed ice cube in this cocktail |
couscous with atlantic seaweeds and hollandaise |
green curry with green vegetables and green citrus |
spinach, apple, and smoked cucumber cocktail |
mushroom and leek alheira with sweet potato and kale chips (this was excellent, and the subterfuge is doubly good because alheira was invented by Sephardic Jews who wanted a dish that looked like sausage, but could be made with chicken and bread) |
using the smoke machine to make lemon and smoke cocktails |
black rice with activated charcoal, truffle, and purslane |
the wine pairing was great too; we had a bunch of wines from around southern Portugal, many made by independent vintners |
mushroom and leek puff pastry |
rice pudding cooked in amazake, with strawberry chip and preserved green strawberry, almond sorbet, grated almond |
fig souffle with toasted pine nut sorbet |
chocolate hazelnut with a smoking pine needle |
cherry muffin |