Evora
Thanks to those of you who have left comments for us to read - much appreciated.
Last night we drew a complete blank for dinner - even the Chinese restaurant was closed at 7.30 pm. After having a delivered pizza the night before, we finally gave up and went to the supermarket to see what we could put together which did not require heating or cooking. We were able to assemble a salad and cold meats, purchasing a packet of kiddies´ clown party plates and a small sharp knife but still needed to eat in our fingers!
The trip today was very relaxing - very good road even though it was a "brown road" on the map. Apart from a section of roadworks, it was all bitumen and in good condition.
"Gladys Penelope Smartalec" ie the GPS, again did a wonderful job, even though we settled on a route away from the freeway. She brought us right to the door of our hotel in a tiny one-way street. The only thing it can't seem to do is identify a "no entry" or "one-way" street. We deviated from the main drag so that Brian could see first hand the extremely long bridge over a new dam. Portugal and Spain share the river on which the dam was built, but could not agree on its location or construction. So Portugal went ahead and built it anyway on their side of the border. On the way (still in Spain) we passed a cork plantation, with the very red ochre trunks showing where the bark has been harvested. A cork tree is not ready to harvest until it is 25 years old, and then only every 9 years after that. The tree is able to produce a bark crop for up to 200 years, but it is a long lead-up time from planting before any income is generated! Portugal is the largest cork producer in the world, but the recent move towards plastic wine-stoppers is hurting the industry which is a major export for the country.
The countryside appeared to change after we crossed the border - drier and less prosperous, although we have not yet seen much of Portugal.
The staff at our hotel are very friendly and helpful, and the facilities good (unlike our rather unpleasant experience at the Seville Suites where there was virtually no customer service, and even a 5 Euro deposit required to borrow a hairdryer from reception!)
After arriving here, we visited the major Igreja de Sao Francisco (Church of St Francis) and marvelled at the altar and crypt decoration. Behind the church is the Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones) which is a mesmerising reminder of death. The walls and columns are lined with the bones of about 5,000 people, carefully arranged in intricate patterns. This was constructed in the 17th century, partly as a solution to the overflowing graveyards of several dozen churches and monastries. The sign at the door says "We bones await yours".
We will endeavour to attach some photos of Seville and also a first glimpse of Evora now that we seem to have a USB port.