May 14 -Day 3

We are leaving Porto today and had to have our suitcases outside the door on 7 am. We set the alarm for 6:15 and it woke me up out of a dead sleep. Again, Ativan helped. We will probably do this at least one more night.

Another delicious hotel breakfast. I am enjoying the Portuguese breakfast in the hotel. Mushrooms and oven baked tomatoes are always part of the fare. And LOTS of bacon. They love their pork. Lattes are abundant too which makes me happy. And they remind me of Italy. Not very strong and you can drink them all day long. 

We were on the bus at 8 am and on our way to Evora with a stop in Coimbra. The drive to Coimbra was about an hour and a half. Our main stops there were the university and the Cathedral of Coimbra. It was rainy and cold and we definitely needed umbrellas. The University is one of the oldest in the world and was founded in 1290. Truly remarkable. The library was simply astonishing in its grandeur and the number of old books. There are rare books dating back to this time period including a Bible. 

Leaving Coimbra University, we stopped at the Cathedral of Coimbra. These old churches gilded in gold and so over the top are definitely abundant but they are all jaw dropping. This one was built in 1146. Of course, the architecture is especially amazing to Matt and it is fascinating listening to his explanations of why and how things were built.

We were on our own for lunch and we stopped at a spot close to where we were meeting the bus. Coimbra is a beautiful European town with everything that makes Europe charming but I am freezing cold and am looking for anything to help warm me up in the shops. I didn't really find anything but Matt gave me a jacket once again and I managed to hold on to a good attitude through lunch.

Back on the bus, we are now on our way to Evora. It was another three hours of driving and I was comatose through most of it. Could not keep my eyes open The sleep felt good though. We had one stop at a rest area and I got the proverbial latte that I simply cannot get too much of....

Finally in Evora, the bus dropped us off outside the walls of the city as buses are not allowed inside and we walked in. Our hotel is very charming and old. Dinner was not scheduled until 8:00 pm so after we got checked in, Matt and I headed out to explore. 

What a remarkable town. So so wonderful. We walked a short way and came upon the city square. We walked a little further and discovered the Roman ruins. Everything was so beautiful. I did manage to find a sweater that I could wear under my shirts. This windy and cold weather is far more than I bargained for and I am absolutely cold to the bone. We headed back and decided to try a different way to see things we hadn't seen on our walk in. We got remarkably lost and ended up on the wrong side of the wall. We had to walk all the way around and eventually got back to the hotel; Navigator Google was not of the utmost help. 

We got back just in time for dinner. What a lovely dinner. Very traditional and everything was so good. Fava bean soup, salad, some baked Portuguese dish with fish and potatoes, and a dessert made with plums. Red and white wine were also provided and were very nice. Just a wonderful experience.

Time for bed! Ativan one more night. Good thing because I was not tired at all. But I did fall asleep and slept without any knowledge of waking until 6:30 am.