http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Portugal/Alentejo/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Europe , Portugal , Alentejo en-us Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:03:07 UTC Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:03:07 UTC I woke up this morning to what I think was a magpie or a crow making some unearthly squawking noise outside the van but when I looked all I saw was the tiniest sweetest little brown Wren bobbing about on the olive tree we have parked under. Last night we both stopped what we were doing to listen to the most unusual haunting bird song I have heard in a long while. I unfortunately however h http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Portugal/Alentejo/blog-290675.html Our adventures began early on our way into Portugal on June 4th. We were up early and had a nice long brisk walk to the bus station. Our plan was to leave Seville by a direct bus which would cross the border at Badajoz then continue on to vora our first destination in Portugal. But surprise this wasn't to be as simple as it sounded Apparently there was no longer a direct bus and we would http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Portugal/Alentejo/-vora/blog-288997.html 8220A church made of bone8221 I exclaimed. 8220Yes and tastefully done too8221 came Ralph8217s reply. The bus taking both of us from the city of Palmyra in Syria continued to rumble along the dusty desert highway as visions of a bone church unfurled in my mind. I again questioned 8220Human bone8221 and the answer though expected was still a surprising 8220Yes http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Portugal/Alentejo/-vora/blog-271110.html One hundredtwenty kilometres north of Sagres after a long strip of amiable small towns and charming beaches Porto Covo stands out for its cool streets with tidily displayed houses all of which neatly painted white and blue.Only a short trip from Lisbon this is a place for weekenders for newlymarried couples. Where middleclass Portuguese families take their children.We are half way through http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Portugal/Alentejo/blog-241773.html What happened to Maddy.Last Nightthe 18th a programme produced by Channel 4 examines the possibilities of what happened to Maddy McCann. There have been many theories and ideas. In the programme dispatches five experts were called in to give their observations. Some of what they said was valid but most of it was in fact misdirected. I have just returned from a Ugandan orphanage where we p http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Portugal/Alentejo/blog-214534.html Hello AgainWersquove been so very lucky with the weather so far but this week has been almost too much to hope for. Wersquove travelled inland about 100 miles and the temperature has gone up several degrees. The site we are staying on is within walking distance of Evora but it really is too hot to walk fortunately there are plenty of places to park free of charge just outside with cit http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Portugal/Alentejo/-vora/blog-213408.html Travel blog 6Wednesday 10thTime to leave this lovely site amazing being only ones here though a lot of static touring vans filled most spaces. Stopped at bottom of 'la 'ill' as decided to update blog from library in town. Left Andy in the market for few hours while I found the library. That itself was wonderful extremely old heavy stone building with an ultra modern interior which somehow work http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Portugal/Alentejo/blog-212832.html Travel blog 5If this gets too boring please switch off I will never know and whatever you do when we get back is not to invite us round if we mention showing you our holiday snapsForgot on last blog to mention that on the awful day across mountains we found a most fabulous site in the nature reserve and we slept by a waterfall at a place called Geres. We thought this would be relaxing but tur http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Portugal/Alentejo/blog-210036.html You never know what will be similar and what will be different in a foreign country. Parking is like in Seattle where you go to a machine insert money not sure if you can use a credit card or not get a ticket and put itin you car window. On the other hand shopping carts are very different. They are locked in a little like the luggage carts at the airport and you have to insert a .50euro p http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Portugal/Alentejo/blog-143762.html vora.Dj ce nom vocateur tmoigne drsquoun riche pass la fois complexe et vari. Du cromolech des almendres sortes de Menhirs de lrsquoage nolithiquefavorisant la forme phallique plus que toute autreaux palaiscouvents et cathdrale qui sont regroups sur ce promontoire de la taille drsquoun petit MontRoyalvora tale ses 2000 ans drsquohistoire sous toutes ses formes. Un temp http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Portugal/Alentejo/-vora/blog-139574.html ldquoOn the road time is valuelessrdquo the perfect epitaph for the real traveller I actually have never believed to the tale of the value of time not even in these sedentary times of my life I mean. I guess that once a very very long ago someone decided that ldquoEarly to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wiserdquo and ldquoNever put off till tomorrow what http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Portugal/Alentejo/Zambujeira-do-Mar/blog-134295.html Good Days and Bad News in Lagos The Grottoes of Lagos are Beautiful Today started as usual. We got up figured out how to use the shower this sounds easy to you stateside people but every place wersquove been the shower is different showered got some quick food and set out about the town. We started out by walking down by the water and checking out the seaside part of the town. Shortl http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Portugal/Alentejo/-vora/blog-103971.html A Rainy Day Wonrsquot Stop Our Fun A Night of Fabulous Food Last night we finally got a moment of down time to focus on our finances. After posting yesterdayrsquos blog we went back to our hotel and Kel worked some Excel finance magic. She created a spreadsheet that allows us to tally our daily costs broken down by food living transportation etc. The spreadsheet gives us a daily total http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Portugal/Alentejo/-vora/blog-103324.html Yesterday Lisbon Today Evora As I told you in yesterdayrsquos blog today was our first adventure using mass transit within Europe. Last night we had a decent dinner at a restaurant in Barrio Alto where we finally got a chance to try Vinho Verde which is a carbonated wine. We tried a red variety and found it to be quite tasty just like you said Leigh C. but it also packs a decent punch. http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Portugal/Alentejo/-vora/blog-102983.html