Went for breakfast at the neighborhood pasteleria and enjoyed some more of their delicious pastries. Gathered our things and struck out for Beja, a city about an hours drive from Evora. It started out a beautiful sunny day but as we got closer to the mountains the clouds rolled in. They couldn't hide the magnificent landscapes that we passed though. I'm sure my pictures don't do justice to the lush green fields, the rows of olives and grapes, and the sheep and cows. We parked on the outskirts of the historic center and made our way first to the regional museum. Like so many other museums we've seen in Portugal they are housed in old churches that are no longer active. This museum had numerous impressive altars moved from various sites and a collection of religious paintings. Then we wound our way to the main square and saw the pillory before we made it to the Castle of Beja and the Cathedral of Beja which was right next door. Like old churches there seems to be a castle in every town. Then it was back in the car and on to Villa Real de Santo Antonio, a little less than 2 hours away. This is a quaint city on the River Guadiana, which divides Spain and Portugal. We saw where you can take the ferry to Spain. We stopped and shared some clams for lunch and then went and explored the main square and found an ice cream shop. From there it was on to our "home" for the next 4 nights the Victoria Sport and Beach. It was an hour drive but the last few miles it seemed we were going in circles but we weren't and we made it. We were surprised by another 4 star hotel and our room has a living room, separate bed, bath and a full kitchen. Not that I expect to do any cooking.😂We usually don't eat in the hotel restaurants but once we got in we really didn't want to venture out again. We asked at the desk if there was an alternative to the buffet since we wanted something lighter and were told we could get pizza or burgers etc. When we went to the restaurant we were told otherwise. In the end though because of the confusion we were both give the buffet dinner $18 per person for free. Sweet. Back to the room to blog and get ready for the beach tomorrow.
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| Museum/Church in Beja |
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| Museum/Church in Beja |
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| Beja needded some restoration in parts - love the tile though |
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| The Castle of Beja |
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| The Castle Tower |
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| Typical narrow streets |
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| Lunch in Villa Real de Santo Antonio - clams |
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| We were very close to Spain |
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| Lots of Boats here |
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| Our hotel in Albufeira - Algarve Region |
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