On our way down to the Algarve we drive through the Alentejo region of Portugal which is famous for its vineyards and the production of some very fine wines. We always pass a camp site situated on the main road so after popping in to take a peep at their facilities we decide to make this our first camping venue, so, along with two friends we went for 2 nights. Oh what great fun we had, the site was naturally beautiful, and just the simplicity of relaxing by the pool, beautiful weather, using the BBQ on site, getting to know fellow campers of various nationalities, the copious amounts of beer and wine, (without having to go to a bar) listening to music, chatting and laughing, and amazingly free wi fi at your tent!!! all made for a really fantastic start to our camping adventures.
The surrounding towns of Evoramonte, Estremoz and Evora are rich with heritage from every historical period dating back to 3,500 B.C. with many ancient churches, cathedrals, convents and temples, architectural buildings, various arts and crafts, lots of cafes and gastronomical eateries. As we were only there for a couple of days we did manage to get to the Castle in Evoramonte and see the amazing views, have our evening meal in the lovely ancient walled marble city of Estremoz and a trip to the city of Evora which is a World Heritage Site and is also known as the "museum city". As we wandered around the town of Evora viewing the Gothic architectural buildings a must see place for us was the Sao Francisco Convent which houses the "Chapel of Bones". This Chapel was built in the 17th century, the walls and pillars have been covered with bones from the city's cemeteries. It sounds quite spooky but once inside you marvel at the decorative artwork and the fascination of the history it takes away (for us anyway) the spookiness of the thought of all those human bones!!!!!
Entrance to the Chapel of Bones
... which unfortunately was cordoned off for renovation works but I managed to get a few shots !
