A complete tour of Portugal on board of our motorhome

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Diary of the trip to Portugal, Spain and France.

11/4/09
Having berthed at Algeciras and have been shopping for Easter dinner we go to Seville. These are the 17 when we get to camp Dos Hermanos (13 km from Seville), we find it fairly quickly, it is lined, clean and quiet and we inform you on how to go to visit Seville, then comes the night ... it's dinner time and rest. Tomorrow we will have a busy day but very pretty.

12 / 4
We leave the camp and take the 132 bus that takes us to the center of Seville. We go to the cathedral, we can enter, is open to the public to attend Easter Mass celebrated by Cardinal. (Immediately after the church closed and will reopen for a visit in the afternoon. My mother spinning!). Certainly it is difficult to describe the beauty of this cathedral from the photos, perhaps you can understand how beautiful!. Let's go for a walk on the banks of the Guadalquivir, visit the Plaza de Toros ", then back downtown to the narrow streets. We also have a chance to see in the small church dedicated to her, the statue of the Madonna leading the procession in Holy Thursday (and we had seen on television when we were in Morocco). We spend the whole day to visit this wonderful city, and only late in the evening we return to the campsite.

13 / 4
We start our visit in Portugal: Do not pass the highway but we walk the streets that lead us into tiny countries, they are all colored in white and have rounded corners as the lime is put on the walls of houses. We are in the ancient heart of Portugal, the Alentejo. Here, all countries, even the smaller ones, a castle (we are very near the border with Spain). We visit Beja and Serpa, then, given that the distances are relatively short visit Alvito and Viana do Alentejo until you get to Evora. Of course this is a wonderful city which alone is worth the trip to Portugal, we are fortunate to find a parking space near the hospital and we are right in the center, just below the cathedral that we see.
www.iviaggidianteroemary.blogspot.com www.everytrail.com/profile.php?user_id=2847 We admire the many buildings that remind us how important this city was also inhabited by the Romans, the shops, the big park. We have with some people to ask what information and find out immediately that it is difficult to understand the Portuguese, especially when spoken quickly. However, all are friendly, hospitable and helpful. ... A really good impression! In the evening we would go to that camp is over 3 km from the city but, since there is a chance to stop without having to bother or decide to look for a place. We arrived in a large open dirt road where the market is held weekly, we see other campers and we enter. They are 21, when we hear a knock at the door and see two guards who invite us very cordially, to leave the square because tomorrow morning at 5 sellers reach for the usual weekly market! It is just tomorrow! What do we do?: we can only ask the guards if and where we can go and show us the square outside the palace "Plaza de Toros" where we go immediately, followed shortly by the other campers. The square is down but no matter, we can walk a little 'in the center and then sleep in peace.

14 / 4
Come to Monsarraz, a small village atop a hill overlooking a lake, the country is completely white and his castle also has a small arena. Then we go in search of Menhir, this is an area where there are many important and all. We see the first group of 50 small Menhir seats in a circle with standing stones still larger, then we continue to go see the more "beautiful" and Europe's largest (so they say the guides) .. and we, although it has started to rain we go looking. We find it, photographs it and then go in the nearby village to eat at a small local restaurant. Antipasto of olives and goat cheese then the dish of the day "Ensopado de Borrega (lamb stew with onions, garlic, parsley type coriander, served with toasted bread), all washed down with a full-bodied wine. We leave and go to visit Villa Vicosa, then we decide to continue, since it is still day, and we go to Marvao. Of course the road to get there is long and winding but the panorama from up to 900 meters is amazing. It's cold and it begins to rain, are 20, we settle in the city walls in the company of two other campers. The night brings a very strong wind and rain also is very cold, we're not yet accustomed to this climate.

15 / 4
When we get up we see that we are under a blanket of fog that makes it impossible to see, yet we go in the country to visit, and thank goodness it does not rain. Superb, fantastic: the fog at times can see the surrounding landscape, while the narrow streets that climb up to the mother church, come to life with the locals. We reach the top of the village there is a nice museum and a beautiful castle we visit thoroughly. It starts to rain, we are equipped and we do not care that much, just the hassle to take photos and filming. Let this wonder, the streets will stop rain and mild weather permitting to the Monastery of Flor da Rosa (now Pousada) erected by the first Prior of the Order of the Knights of Malta, beautiful and great. We continue to visit monasteries linked to the order of the Knights of Malta and arrived in Crato, a small but important country as here, was born the order and the building that is host to the first knights of honor with a beautiful arched portico. A plaque on the facade recalls the origin of the order, and lists all the priors until the order was suppressed. Want to read our diaries? Page 3 Want to see our tracks? www.iviaggidianteroemary.blogspot.com www.everytrail.com/profile.php?user_id=2847 take advantage of summer, the days are longer, to go Evoramonte. As we walk the narrow road that leads us to the magnificent castle with 4 towers began to rain heavily. We leave the camper on a pitch under the walls surrounding the castle, dress for rain and climb steep stairs. At the entrance of the castle, fortunately open, we face two guards that we deliver the artwork, we get on top of a tower with a spiral staircase narrow, narrow. Meanwhile, the rain stopped. In the evening we go to sleep and Montemornovo in the square below the castle.

16 / 4
Last night it rained forever, with thunder and lightning. Soon we start and we (now) the highway to go directly to the camp of Lisbon. Certainly the traffic, when we in Lisbon, is very chaotic, but even with some difficulty, we can find the campsite. Beautiful, well maintained, large, clean ... and not at all expensive (we are in the capital and the price is x2 people camper and pitch with more 19 euro ... and we can stay up to 19 .. almost a whole day!). I just when we take the 12 bus takes you directly to the center (it took almost an hour because of traffic jams). Let's first visit to the city. And '... the charming downtown full of life.