The Turk was getting quite proficient with driving in Portugal. This includes roundabouts at pretty much every intersection, including highway exits. Admittedly there may have been a few miscounts on how many roads we pass in the roundabout before turning off, but that's part of the excitement...not knowing how far you'll have to go to turn around. The toll freeways in Portugal are very nice and include comfortable rest stops, often with fuel, food, picnic and playground facilities, and even covered parking.
Leaving Belmonte, we headed south through a number of small towns, each with its own personality. Nisa is known for its lace and felt embroidery applications on clothing. They have unique red clay pottery, often with white stones decorative designs. And they are known for their sheep cheeses and sausages.
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| tiled lane in Nisa mimics their unique pottery |
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| beautiful handmade laces |
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delicious local cheeses!!
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| original kitchen and pottery |
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front door detail
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| old man with cane going grocery shopping |
After walking around Nisa, checking out the museum and enjoying our local cheese, we hopped in the car for Castle de Vide, another very pretty ancient town built around a castle (of course) from the 1200's.
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| Castelo de Vide beyond the castle walls |
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| walking along the castle wall |
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| beautiful gardens in the town |
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| town coat of arms |
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| local art...and humor! |
The castle of Marvao is my favorite. Stunning views of the castle - very close to the Spanish border - and views FROM the castle make it beautiful location to walk and gaze. We met a welcoming Belgium woman who was married to a local man. They had met when both were working in Belgium embassy and are now retired in this picturesque town. Of course, they also have a home in Lisbon.
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| Marvao castle guarding the border |
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| Turk peaks out of guard house |
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| imposing walls |
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| plenty of places to shoot arrows from |
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| long walk to guard tower |
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| door knocker on a home |
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| windy lanes within the walls |
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| hidden lanes |
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| Pillory where all news was shared |
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| original water source |
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| cobblestones to the museum |
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| church (museum) |
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| Portuguese door screen to keep bugs out |
We eventually got to our last destination of the day - the castle in Estremoz. OUR castle where we would stay a few days to explore the area.
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| stairway to our floor |
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| beautiful tiles |
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| lounge area |
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| our room! |
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| village church below us |
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| Moorish architecture in Estramoz town |
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| see 'oil pouring' holes! |
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| castle tower (and parapets) |
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| delicious dinner, surrounded by wines |
