For the first time since arriving, we woke at a normal time...830am! We had both slept really well in a nice comfy bed in a very quiet room. We headed down for breakfast to the hotel restaurant which has great windows overlooking an atrium with orange trees. The breakfast buffet was located in a cool marble room and had some really good pastries, along with the yummy pumpkin jam that we have gotten addicted to and fresh orange juice.  

Instead of the grey rain from yesterday, it was bright and sunny, so it was time to explore Evora! Our first stop was to the Cathedral next door to the hotel. It is one of the few churches where we have been able to take pictures, which was great as it was quite ornate. In addition to the chapel, we were able to visit the peaceful cloister and climb the narrow steep steps to the cathedral roof. At the top we had excellent views of the town and surrounding areas, in addition our hotel next door.  

After finishing at the church, we wandered the small streets to the town square which looked vastly different than in the rain from last night. Using our Rick Steves book, we kind of took the walking tour, with our own spin on the route...so it was personalized for us! There were lots of little shops and alley's and no matter how many we took, it was pretty much impossible to get lost. 

While Ken had been able to disconnect for most of the trip, he had to be on a call at 3pm so we went back to the Pousada to relax. After doing his work duty, we decided to get the car and visit Cromeleque dos Almendres, a Stonehenge type megoliths dating back 7000 years ago. There are about 95+ stones and are arranged to take advantage of the location of the sun and moon. It was located about 10 miles from Evora, with the last 3 being on a dirt road with rolling hills and cows. It was quite peaceful and an area we would have never found without hints from our guidebook.  We wandered among the ancient stones and tried to imagine how they arranged without modern tools. Like the pyramids and asian temples that were all built long before engines, it is hard to picture the building process.

Using our handy navigation system, we again found our way down the tiny alleys to our hotel. No way we would have found it otherwise!  We were both hungry, but since it was only 630p, nothing was yet open for dinner. Being Americans and used to eating early, we were going to have to wait until the start of dinner hour at 730p. Between the hotel concierege and our RickSteves book, we decided on Restaurante 1 4 P Ras 9 a local (Restaurant Quarter to Nine) a short walk from the Pousada. As it was not quite 730, we walked around a few blocks enjoying the quiet town and Christmas lights. 

After what seemed like forever (ok it was only 15 minutes) the restaurant opened to a small crowd all waiting, some patiently, some not so patient (one little kid kicking the door. We were sat by an elderly gentleman, who based on the pictures on the wall was the owner, father and grandfather. We asked the waiter for his recommendations and he chose a local red wine, but tried to guide Ken away from a shrimp and clam dish. He said it was very local and came with bread. Hmmmmm...that doesn't seem so bad, so Ken said he still wanted to try it. I stuck with grilled local pork. When the entrees came out, the shrimp/clams were in an earthen bowl, clams still in shell in a mixture of herbs and bread. The waiter stirred it for a minute or two to totally combine it all and it was quite a production! Ken enjoyed the dish, while mine was fine...not as great as last nights with the mustard sauce!  

 At this point it was time to head back and climb into bed to prepare for our trip tomorrow to Munich.