Tomar will go down as one of our top ten places to visit. Perhaps it was the contrast of the hustle and bustle of Lisbon. Or maybe it’s because we missed the train by so little that we were on the platform as it was taking off. At any rate, it was like a little slice of heaven when we arrived, albeit two hours late.
The city was built up by the Knights Templar. They put up a beautiful fortress at the top of the hill. Then they added a convent.
The town below, where we stayed, is clearly becoming a tourist destination, but still retains some old-school charm. We wondered around in the afternoon and evening. There was a little café/gelato spot a few doors down from our guesthouse where we sampled the local liquor – beirao. It is an orange and herb infused concoction like Grand Marnier with a bit more savory.
The next morning, after coffee and pastries on the square, we hoofed our way up to the fortress/convent complex. It is quite well preserved, and lovely. I’d be interested to talk to one of the Knights Templar about what their oath of poverty meant to them.
After lunch we headed out to Coimbra.
Click on any picture for the slideshow view:
Darn, not sure how we missed Tomar, but we will head back. We also loved Luso (you’ll drink a lot of Luso water while in Portugal) and Coimbra and the roman ruins of Coimbriga are great. Coimbra is a great university town.
I can see why it fits on your top 10 list although it must be difficult to even put together a list at this point as so many places have been beautiful and outstanding. Mom