Angers is lively and lovely

An arch at Château  d'Angers provides a framed view across the Maine River. 

 My sister and I recently spent a few days in Angers, a beautiful city located at the edge of France's Loire Valley. Currently ranked as one of the country's greenest cities, Angers is known for its environmental focus as well as its rich history. The centerpiece of that history is Château d'Angers.

From fortress to palace to prison to royal residence,
Château d'Angers is now a monument and an exhibition space.  

The castle has been an important fortress and home to various royals since the 13th century. Its most notable resident was King René who expanded the legacy of the Plantagenet dynasty and turned Angers into an important European intellectual capital. Good King René (le bon roi René) was, among his other accomplishments, a poet, composer, and all-around patron of the arts. 

The royal residence at Château d'Angers was built by
King René in the 15th century.

Formal gardens surround the base of Château d'Angers.

Angers Château is an impressive collection of buildings including a royal residence, which now is an exhibition space, a chapel, courtyards, formal gardens, and, most importantly, the Apocalypse Gallery. This modern space houses the oldest and largest surviving set of tapestries, collectively known as the Apocalypse tapestry. 

The 100-meter long Apocalypse tapestry was created during the
Hundred Years' War, a period when France was struggling with 
famine and plague.

The Apocalypse tapestry originally comprised six 6 x 23-meter panels.
It is made entirely of wool.

We probably should have opted for a guided tour in order to more fully understand the tapestry's story, which is based the Book of Revelation in the New Testament. In a nutshell: St. John had visions, Good and Evil struggled, catastrophes ensued, and Christ emerged triumphant. 

 Le Musée Jean-Lurçat in Angers originally was a hospital.
It now houses exhibits of contemporary tapestries.

The connection between Angers and tapestries continues in another exhibit at the château, as well as in a delightful exhibition at Le Musée Jean-Lurçat. We can't pass up the current show: a sampling of tapestries on loan from Aubusson based upon the stories of J.R.R. Tolkien. (And yes, I'm a LOTR super fan.) I think I need to make another trip to Aubusson, a town in the Massif Central that I visited and wrote about in 2014. 

The reverse side of a canvas illustrates how tapestries are created. 
It is part of the Tolkien exhibit at Le Musée Jean-Lurçat in Angers.

Boats, including the one we have lunch on, are moored at
Quai des Carmes in Angers.

A feature of Angers that makes it such an appealing place for outdoor activities is its huge green space. We aren't here long enough to walk along the Maine River, but instead enjoy it from the water during a scrumptious lunch cruise on L'Hirondelle Bateau Promenade Restaurant. 

Our bateau lunch cruise on the Maine River heads back to Angers.

This 15th-centry half-timbered house is located at Place Sainte-Croix in Angers. 

Le Jardin des Plantes in Angers dates back to the 18th century.

With its population of 150,000, about 25,000 of whom are university students, Angers is a lively and affordable city. One evening, we skip dinner and instead share a bottle of wine and a platter of vegetarian dips (with delicious bread) at a Les Trois Pinardiers, a wine bar around the corner from our apartment. Earlier that afternoon we check out Jardin des Plantes, where flowers are blooming and families are frolicking. After several recent trips where I saw more rain than sunshine, it's especially great to have some good weather.

Sculptures are found throughout the Jardin des Plantes in Angers.

Oh, and I usually mention the local tourist office at the beginning of my posts, but it isn't too late to give a shout-out to the one in Angers. We arrived in Angers by train and  had a few hours before our lodging was available. After we had a great lunch at a Thai restaurant, we headed to the Office de Tourisme hauling our luggage on our backs. The staff there is super-friendly and we were able to stow our backpacks in a locker there (for a small fee) while we visited the château.  

The Office de Tourisme in Angers ranks high on my list of tourism
offices for its friendliness, helpfulness, and storage lockers.  

Stopovers in Spain yield surprises

This trompe l'œil mural is located in Zamora, Spain.

Picture this in Zamora

I don't have a lot to say about Zamora. We've decided to make this city in northern Spain our stopping point for our second night on the road. It was a last-minute switch from Salamanca once I realized it would be nearly impossible to find parking, much less an EV charger in that popular and lovely city. Zamora provides its own challenges on the EV charger front, and our hotel is kind of crappy, but I dig the murals we spot as we walk around the town. 

Street mural in Zamora

Street mural in Zamora.

Street mural in Zamora

This mural, honoring the local padre, is located in Zamora.

This mural is located on the walls of the library in Zamora.

Chasing antiquity in Mérida

We're heading north through Spain and spend our second-to-last day in Mérida, a city filled with Roman sites. After an unsuccessful attempt to find an EV charger, we decide to park at our hotel and find a place to eat lunch. Ken has one request: not touristy, and we hit the jackpot with Restaurante El Salero, an out-of-the way gem with a real abuela in the kitchen. 

As we eat, we study the map from the tourism office. Mérida offers a number of Roman sites, more than we can possibly check out in one afternoon. We decide to focus on the Roman Amphitheater, a vast site with plenty to see.

One of the arched corridors leading to the Roman Amphitheater in Mérida.

Built in 8 BC, the arena could accommodate more than 15,000 spectators who were wowed by gladiator games and battles involving wild animals. Forests, deserts, and lakes could be installed in the center of the arena floor. The grounds of the Amphitheater also include a smaller Roman Theater, plazas, statues, and gardens. 

The Roman Amphitheater in Mérida

The Roman Amphitheater in Mérida

The Roman Amphitheater in Mérida

The Roman Amphitheater in Mérida

Our two-week trip through Spain and Portugal has included some memorable moments, but we're happy to be on the road home.

Yeah, I know just how you feel, compañero.

The Algarve isn't just about beaches and bars

The fortress of Castro Marim is seen from the walls of the village's castle.

Maybe I'm just not cut out for the Algarve. Or maybe living in a small rural village where I spend much of my time relaxing has shaped my idea of what makes a good vacation. I'd much rather get out and see new things, instead of sitting on a sunny terrace sipping cocktails all afternoon. The resort we're staying in Cabanas is a short drive from Tavira, Portugal. It's in Tavira that we spend one of the most delightful afternoons of our trip.

Another view from castle walls: This one in Tavira.

We enter Taviro by crossing this bridge across the Gilão River.

Fado Com Historia in Taviro is dedicated to the preservation of Fado music.

Tavira is a small city along the Gilão river that contains, among other charms, the ruins of a small medieval castle, 37 churches, and a few museums. Tavira is also home to Fado Com Historia, an association that offers daily concerts in the stunning Misericórdia Church. 

Tavira's Misericórdia Church is the stunning setting for daily Fado concerts.

Beautiful tiles line the walls of Misericórdia Church in Tavira.

We'd learned about Fado music on our previous trips to Portugal, but hadn't actually heard it performed live. Fado is traditional, often melancholy folk music accompanied by guitars or mandolins, or a Portuguese guitar. We've gotten our tickets and are among the first to arrive at the church. Soon all seats are full and the two guitar players and handsome singer begin the performance. Melancoly? Maybe. But by the end of the concert we're all clapping and singing along. Believe me, if you travel to the Algarve to sit around or beach hop, trade your flip-flops for shoes, and attend this fabulous concert.

The singer at the Fado concert we attended in Tavira was a past winner
of the national Fado competition.

We're enchanted by this performance on a Portuguese guitar at the Fado concert in Tavira.

On the way to Faro, we've decided to stop in Estoi. Another great decision! Here we visit the Roman Ruins of Milreu, the best preserved such ruins in Southern Portugal. 

The remains of a temple stand at the Roman Ruins of Milreu in Estoi.

In the 1st century AD, the site was an agricultural settlement. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries, it was converted to a luxury villa complete with temple and large bathhouse. Many of the intricate mosaics are intact. Our 1-euro admission allows us to explore the ruins at our own pace.

A number of mosaic walls are intact at the Roman Ruins of Milreu in Estoi. 

Mosaics at the Roman Ruins of Milreu in Estoi are well-preserved.

We enjoy a leisurely and fascinating walk through Roman Ruins of Milreu in Estoi.

Across the salt flats of Castro Marim we have a good view
of the Guadiana International Bridge.

Checking my trip notes, I find little about Faro to write about, so instead I'll skip ahead to Castro Marim near the border of Portugal and Spain. This small village, set along the Guadiana River is considered less touristy and more authentic than much of the Algarve. The main attraction is the Castle of Castro Marim. We pay the embarrassingly low admission of 55 cents and spend the next hour or so exploring the site. 

The Castro Marim fort can be seen from the ramparts of the castle. 

The castle was constructed in the 13th century by orders of King D. Afonso III as part of the fortification of the border between Portugal and Castile. In the 16th century, King D. Manuel I promoted improvements to the castle, which was subsequently fortified during the Portuguese Restoration War (1640-1668). Along with most of southern Portural, the earthquake of 1755 caused major damage.

The castle of Castro Marim once held an important defensive position along
the Portugal-Castile border.

Much of the Castle of Castro Marim was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake.

Nothing like exploring to work up an appetite, so we head to the unforgettable Taberna Velho Cavalinho. We're a little early for lunch. but the tavern-keeper invites us to sit on the patio while he finishes his food-prepping. 

Although thousands of visitors a day is usual in the busy high season, today
we have the Taberna Velho Cavalinho in Castro Marim nearly to ourselves. 

Inside, the medieval tavern is dark (lit primarily with candles) and about as authentic as one can imagine. For the next two hours, we're treated like royalty, or at least visiting dignataries. We allow the proprietor to choose our fare after he determines that we're "pretty hungry." Plate after plate of meat-and-veggie pies, fish, cheese, fruit, and ripe red tomatoes appear before us. We're having such a good time that we're only vaguely worried what the bill will be. In the end, however, we leave with plenty of change for our 50-euro bill.  

Eating at Taberna Velho Cavalinho in Castro Marim is an unforgettable experience.

Back in Cabanas, we decide to take advantage of the resort's free boat shuttle to the ocean. (One can't actually get to the beach without taking a boat there.) It's a beautiful day, and we soak in the sun as we walk a mile or so up and down the sandy beach. I suppose it would have been wrong to spend the past two weeks on the coast of Portugal without actually touching the water. 

Our resort in Cabanas provides this transportation to the beach.

Yep, that's the ocean! We finally visit before heading home.

I include a rare picture of myself in today's post since it's one I don't hate.

Cabanas has a nice boardwalk, a big assortment of restaurants, bars, and cacti.

Rainy skies in Aveiro turn blue in Évora

If one picture can sum up our week in Aveiro, Portugal, this might be it.

Deciding on a winter getaway seems to be more of a challenge these days. While in past years, February travel has been ideal weather-wise, we weren't so lucky year. Flying to an island isn't for us — we're not exactly beach people. We wanted to drive somewhere, so we looked to one of our favorite countries: Portugal. 

Fish mark the spot at Aveiro's tourism office.

We take our time, stopping in two Spanish cities on the way, and run into stormy weather about an hour outside of our destination of Aveiro. I wonder if anyone has every counted the number of cities that have given themselves the moniker of "The Venice of ... (fill in the name of the country)." Aveiro is one such city, due to its canals and colorfully painted boats. To be fair, we aren't able to fully enjoy the coastal charms of this place due to the weather, but we take a lot of walks and manage to visit some cool museums. 

Museu de Arte Nova in Aveiro is located in a former private residence.

Aveiro can rightfully boast a strong Art Nouveau influence. We see plenty of beautiful (and some rundown) buildings in my favorite architectural style. There's even an Art Nouveau museum, although the building's exterior is more impressive than the modest exhibits inside. 

Art Nouveau architecture is found along Aveiro's famed canals.

Aveiro's patron saint is Sainte Princess Joana, and traces of her can be found all around town, particularly at the Museum of Aveiro. Housed in the Dominican convent where Ste. Joana once lived, the exhibits are, unsurprisingly, primarily religious. 

Visitors can learn all about the city's patron saint. at the Museum of Aveiro. 

The museum is next door to Sé Catedral de Aveiro. Built on the site of the 15th century Church of Nossa Senhora de Misericórdia, the lovely white cathedral is a stylistic blend of Mannerism, Baroque, and Modernism. 

Aveiro is strongly connected to its Roman Catholic roots. 

This boat, called a Moliceiro, is located in Aveiro's City Museum.

The Aveiro City Museum is more to our tastes. Here we learn about Aveiro's important salt industry and are treated to a personal tour by a friendly docent. She asks us lots of questions about our lives both in France and in the U.S. Our conversation becomes one of the most pleasant memories of our entire trip. 

It's easier to photograph Aveiro's colorful sign from behind.

The sky finally clears on our last day here allowing us a final chance to explore this beautiful city on the northern Portuguese coast. 

Évora is known for its white houses and rich heritage. 

We now head south with an overnight stop in Évora, a truly charming city and a UNESCO World Heritage site. We bypass the recommended sites and savor the beautiful day. Here we have one of the best lunches of our entire trip at Tempora & Prosa, a small Brazilian restaurant tucked into a narrow street lined with white houses. 

Évora's Temple of Diana was actually built to honor Emperor Augustus.

Évora is home to a large Roman temple, long-thought to be dedicated to the goddess Diana. It's free to check out, and I'm finally able to make good use of my camera. 

The flowers are thinking of blooming in Conde Vila Flor square in Évora.

Other highlights of our brief stay in Évora are a trip to the barber for Ken, who had been looking a little grizzly, and a luxurious night at the Évora Olive Hotel, a rare treat for us.  

Évora's main square is Praça do Giraldo.

Next, we'll head to the Algarve along the southern coast of Portugal.