Tomar, anyone? I knew that I was someplace amazing when I would hear O say "WOW!" as he would enter another room ahead of me. I was already clicking pictures with each step I took and could hardly wait to turn the corner and see the next room. This is a place that was not only beautiful, but OLD, well preserved, interesting and especially hard to wrap your mind around. Tomar...
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| Main square |
We arrived at the main square at the church and clocktower in time to enter and hear a beautiful special "holiday" mass. (It was November 1 - All Saints Day here in Portugal. A holiday for many.) The church was full, standing room only. The choir and the sounds seemed to float through the church as we stood in the back and saw the people, sincere in their attendance that day. We then proceeded to walk UP to the castle... a 12th century castle containing the Convento de Cristo founded in 1162. How long do you have to read this? I can hardly describe what I saw... Remember the Da Vinci Code and the Templer Knights? This was the world headquarters for their crusades against the Moors. Think the Pentegon and the White House and National Cathedral all in one castle taken by the knights after 300 years of Islamic rule. It was the headquarters of Prince Henry the Navigator and used up until the 1900's.
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| Main square (looking up to castle) |
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| The walk UP to the castle |
Walking through the corridors, stairwells and rooms made me feel small in comparison to the walls that surrounded me. I felt the dedication of the monks that lived their lives within this place, not a place of comfort and ease, but of discipline and dedication. A simple existence. Each church/cathedral I enter, I can't help but breathe in and stand in awe of our Awesome God. The ornamentation, gold leaf coverings, exquisite murals depicting the life and suffering of our Lord, make me take humble pause. The worn thick wooden benches, stone and marble floors show the countless feet that walked on this exact place over the many centuries. I can't imagine the infinite number of prayers that were raised. Need I continue???
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| Inside the castle walls! |
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| The Charola - The original Romanesque Templar church |
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| Main cloister |
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| Refectory |
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| Cozina - The kitchen |
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| Stone hallways |
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| Olive oil storage |
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| Capela velho (Old chapel) |
For lunch we drove down through the town and found a restaurant called "A Bela Vista", appropriatly named - A Beautiful View! And that it was. I do have to say that Portuguese meals are wonderful in that they are never rushed. You can spend all afternoon sitting at the table and never be frowned upon for taking up too much time at a table could serve more patrons. The waiters do not ever bring you the check until you specifically aske for it. Of course every lunch and dinner contains more than one should eat at one time. The bread served is always tasty, olives are a staple, most often cheese is served... and this is before the meal is even served! For the meal, porco, peru, frango, carne and peixe are often the choices, which are served on a platter large enough to serve 2-3 people. We have learned that sharing meals is a must. Then it is rude to leave before dessert is served and cafe rounds out the meal. Cafe (=coffee) is an art in itself to order.
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| View from our table at "A Bela Vista", where we had lunch. Across the bridge is the main shopping street looking up to the castle. |
Tomar is a MUST on the list of places to visit again. (Note: Our friends O & M had not ever been there and we suggested we check it out because we saw it on HGTV's House Hunters International one evening at home a - woman was buying a home there and restoring it. See, HGTV even aids in European travel!?!) These are only a few of the MANY pictures I took. Thank you for joining me...
As bustling, beautiful and historic as Liboa is, we find the small towns and out of the way places to be most fascinating.
"He alone is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Fortress, I will not be shaken. My Salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my Mighty Rock, my Refuge. Trust in Him at all times... He is our Refuge." Psalm 62.6-8
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