Castle Tour!

On Saturday I had the chance to tour a castle in Tomar, Portugal with some new friends. I met some teachers from the ABWE school in Lisbon last weekend. Nick and his wife Krista invited me to join them and Meredith (another first year teacher) on the day trip.We started with lunch at a cafe. I had pork chops with Portuguese rice, salad, and fries. It was delicious and fun to experience European eating at an outdoor cafe. I think this was my first authentic Portuguese food since arriving. In the square we went in a church that is one of Portugal's oldest built in 1430. Different vendors had tables set up in the square selling different kinds of nuts.

Most of our time was spent walking through a castle from the 12th century! Templar knights helped the Portuguese fight the Moors. In return the king gave land to them where castles and churches were built. This particular castle and convent was built in 1162. In later years other additions were added. It was so neat to walk through the halls and rooms and imagine what history had taken place there. The views were picturesque and the weather was perfect for a jaunt through ancient history. The first picture is a look at the round Templar Church. The rest are various pictures from inside. The architecture was neat to see - very ornate and detailed in places. I thoroughly enjoyed the visit and look forward to my next sightseeing adventure....