So we are up and ready for our last day in Portugal. We pack our luggage and by 10am we are checked out of the hotel and the car is loaded. We head off to have breakfast at Scooby's which is a pool bar owned by a Brit guy so the breakfasts are wonderful. Our bodies are going to have withdrawal symptoms hen we stop eating full English breakfasts every day LOL.
Well today we are going to search out the "chapel of bones" which is hidden away in a rural hillside village near by and we only know about it because a local guy gave us directions there. We head off following a scribbled map and after 20 minutes we drive into a tiny village. The car we have hardly fits through the narrow streets but eventually we reach the town square where we were told to park.
WE lock the car and search around for a small entrance to the chapel. We find it and Glen heads inside and immediatly comes out saying "Rhonda I am warning you do not go in there ok !" Of course Rhonda is so nosey she heads inside and immediatly starts to cough and gag and comes straight back out. GLen then goes back in to take pictures for you guys to see and to shoot some video. The chapel walls, floor and ceiling is constructed completely from human skulls and bones, hundreds of them. IT is sooooooo creepy to be stood amongst so many dead bodies.
Oh my god it is so eerie - Glen takes his photos and comes out as well. The story is that hundreds of years ago the town was developing and an old graveyard had to be dug up to allow the church to be built. The townspeople didnt know what to do with the skeletons that were uncovered so they decided to build a building with them so they had somewhere to rest forever - WIERD EH !!
After the bones village we drive towards the airport and decide to check out another old medeival town called Loule which has an old market and castle. We enter the town through the old castle gates and park in the ancient part. It is lovely and sunny and we spend a couple of hours exploring the towns tiny streets. We do some shopping in the local market which is selling all types of food and fresh fish caught that morning. We buy some PiriPiri sauce and mix so Rhonda can make Glen some of his favourite chicken when we get home.
After the market we look for somewhere to eat lunch. All the restaurants around the market square look so nice but they are not very busy so we avoid them. At one corner we pass a buidling with black glass windows and the noise from inside sounds like a huge party is happening. Glen opens the door and it is a restaurant and all of the local towns folk are in there eating. This is definitely the place for us. We find the only available table and sit down. We are immediatly served bread and olives and a huge salad. this is our last meal before we hit the airport for our flight back to London then on to Greece. Glen orders a mixed plate of grilled meats and Rhonda sticks with the bread and salad teeheehee. The meal is just awesome and we wash the food down with a bottle of local wine. mmmmm
We have cappucino coffes after the meal and the bill totals a whopping 10 Euros ($14). After we pay the owner of the restaurant comes over and puts a full bottle of port and two glasses on our table and says "enjoy port". We look at each other and think well we didnt order this so whats with it. We ask the waiter who doesnt speak english and he just gestures to us to "drink, drink". Oh well we open the bottle and have a port each - mmmm it is so lush and fruity mmmm. One more after that - mmm - ok one last one - mmmmm - damn it take this bottle away - we have a fourth one as we toast goodbye to Portugal - this country has truly been one of the best places we have ever visited and for many reasons. We ask for the "final" bill and the waiter laughs and says "no you go now". the port was on the house courtesy of the owner - he thinks we are german !!!!
Oh well
Before we go to the airport we stop for coffee in the town closest to the airport and sit in the square until it is time to head on in , drop off the rental car and check in. TOmorrow we will be in Greece and we are very excited about that.
its our last destination in Europe and the island of Corfu where we are going is set up for holidaying so it should be a bit more relaxing for us - yeah right its Glen and Rhonda teeheehee we will see about the restful thing.
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