The historic town of Evora is a place that is wrapped in Roman history. This is an image of an aqueduct that was constructed by Romans, and today it is as sturdy as it was during the time of construction, when the Roman transported water from the north to this amazing town. This is the view from my bedroom window, while inside the city’s walls. It was just after sun rise, and I loved how the sun’s early morning light was captured within each arch. There are two walls to see in this image. One is the white one that keeps the hotel property private. The other is the wall of the fort, keeping out invaders, years ago.

We traveled from Evora to Reguengos de Monsaraz, where “Little boy blue, come blow your horn, the sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn” is taken to the next level. Below, you’ll see how lambs have a lot more to offer than the obvious food benefit.

While we were touring the vineyards of Carmim,  the sheep could care less, although they still didn’t let me get too close.

Grape vines and olive oil trees are coexisting in this area, side-by-side. At harvest time, first the grapes are harvested, and when that harvest is complete, it’s time to bring in the olives.

We had lunch in the village of Monsaraz, walking through the cobblestone streets and white washed buildings. We marveled at how there were people who had lived their entire lives here, knowing only these streets… and not Highway 101 through Sonoma County’s wine country.

Before lunch in Monsaraz, we climbed to the top of the castle, only to find its Colosseum. From this vantage point, all of Alentejo lay below.

Within that area, we could also see how a town fitted its living accommodations behind the fortress of protection.

Handcrafting still has honor with artisans from the region demonstrating great style and humble admiration from my point of view.