Tomar.
Day tripped by train to Tomar. I think I spent more time in the trains and train stations waiting for connections than in Tomar and surroundings combined. Which kind of sucked.
Anyway, Tomar is interesting because of the Convent of Christ, which was the site and base of operations for the Knights Templar. It used to be a Moorish stronghold, but then the Christians took it over and it was important in the push to recover the southern parts of Iberia. Of course after the Templars were dissolved the castle changed hands, first to the Order of Christ (ergo the name the Convent of Christ) then to some royals, and eventually to the state, for your and my viewing touristing pleasure.
The architecture is quite interesting, again, long histories tend to beget a bit of a mish-mash of styles, but I was happy with my visit, and on the way down to the center of town my brain was playing Il Vecchio Castello from Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition over and over in my head.
Me wanna buy me a castle. Carlos, my man, when are you going to make a killing in the stock market? :P
Pictures at the usual spot (just be patient, the uploading may take a while---very painful from internet cafes, as you know).
2 comments:
Hi, Elisa,
reading your entries, I could not fail to notice that you, like many of us, spend a lot of time admiring churches and monasteries and such, but have scant regard for the people of faith whose contributions built them (pilgrims and such). I just noticed this factoid because of the stark contrast provided by your entries.
Anyway, glad you are finally on the road!
Wish you all the best, and may internet cafes dot your path...
Hmmm...you think? I was raised Catholic, you know. {shrug} But don't worry, you're not the first person who accuses me of being irreverent. ;P
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