To Spain! Sat, 10/16/21

Woohoo!  We truly enjoyed our time in Portugal, but Jimmy and I are also anxious to see Spain.  Today we'll cross the border near the town of Olivenza, where we'll stop for a bit.  Kinda bummed out about losing an hour when we cross into Spain (new time zone), but oh well.  We will also be eating dinner at 8:00 pm tonight, about the time I'm in my robe and on the couch at home, watching a movie on Netflix (haha).  Again, oh well!  When in Spain, do as the Spaniards do!

But first, here we are at breakfast at the Convento do Espinheiro, before bidding that marvelous hotel goodbye.  Our two attendants did a quick photo bomb, which we applauded when they ran over to us.

On the road, we saw acre upon acre of olive trees, vineyards, and almond trees, new ones, as above, and gnarly old ones, too.  The sky today was somewhat overcast, but the day was warm.

Monsaraz, in far eastern Portugal, was where we stopped first.  Imagine seeing this as you approached by vehicle from below -- kind of a fairytale walled village, way up on a mountaintop.

Really, a walled village, right?

Our bus couldn't get all the way to the top because the cobblestone roads were so narrow.  But, from where the bus stopped to let us off was a spectacular view of the nearby hills, reservoir and the Guadiana River.

Gathering to hear an introduction to the town from our local guide.  Maria, I believe was her name, and she was born in Monsaraz.  The town now has a mere 40-45 (approx) permanent residents!  In days of yore, many more people lived there.

We hoofed it up the rest of the way.

Cars actually go up and down this "road."

A labyrinth of passageways leads through the medieval walled town.

Up and down!

A few of the doors must have been for elves!  All the houses are painted white, with outdoor staircases and wrought-iron balconies, which adds to its charm.  Suspended in time, this historic town, one of the oldest in Portugal, is very picturesque.

A few shops can be found along the way.  Bernice, above, enters one.  We looked but didn't buy much.  The guys stopped at a coffee parlor, one with stone floors and colorful woven rugs, stained glass windows and flowering plants ... very pretty.

The hilltop town was originally fortified by the Knights Templar!  We climbed the steps to the top of the battlements, looking down on what was once a bullfighting ring, but is now mostly used for special concerts.

Looking down from the top.

And now looking back toward Monsaraz from the bus.

Amazing, isn't it?

Next, we pulled into Olivenza, where we cross the border into Spain!  Always observant about gas prices, thanks to living in California, we saw gas in Spain was 20 cents cheaper than Portugal!  (Just a little aside for you.)  The four of us, plus Gale and Georgia, had a nice lunch in Olivenza's town square, and it's always comical when a group of non-Spanish speaking Americans tries to order food with a Spanish-speaking waiter.  But, it worked anyway!  We walked around a bit and then it was back on the bus.

Late in the afternoon, we arrived at our hotel in Seville, Spain!  Our hotel this time is located in the city center, and after checking in, we did a walk-about in the downtown area before making our way to dinner.

Some graffiti is allowed ....

One tall building in Seville, and nobody likes it 'cause it does NOT fit in!

Bullfight ring.

OK, then!  Here we are in Spain, o boy!  Tomorrow we'll go on an explore!