Portugal

Matt and I took a trip to Portugal near the end of last year.  While there we visited three towns; Evora, Sintra, and Lisbon.  I wanted to go to Evora to see the "Capela dos Ossos" which in English is "Chapel of Bones."  It was built by some Franciscan  monks who were worried about the materialistic and secular state of the people.  In order to get the people to think of the transitory nature of this life they built the chapel of bones.  There is a famous poem about the chapel written in Portugese by Fr. António da Ascenção .  Here is the English translation:

Where are you going in such a hurry traveler?
Stop … do not proceed;
You have no greater concern,
Than this one: that on which you focus your sight.
Recall how many have passed from this world,
Reflect on your similar end,
There is good reason to reflect
If only all did the same.
Ponder, you so influenced by fate,
Among all the many concerns of the world,
So little do you reflect on death;
If by chance you glance at this place,
Stop … for the sake of your journey,
The more you pause, the further on your journey you will be.

I really like this poem as it so true and the Chapel of Bones was my favorite site to visit in Portugal.  After spending a night in Evora we went to Sintra where we toured the Pena Palace which was a very beautiful castle.  While in Sintra we stayed at a hotel on the coast.  The waves of the Atlantic were crashing and magnificent.  The next day we headed to Lisbon where we visited the sites of Belem and the three famous neighborhoods of Lisbon, Chiado, Baixa, and the Alfama.  Portugal is a beautiful country, very green and lush.  I loved seeing the horned bulls in the countryside and the cork trees which when peeled of their cork have a rust red colored under-bark and so are easily identified.  The hand painted tiles all over Portugla were also beautiful and reminded me so much of Mexico.  I would like to go back again just eat some more queijadas and pasteis de natas!

(Slide show song "Pretty the World" by Matt Nathanson)