A short bus journey (50km) today to Évora, another Roman city, and the regional capital of the Alentejo.

The temple to Diana (Roman not British princess), churches, shops, town squares and … lots of tourists: mainly French, Italian and Chinese.

We did our usual division of labour, with the artists concentrating on creating masterpieces despite tourist groups peering over their shoulder, blocking their view or in the case of one uncharacteristicly rude Swedish lady, sitting on top of a bag of art supplies!

Lunch was interesting: very aggressive wait staff who refused to take beverage orders until everyone had ordered food.  One of us (that would be me) got a little tetchy about that.  Calm was restored after the second bottle of vinho verde.

One interesting chapel we all visited at the end of the day is the Capela dos Ossos (Bones Chapel) lined with skulls and real human bones.  Fascinating in a macabre fashion.  The sign on the door says “We bones that are here are awaiting yours.”  Charming.

Back to Monsaraz in the afternoon and we’ll be here all day tomorrow.  AFL Grand Final day  – but it’s at 5am our time so not sure who will be switching on their iPads at that hour!  We have one ardent Doggies fan in the group but she’s too nervous to watch.

A glorious sunny day.  Lots of art up in the township and lots of wine for the six non-painters who enjoyed a day at the nearby Esporão winery.

I posted last night before dinner, so I have to mention about our interesting encounter with Mérida’s answer to Manuel from Fawlty Towers.

Apart from getting the pre-dinner drinks orders all scrambled and charged to the wrong rooms, our hotel barman then morphed into the food waiter when we were frog-marched to a dining room for our pre-ordered 3-course meal.

Somewhat surprisingly, the room had been set as if for a wedding reception.  Manuel and his waitress assistant then became Speedy González x 2.  Never have we been served so quickly.  Before we’d all been seated our soup was plonked in front of us. As soon as one person had finished the admittedly delicious gazpacho, the plate was whisked away and the main course (fried chicken) replaced it.  Wine appeared and splashed into our glasses.  If one wine glass became empty it was spirited away.  No one was game to let go of the stems!

We were in the odd position of some fast eaters already being onto their fruit salad desserts while others were still finishing their soup or trying to get some more wine.

This may not sound so funny in writing, but it had us all in fits of laughter and requests that I post it on today’s blog as, ahem, an entrée.

We all agreed the hotel staff were in urgent need of customer relations training, which is a shame as the hotel itself is just superb.  The foyer was grand and we all had beautifully appointed rooms with tiles and mosaics on the walls depicting Augusta Emerita (as the city used to be called 2000 years ago) in its Roman heyday.

Day Ten of our Iberian adventure was spent for the artists in and around Plaza España (see photo below of today’s artwork on display).  The others explored the Roman bridge and the Moorish fortress, built after the Visigoths were expelled (hope you’re keeping up here)!

Then it was off in our trusty chariot, via Mérida’s aqueduct, to Jerez de los Cabelleros for a lovely light lunch with vistas over the Spanish countryside.

Monsaraz in the Alentejo, just across the border back in Portugal, is our base for the next four nights.  More about this whitewashed village in tomorrow’s blog.

Hands up those who know all about Mérida? Well I was one who would have gone to the back of the class before our first visit here, almost by accident, on the way home to Portugal a few years ago.

The former capital of Roman Lusitania, this city in the Spanish province of Extremadura, has some of Europe’s best preserved ruins from 2000 years ago when Rome ruled the known (to Europeans) world.

One could easily spend days here but we had just a full afternoon (and a morning to come tomorrow) with our art group active in the Roman Theatre and the non-painters exploring the whole complex, including the amphitheater (scene of gladiatorial battles long past) and then the nearby jaw-dropping National Museum of Roman Art.

Photos don’t do justice to the display over several floors, and a crypt, that showcase sculptures, mosaics, artifacts, coins, glassware, etc. from the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD. Worth a hike to far western Spain for the experience.

Another full day in this lovely city.  Painting in the Plaza Mayor in the morning while the non-artists explored the really beautiful Monastery of San Esteban – just so full of history and beauty.

The artists went to the priory in the afternoon while others went shopping (sales are on: sweaters for €12) and did more exploring.

Salamanca has to rate as one of the most gracious cities in Spain.  Love it!  Off to Mérida tomorrow.

Another lovely day in this beautiful city.  The artists are turning out some impressive work.  And the non-painters had another day of exploring: the university (800 years old in 2018!), the cathedrals (the old one being by far the most interesting) and the art nouveau museum (lots of Lalique).

A long bus ride today from Pinhão to Salamanca but some really lovely scenery along the way and worth the 4 hour journey to reach one of our favourite destinations on the Iberian Peninsula.

After checking into the NH Puerta de la Catedral (gives you a clue to our location), and a welcome glass of cava, we made it to the Plaza Mayor for lunch by 4 pm and an hour or two of sketching.

Dinner finished at 11.45 pm and we are now preparing for sightseeing (and painting of course) over the next two days in the first of of our two Spanish cities.

This is the view from the front door of our hotel.

Dinner at Valencia, Salamanca.

What a stunningly beautiful day!  Painters painted, non-painters swam, walked and enjoyed wine.  All in brilliant sunshine in the world’s most picturesque wine region.

After painting around the Vintage House Hotel grounds by the Douro in the morning, our artists traipsed around the vineyards of Quinta do Bomfim in the afternoon capturing the mesmerizing views in watercolour.

Us non-painters enjoyed a visit to the Symington’s winery, a Port wine tasting and then a wonderful picnic lunch among the vines.

Here’s a collection of today’s pics:

It’s Thursday so it must be Pinhão, on the beautiful Douro River.  We left our hotel in Ponte de Lima this morning (first pic above), packing all suitcases into our bus – with Fernando’s help (second pic), and then traveling two hours to Régua, where we boarded a boat for a lunch time cruise to Pinhão (third pic shows artists on board).

Pam and I lucked out with a sumptuous suite in the newly refurbished Vintage House Hotel (pic four) with stunning views of the vineyards from the balcony (last photo).

A new addition to the art tour itinerary this year: Ponte de Lima, up near the northern border with Spain in the Minho region of Portugal.  Famous as the oldest continuously inhabited village in Portugal and one of the most picturesque.

While the centrepiece is the old Roman bridge (ponte) over the River Lima, the town is also on the Camino de Santiago, which we non-painters can now claim to have walked (about 200 metres of it).

The painters spent the day by the river while we explored the town, the lovely museum (dedicated to St Francis’ Third Way), and the quite stunning gardens on the other side of the river.

Oh, and we also had lunch accompanied by some bottles of excellent vinho verde .