Cromleque Do Vale Maria do Meio

So after the Grand Anta, we were out looking for the Cromlech do Portela de Mogos. Only we, I, got confused, and after wandering for an hour in a cork forest, decided to drive on. A mile down the road was a sign to the Cromleque do Vale Maria do Meio, another important one, so we parked and walked a kilometer to the site. It was another Iberian beauty, reconstructed just a bit, as it was the place where--experimental archaeology!--it took 100 University of Lisbon students to re-erect one of the big stones. Horse-shoe shaped...think: Ohio Stadium! As good as all but a few in the Isles.

Anta Grande Do Zambujeiro

We visited the Anta Grande do Zambujeiro--The Big One--in 2010. It is the largest of dolmens known, so far. Anywhere. In 2010, it was raining, and getting to the anta was a kilometer-long slog on a muddy track. Vicki stayed behind, guarding the camper, while I slogged. See http://roadeveron.blogspot.pt/2010/01/upping-anta.html. The big difference for 2017 is that a) she got to see it, and b) there were bodies to provide scale, perspective. Important for questions of size. Zambujeiro is the biggest. So far as I could see, the site had not changed in these seven years.

The problem with Alentejo is that there are rocks--megaliths-- everywhere, and
everywhere you look, you see something that is or could be or was, a dolmen

After a brief hike, we're there

And in English too

So large, so important, it's under a cover

For scale; only, this is just the little bit

Sexy pose on what might have been the roof of the ante-chamber

Vicki approaching the big bits

Peering inside; these puppies are probably 5
meters high

Roof of the great chamber

Other side

Outlier of some sort, dressed; or maybe just another megalith randomly laying
about in this megalithic wonderland

Evora, 2017

We visited Evora in 2010 (http://roadeveron.blogspot.pt/2010/01/evora.html), pretty much for the same reasons as in 2017: it's a beautiful city, with many items of interest (http://roadeveron.blogspot.pt/2010/01/chapel-of-bones.html), and it's in the middle of the megalithic wonderland of Alentejo.

Arcade on one side of the main plaza: interesting variation in arch size, style

On the main plaza

Lest it be forgotten: the Pope was in Portugal at the same time as our visit;
just FYI

Evora cathedral

Enticing museum signs; and in English, too; maybe next time

One of Evora's main draws, its Roman temple

A lesser draw...within a couple hundred meters of both the 
cathedral and the Roman temple is  the old city water tower; 
its placement is quite a curiosity; but the city leaders have 
made lemonade, or maybe even a Pisco Sour, from the lemons,
turning the water tower into a museum...perhaps the world's
only museum of water towers

Thus; and in English too

And not unrelated: a few meters down the lane was this
structure, which we surmised was the tomb of someone
important, maybe Roman, maybe Renaissance...no, we
later were told, it was at this point that the Roman
aquaduct met the Roman city walls: the little "tomb" was
actually where you went to get your water

Continuing down the alley...

This sign caught Vicki's attention, especially the "addictive" part

Her berry tea and pastels de nata; she bought an order to go, too

My country grilled sandwich: Iberian ham, sausage slices, tomato, and queso, 
grilled, with oregano sprinkled atop; and a cerveza; all of this, both of us, came
to 9 euros, t & t incl.

But wait, there's more...this little place is built right into the Roman wall

And they do fado on weekend nights

Parthian shot of the plaza

Interesting and pretty place, Evora

Even a 15th century aquaduct