On a recent trip to Portugal (see Sintra reviews) I visitedv Evora. I decided to write after reading the poor review of it on this site. Yes it has become quite touristy but I imagine it has been a "tourist spot" for hundreds of years because of it's strategic location, heritage and history. If in Portugal it is a must-s The Capela dos Ossos, the Chapel of Bones (one of several in Portugal) is quite exotic, and filled with skulls and bones, quite eerie. The Temple of Diana is smaller than I had imagined but still inspiring to find in Portugal. The aqueduct is marvelous. We stayed at the very charming Estalagem Albergaria do Calvario, and it turned out to be my favorite hotel of the trip, with free internet access, great service, and wonderful rooms at mid-range prices. We ate at the Pickwick restaurant and had a tasty dinner there. Back to Evora though, one of the great things about it, talking

about a city underneath it, is that we were walking about and could see where they'd been excavating and uncovering walls and such. These areas had glass viewing windows on the

outside walls so you could see the progress. And for you shoppers out there, there is some great shopping to be had here of local craft and products from around the area. It is a good base location, and we made several day trips. What was a disappointment though was the "megalithic tour". The standing stones and "painted" caves are less than impressive, especially if you've visited Stonehenge, or seen any of the desert rock paintings in Arizona, USA or elsewhere.

The nearby town of Arrailos, where the carpets are made, is a nice side trip. The carpets are wonderful, and it is fun to see the place where alot of the carpets you see in the palaces and castles of Portugal came from. Another

interesting town we visited was Estremoz, especially on market day. So if in Portugal, include Evora on your schedule. Do the research and you'll enjoy it.

Ann Reeves, California, USA