Thursday evening we settled in to our new abode for the remainder of our time in Portugal. Fortunately there’s a small Pingo Doce, the local grocery, very nearby, so we could easily obtain supplies.

We got off to a leisurely start on Friday. We decided to head up to Castelo São Jorge, or as it’s known in English, Saint George’s Castle, the big castle on the hill. It’s the one that glowed at night when we were first here and went to meet Mandy’s friend for dinner.

Up and around, through small streets with even smaller sidewalks, in and around lots of people until we were finally in the throng of tourists waiting to get in. Apparently it’s the most popular attraction here. The long line to get in proved it.

However, once on the grounds it was quite manageable. Lots of places to explore, stairs to climb to go along ramparts, spots with views aplenty and archaeological remnants to see. Considering that human habitation in the castle area began in the 8th century BC, there was quite an assortment.

We were also charmed by the many peacocks that roamed the grounds freely. Males and females and even young ones. Most amazing was when we looked up in a nearby tree that we were at a level with the branches and found many of them resting in amongst the branches!

We explored all the nooks and crannies and felt we had given it its due. We left the grounds and headed to the apartment, but with a detour to a tile shop I saw online. Mandy found it for me, and while they didn’t have exactly what I was looking for, I did pick one tile that ought to remind me of this journey. It’s destined to become a kitchen trivet.