Évora and Casa Branca

April 1, 2024

We aren't riding our bikes yet, but we have big plans for the day. My oldest granddaughter, Miriam, has a scholarship for a project in a village not far from Évora. She is an art student and she and a group of other students are working on restoring traditional homes in Casa Branca, one of the many Portuguese towns that has lost most of its young population to larger towns where they can find work. Casa Branca is peaceful, the population is old and the houses are deteriorating. But I am getting ahead of my story.

We drove to Évora, met Miriam at the train station and connected up with Susan where we parked the car. Susan had arrived in Évora yesterday. Thank goodness for Whatsapp. With a lot of messaging back and forth, Miriam could tell us her train was coming in late, and we could tell Susan where we were parking the car. The plan was to have lunch together and take Susan and her bike back to Estremoz in the car with us. Tomorrow the three of us, Susan, Janos and I, will start cycling.

We had a wonderful day. Miriam, Susan, Janos and I all had a lot to talk about, conversation was lively in a mix of English and German. We walked a little, stopped for coffee (some of us hadn't had breakfast yet), had a great lunch and then drove to Casa Branca where Miriam was eager to show us where she is living and working.

Roman ruins in the center of Évora, and the azulejos at the train station

Miriam loved these details on the fountain. She studied wood sculpture for three years.

In Casa Branca, a home waiting for restoration

On the way to the old school house, which is now housing for the students working on the renovation project. The ground is littered with oranges which Miriam gathered. She served each of us a large glass of freshly pressed juice.

Our day off after the long drive wasn't exactly a rest day, but a day full of happiness with family and a dear friend.

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Rachael AndersonWhat a great thing your grand daughter is doing! I’ve gotten behind on your journal but I’m glad things are working out well! We look forward to meeting up with you, Janos and Susan!
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8 months ago

Suzanne GibsonTo Rachael AndersonLooking forward to seeing you and Scott, too!
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8 months ago