Friday, May 3: Day 11 – Irony

Free tour in Evora. You get what you pay for. We didn’t learn much except how much our guide loved Evora. However, her use of English was priceless.

Our group had gathered in the city square in the shade of the towering church. She was waiting for a tourist named Joanne.

She asked one woman in the group, “Are you Joanne?”

“No.”

She asked the next woman, “Are you Joanne?”

“No.”

This went on for a while as she inquired of every female in the group.

When my time came, I knew the answer. I was not Joanne. However, I almost said “Yes” in order to move things along.

She must have read my mind. When she had received my disappointing news, she decided to tell us why she loved Evora because it was apparent that Joanne had not yet arrived.

What happened next rivaled the famous Abbott and Costello comedy routine, Who’s on 1st?

Two young women approached the group and asked our tour guide if they could join.

“Ah, we have been waiting for you,” exclaimed our guide.

The duo looked understandably surprised.

“It’s Joanne,”as she exuberantly introduced the newbie to our group of non-Joannes.

“I’m not Joanne.”

“Then, you must be Joanne,” she said while moving on to the next confused tourist.

“I’m not Joanne, either.”

“Why did you say that you were Joanne?”

“I didn’t. I asked if we could join the group.”

“Oh, of course, you can. We are waiting for another person named Joanne,” she explained to the perplexed gals.

“We will start the tour without Joanne and hope that she will find us at the Tums (tombs).

Many of the buildings that our guide pointed out were a fusion of beautiful architectural styles. People through the centuries seem to add their own likes and dislikes from different periods so it is hard to determine the date of a building.

Everywhere that we went, we saw preschoolers to highschoolers on field trips. It is that time of year! They were all dressed alike with each group having their own color and style. In the FAMOUS Church of Sao Francisco, there were so many visitors that a church official had to YELL for everyone to be quiet. Isn’t that iconic ironic?

Irony exists everywhere.

Our guide’s final comments were about gastronomy. Evora used to have water shortages but created an artificial lake insomuch they are now known as the bread basket of Portugal. Evora is also known for “moss”-produced wine. Her words, not a typo.

We had been told that if you pass by a restaurant and there is lots of yelling, that is where you will find the best tasting local food. So tonight when we stroll down the beautiful narrow cobblestone streets of Evora to dine at an outdoor restaurant along the aqueduct from the Renaissance, we will use our ears and not Google to seek out the best place.