Also forgot to say what I wanted to say about Pousadas..( Getting old i quess) This is not an advert. but a heads up from a pousada affectionado.. There is a special deal on right now and Evora is one of the pousadas mentioned (among others) so if you are going soon check it out pousadas.pt ..

We adored Evora's Pousada and were so sorry we didn't stay there longer.

Yes, it is special but so are many others..Shame to miss the oppertunity to experience but many people don't know how inexpensive they can be and most of them are 5 star!!!

We stayed at several of the Posadas in the Alentejo this past year while on business and found all of them excellent. Evora was one of our favorites, but the Pousada da Nossa Senhora da Assunção, with only 15 rooms, was the most impressive.

https://plus.google.com/101037978352756569469/posts/BgvtoLyqXpw

The Pousadas, unlike the Paradors of Spain, are operated by the Pestana Group, a major international player in hotels and resorts. While the Paradors are in the process of cutting some staff and closing some Paradors during low season because of the crisis, the Pousadas do not seem to have been effected as much and do have some excellent specials (www.pousadas.pt).

I agree that the pousadas are really very special, at least for us history-starved North Americans. I'm wondering what the rest of you think about the post-modern slick and sleek decor of some of the historical albergues, like Arraiolos and Alcacer do Sal. Arrraiolos is in an old whitewashed convent, blue-tiled church and all, while Alcacer to Sal is int he remains of a castle. Or Viseu, in an elegant 17th or 18th century hospital, cloister and ll. And Tavira, I almost forgot, same decor in an old convent. And then there's all this extremely modern angular furniture and decor. Spain does it too, for instance in Santo Estevo.

I assume their market research shows that people like it, but do you? I have to admit i find it very jarring.
But I may be way out of sync with the majority.