Tuesday, July 29th, 2025

This morning we checked out of our hotel to head toward Porto where we would board our riverboat for our Douro River cruise. We certainly enjoyed our time in Lisbon!

On our way out of town we saw the Memorial to Senhor do Adeus (translated in English as the Lord of Goodbye).

João Manuel Serra for over 30 years greeted everyone in this area by waving to them. His goal was to “scare away loneliness”. His death moved thousands of people who saw him waving. The people in the area convinced the officials to erect this memorial in his memory.

As we continued onward we made a stop in Tomar, Portugal. It was located by the River Nabão. It was founded in 1157 by Gualdim Pais, the first Grand Master of the Order of the Templars in Portugal.

During the 13th century Tomar was a powerful town because it was the seat of the Knights Templar. The Knights Templar was a Catholic military order founded in 1119. Their headquarters stayed in Tomar until they were extinguished by Pope Clement V in 1314. We toured the Convento de Cristo (Convent of Christ). It was an UNESCO World Heritage site. It was a 12th century religious complex built by the Knights Templar.

The Convent was surrounded by the walls of the Castle of Tomar. It was built over 5 centuries with combined architectural elements of Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline, Renaissance, Mannerist and Baroque.

The Convent had 8 cloisters built between the 15th and 16th centuries. We saw the Cemetery Cloister. It was where the monks and knights were buried.

The Washing Cloister was used to wash the monks’ clothes.

The Great Cloister, also known as the Cloister of John III was a two-story cloister that connected the dormitory of the monks to the church.

A highlight was the church. The Charola or rotunda was built in the 12th century by the Knights Templar within the convent. It was a private oratory for the Knights. It was inspired by the Holy Sepulchre Rotunda in Jerusalem. It was filled with sculptures, wood carvings, painted leather, murals and plasterwork. The Gothic nave was added to the round church of the Convent. It was built in the shape of a 16-sided drum. It was beautiful.

The Chapter House Window facade was divided by two string courses of sculpted knotted ropes which were a symbol of Portugal. Many of the Manueline motifs could be seen. For example we saw symbols of the Order of Christ and Manuel I, elaborate ropes, coral, and plant motifs.

We walked through where the dining room where meals were eaten.

We also visited the Convent kitchen areas.

Below was a collection of some additional photos from our visit to the Convent of Christ. It was such a fascinating tour.

In 1160 the building of the Castillo de Tomar or Tomar Castle began. It had an outer defensive wall. We walked through the ruins of the former royal quarters. The towers that surrounded the exterior were considered a great innovation at the time and were introduced to Portugal by the Knights Templar.

The Aqueduct of the Convent of Christ was built in the late 16th century. It was designed to supply water to the Convent.

After our visit to the Convent of Christ we had time to explore the town of Tomar and have lunch. We found a historic cafe that was established in 1911 and located in the center of town. It was a favorite of locals, artists and writers. We enjoyed our meal!

Our meeting place was beside Mouchão Park. This garden was located on a small island in the Nabão River. We took a short stroll through the walking paths.

The Mouchão Water wheel was built from pine and oak wood and had been part of Tomar’s landscape since the 16th century. Its historic mechanism was first used as a way to irrigate lands and then used as an energy source to power mills.

Our next stop was Porto where we would board our riverboat for a seven day cruise on the Douro River. Porto was Portugal’s second city. It was a major commercial center. By the time we arrived at our boat we didn’t have time to explore the city but we would at the end of our cruise.

We unpacked and then explored the riverboat before meeting in the lounge for our “Welcome Cocktail” and of course the required safety briefing.

Each night before dinner the cruise sommelier, Gabriel, discussed the white and red wine selection that would be served at dinner. He explained where in Portugal the wine was from, what grapes were used and the flavorings. We enjoyed his explanations. The wines we tried were delicious.

Our dinner menu and wine recommendations. The food and wine was delicious.

Amawaterways had their own postcards that you could send free of cost to family and friends. They had six different options. We thought this was a great idea to offer guests and free advertising for them! Below were 2 examples of the postcards available to send.

From 9-10 PM Captain Pedro took us on an Illumination Cruise. We were on deck for the cruise from Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia.

It was a warm but beautiful evening for cruising on the Douro River.

Tomorrow we will visit the Mateus Palace and Gardens in the civil parish of Mateus.