Perhaps to tease us, or just to convince us to return, Portugal is putting on a show for our last week here. After feeling like we haven’t seen the sun in weeks, we’ve had a string of beautiful days to end our time in Portugal.

Our original travel plans did not include more than a possible quick stop for a few hours in historic Évora, but I am so glad our plans changed to include this compact UNESCO world heritage jewel. Wandering the quiet warren of whitewashed buildings and cobblestone streets proved to be a beautiful example of a typical Portuguese city, relaxed and comfortable in its state of ancient splendor/decay.

Our first morning of exploration sent us scurrying into the Igreja de São Francisco de Évora to avoid a rapidly approaching rain storm. Portuguese cathedrals haven’t been our favorite visually, but it all looks amazing when it’s pouring outside.

The adjacent Capela dos Ossos was the second chapel of bones we’ve visited on this trip, and Morgan said that both were creepy.

We found peacocks galore in Évora’s public park, providing endless fascination for the kids. A quick search just told me that Portuguese park peacocks are a result of the 15th-century Age of Discovery in Portugal. Explorers brought them home from the East as exotic status symbols to adorn important gardens. Evidently they adapted well to the climate here and have flourished in public parks all over the country for many centuries.

I squeezed in an afternoon run by the Aqueduto de Água da Prata, an aqueduct built in the 1500s over the ancient Roman aqueduct. The aqueduct stands high above the street as it enters the northern side of Évora, and as we saw on a nighttime walk, buildings have been constructed right inside its ancient structure.