Visiting Arraiolos
Visiting ArraiolosTrue Alentejo
Famous by their special tapestry, Arraiolos is a small city where I passed a dozen times without stopping.
This time I took a day to GO THERE, and visit the place.
It was embellished to the event “Tapetes na rua” (tapestry in the streets), but the true image of Alentejo was honestly present everywhere. It was a nice day, that I will describe in this page (Under construction)
Misericórdia church
In the centre of town, this small church is a mandatory visit – its rich interior joins to the gilded altar and the rich tiles from the 18th century that cover the walls, a ceiling that reminds the image of the tapestries that are the city’s ex-libris.
The pillory
The pillory, common detail in most Portuguese villages in the middle ages, is interesting, with its twisted shape, and conserving the four arms in iron. It is located in the central square.
The castle
Interpretation center
City hall
The court
The centre of town
Band stand
Main church
“Fonte da pedra” (Stone fountain)
São Francisco church
“Passos da Paixão” chapel
Nossa Senhora do Castelo church
Clock tower
Nossa Senhora das Dores church
Monument to the “tapeteira” (carpet worker)
Pelourinho – Good local food
Pelourinho – Good local food
I read in TripAdvisor that this restaurant had the best “Sopa de Cação” of Arraiolos. I cannot make any comparison (this was my first time eating in Arraiolos), but from now on you may read here that it has one of the best “Sopas de Cação” in the world.
“Dogfish soup” is one of the most traditional and delicious recipes of Alentejo, copied here and there outside the region, but nowhere else they achieve the balance of tastes and smells of the original Alentejo.
The soup was excellent and the grilled meat was also perfect.
The meat came with “migas”, another local tradition that I don’t appreciate much (it’s heavy) but this time it was lighter and softer than usual. Very good too.
The “house wine” was good, only the desert staying far behind the general meal.
The room is cozy and good looking (always with lines at the door, it was a festive day), and the service, trying to be efficient, couldn’t disguise the traditional pace of Alentejo.
The price was moderated.
But the tapestry…
A shade is a blessing in Alentejo during summer.
There are always people or animals resting in it.
However, when you may rest with such a spectacular tapestry in front of you, as we have seen in Arraiolos, everybody wants to be… “Alentejano”.
Shopping in Arraiolos
Shopping in Arraiolos
Tapestry – Hortense
