Tomar

The longer I spend in Portugal, the more places I see, I had hoped that the number of "must-see's" would decrease down to a nice compact top 10 (then I could start a business touring you round them all). But instead I've gone from top 5 to top 10 and am currently working my way up to 20. Tomar is a must see. There is no question about that. The reason? The Convento do Christo built in the 12th Century by the Knights Templar on land granted to them after defeating the Moors. A very smart move by the young Portuguese nation still trying to establish itself as an independent state - at that time no-one f*ked with the Knights Templar.
The church was built in the circular style used by the Templars (based on churches in the Holy Land) and the interior is truly spectacular. Since there is no photography allowed I have to borrow a photo from the tourism site (is that more or less ethical than scanning a postcard??!!)
In the 15th Century Dom Henrique (or Henry the Navigator) used the castle as the base for his many expeditions around the world meaning Tomar was central to Portugal's Age of Discovery. He also began enlarged the Convent by adding a nave in the intricate Manueline style of the time. The window of the Chapter House at the start of this post is regarded as a classic example of this style (along with the Moisteros dos Jeronimos in Lisbon.Most towns would be content with one landmark but Tomar also has a 16th Century Manueline church in the town square and a Renaissance church built on a hilltop (originally intended as King Joao III's tomb). The town mostly gets in the news in winter when the lower parts of the old town flood after every downpour. The area around the river also gets flooded with tourists who prefer lunch with this view of the castle and the town centre (leaving the town square empty except for pigeons and me looking for lunch since I can't get a table by the river).

Almourol Castle in the middle of the Tejo. For Bry and anyone else who thought Scotland and Ireland had the monopoly on romantic waterfront castles. According to GoLisbon "several bad events (deaths and tragic love stories) have taken place there and the castle is supposed to be haunted by a princess". As would be expected in a castle :)