Just reading the bulletin board posting for April 22, like to say that I went backpacking in Portugal twice last year. The second time, in September I went up north to Coimbra and Guarda. I went to Guarda to get to Almeida after reading about it in Sharpe’s Gold. Had to hang around half a day for the bus from Guarda and when I got off at Almeida the locals on the bus were looking at me like I had two heads. We’re talking back of beyond here. Where I got off , just outside the first barrell like tunnell, it was like arriving in a wild west ghost town, especially as it was late afternoon and very hot, despite being mid September. I was thinking what have I let myself in for but it turned out to be a great experience. There was a lovely pensao just down the road and the walled town itself was amazing. I think I came at the perfect time. Didn’t bother with the museum but walked around the town on the walls. It was the atmosphere of the place really, so isolated and eerie in the late afternoon indian summer haze. Then I put my feet up and had a few beers in one of those outdoor cafes inside the town. It was so tranquil that it was hard to picture what happened here in 1810. The people were very friendly depite my pidgin Portuguesse. Thanks for bringing the place to my attention in your book. Tony (from Ireland)