In Palmela

A hot July day is always a nice excuse to drive south. To Palmela we went and, as all Europeans know, one of the best places from where to truly appreciate a village or a town and its surroundings is a castle.

Our ancestors knew it all. Up in a castle there's no way you do not spot enemy armies and when there's peace, boy, the views are stunning (always!).

Built in the 8th century, the castle, however, can be dated to a primitive fortress built as far back as the 1st century AD and the Roman period.

Apart from the usual fortifications and defense towers, the walls of the castle also protect several religious buildings assigned to the Order of Saint James, a religious-military order, much like the Knights Templar, but, unlike these, the Knights of Saint James were not bound by celibacy vows.

Totally worth a visit and, for us, another instance when the super-modern Tesla was in close quarters with the ancient.