The heart, beating quietly.

White walls, dark wood, a small courtyard. The kind of dining room where a conversation stretches.

For proof that traditional Ribatejano cooking, done seriously, is world-class.

Whitewashed walls, wooden benches, the smell of woodsmoke from the outside oven.

For the most Ribatejano meal you will ever eat. Nothing here comes from a supplier — everything from within 5km.

Candlelight, low arched ceilings, the murmur of locals eating quietly.

For a first taste of the province if you have only one evening. Order six small plates and one big bottle.

Cobblestones, jasmine, boats moored below the walls, the wind coming off both rivers at once.

For an afternoon of doing very little, on a square that has been perfect for 500 years.

For the Portugal that still decorates itself for its own saints, not for tourists.

It is the single most important Portuguese building outside Lisboa and Porto. UNESCO-listed for good reason.

For an afternoon of walking, and for the palha de Abrantes — a shockingly sweet local pastry of egg yolks and syrup.

For the Portuguese Gothic. And for the view from Portas do Sol, which explains the whole province in one glance.

Because you will not hear a road, or another human being, for two hours. That is genuinely rare in Europe.

The Lusitano is one of the world's great horse breeds. Meeting one in the field it was bred for is unforgettable.