By the time we started the monastery tour, all luncheon lamentations had been forgotten, for we were completely mesmerized by the grandeur of the Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça. From the outside, the structure certainly looks somber and austere, but inside is a treasure throve of architectural surprises. The church was founded by the first Portuguese king, Alfonso Henriques in 1153. This, and the adjacent monastery, were the first Gothic structures in Portugal. The churc