Coimbra in all Her Beauty

Following a great nights sleep we enjoyed a hearty breakfast in the hotel dining room then hit the streets.  Having wandered the night before, we had a sense of where things were and our objective was to find the Casa Fado Ao Centro to make a reservation for the fado concert later in the evening…..and with that in mind, and the rain falling heavily from time to time, off we headed.  It’s a gorgeous old city, mostly UP or DOWN, not a lot of flat.  Great for the cardio!!

Every turn in the tiny winding road provided a photo opportunity.

The tiles on the roofs always interest me. When the sun hits them there is a litany of colours that bounce back at you.

Caught this as Laurie literally flew off the last few steps because of the rain!!

The beautiful statue was right outside the Casa Fado Ao Centro.

We bought our tickets for the performance at 18h00……..more about that later.

During our touring of the University area the evening prior, we had determined that we might like to go back and actually tour the buildings that were accessible.  Given the rain, it was a no brainer…….get inside!!!

This tall narrow building was right at an intersection……traffic on both sides.

Inside the Palace and still it was UP and DOWN!!! Beautiful tile work everywhere and oddly, students in the middle of classes!

This was inside one of the chapels.

The ceiling in the chapel. Glorious.

I couldn’t not take a photo of this organ for my friend James. It was massive.

Arches, angles, colour, texture……..it was all right there to appreciate.

This was recessed in the altar……good zoom!

A doorway I liked.

Photos were not permitted in the library and the visit was timed.  It was amazing, the detail and the books…….WOW.  We enjoyed the time very much, spent probably about two hours or so and with our earlier wanderings……..lunch was on our minds.

Portuguese pork for me.

Bean and Tuna salad for Marc

Grilled turkey for Laurie

From lunch, more wandering.  We had determined that there wasn’t any point in heading back to the hotel……..the concert was at 18h00 so why not simply keep going until then!!!

Beautiful colour.

A fado guitar of course shaped like a woman!

This old church is right in the middle of a pedestrian mall!!

A doorway enhancement.

Street scene

Another old church

I loved all the colour on this restaurant.

A beautiful doorway.

Creative all art decorating an old building.

More graffiti.

These old tiles were gorgeous. Recessed in the wall, they looked as if they were hand made and there for quite some time.

This single bud caught my eye.

We spent an hour or so in the botanical gardens…..thoroughly enjoyed it and for the most part, had it to ourselves.

Marc and Laurie enjoying the gardens and the wandering.

Laurie and the Camilla tree

This enormous bloom was gorgeous…….heavy and waxy, sort of like a succulent.

Magnolias were blooming everywhere

This was so lovely with the raindrops clinging to the petals.

Looking down on a section of Coimbra from near the university.

The fado concert was excellent.   Coimbra Fado was created spontaneously among student groups who, when settling in the city to attend university, took their Portuguese guitars with them. The tradition has been kept until today; Coimbrão Fado is sung exclusively by men, either previous or current students of the university and demands a strict dress code. Music groups and singers wear the academic dress which is composed of trousers, cassock and a black cape. This makes it a very solemn event.  We three loved the evening, which ended with a complimentary glass of porto.

From there we had determined we would eat at a lovely Portuguese Petiscos restaurant…. The Portuguese equivalent of tapas.  What a feast.

The handmade wall paper in the restaurant…..Coimbra!!!

Hunters sausage……all of these dishes were shared by the three of us.

Fresh cheese with pumpkin sauce.

Sweet potato fries

Tuna and spinach with pine nuts

Roasted chestnuts with caramelized onions

Duck breast with grilled beets.

From this we headed home….full and tired.  We had left the hotel at 9h45 and it was now 22h00!!!!  We clocked over 20 kms on our fitbits and once our tired carcasses hit the bed, we knew it.  With a promise of waking when we wake and leaving when we are ready to leave…..we snuggled into our beds and smiled ourselves to sleep from a day well spent in a city that we hope to come back to another time.