Coimbra Curiosities

From Tomar on to Coimbra, a university town, where we stayed for three nights. 

With just a short drive of under an hour, the day promised to be pretty cruisey. Coming into a large city (population 400,000 +) is always a little challenging but we were in luck - found a park close to our apartment (in a taxi rank as it later turned out). Then our luck ran out! It was a self check-in and the owner had previously emailed us the codes for entry. But,  I had failed to note them down. I had no internet at this stage as I was yet to buy a Portugal sim. We were using Adrian's roaming from Australia which was very hit and miss, and mostly miss. To cut a long story short... and without any internet between us, we went to the (wrong) address as I had seen an open door to the foyer. The cleaning lady was there, but it was Sophia Studios and we were booked into Sophia Residences,  miraculously owned by the same person with the same cleaning lady and three doors down. She had no English,  but somehow it all worked out after she contacted the Senhor and I spoke with him. The accommodation was spacious, well appointed  and very comfortable,  except for the bed which was as hard as rocks.

Large square at Coimbra University

Ceiling of Chapel of St Michael with large organ

The University at Coimbra was first established in Lisbon in 1290,  before, after several moves, being relocated to Coimbra in 1537, so it has a substantial and interesting history. 

It has 25,000 students with 15% from other countries. A tour involved a climb up a very steep gradient and just when you thought it was a pedestrian zone,  a car would come careering up/down the hill, at great speed, necessitating a quick jump to the side. 

The old university library is the major attraction. The information provided claims that there are two small colonies of bats that eat the insects which threaten the preservation of the books. Maybe in the past centuries, but probably not now. 

Our ticket included a visit to the beautiful tiled chapel of St Michael. Its organ was designed for a much larger church and apparently when it is played it is deafening. Our ticket included access to several museums on campus, including the Cabinet of Curiosities. Here are some images to give you an idea of the contents. As we entered the dimly lit main room, it had the feel of a Harry Potter set.

Monkey or pig?

Is this a cane toad?

Two headed snake

One headed twins

Your guess is as good as mine!

On the move

We have been on the move since we left Lisbon and the holiday is moving faster than my fingers. 

So where have we been?

The road from Lisbon north was pretty straightforward with Adrian driving, as usual, and his trusty sidekick doing the navigating with the aid of Google maps. We headed for Obidos, a well preserved medieval town with a castle of course. One can climb up to the ramparts and walk their length, but there is no railing on one side and the drop, precarious, becomes even more precarious as the steps lead higher. We headed up with confidence, but when the walkway narrowed with people coming and going in both directions, we wisely turned around! 

Obidos castle showing stairs up to the ramparts on the right

Fancy a sardine?

Conserveira Biblioteca - Books and sardines - a strange mixture

It is primarily a sardine boutique. Don't think they actually sell any books, but the books provide the catchy title of Biblioteca (Library). The books on the bottom shelf on the balcony floor are actually boxed sardines. 

Obidos

From Obidos we travelled to the coastal town of Nazaré, renowned for having the biggest waves in the world, but only at certain times of the year and fortunately not whilst we were there. Our surfing grandsons from Noosa were particularly keen for us to go there.  The promontory that leads to the viewing point to watch the brave and crazy surfers would be around 100 metres above the beach. Adrian found sitting up there "very scary".

High above Nazaré Beach

Viewpoint for watching the large waves which are 20 metres, and often 30 metres high.

Our resting place for Monday night was in the town of Tomar. We arrived at the beginning of a special festival which takes place every four years - Festa dos Tabuleiros (Tray's Festival). The people of Tomar spend countless hours making thousands of paper flowers to decorate the town and to celebrate their identity and pride in their history. 

The tradition has continued for centuries with some variations. The Tabuleiros,  bearing flowers and bread rolls, are topped by a dove or a cross and carried on the heads of young girls from surrounding villages  dressed in white. They process to the main square at the town hall at the culmination of the festival. It would be a spectacle to witness, but alas we weren't there to see that. We did, however, see one young woman practising to balance her tray as we arrived.

In training

Tomar in early evening

Our street with the start of decorations and closed to traffic

The most significant tourist attraction in Tomar is the Knights Templar castle and the Convent of Christ, both awarded UNESCO world heritage classification in 1983. Part of the castle is being restored and access not possible, but the Convent has been very well preserved and continues to be restored and maintained. The Templars, a military order of the Catholic faith with their white mantles with a red cross, were among the most skilled fighting units of the Crusades. 

 

Knights Templar Castle

Castle walls

View of Tomar from the Castle

Inside Convento de Christo

 Convento de Christo

We saw this strange levitating street artist in Tomar - could not figure out how he did it, nor could anyone else!

Fado and Street parties

On retiring to our hotel one night after dinner we heard music and cheering on our street. Opening the double glazed windows we saw there was an impromptu street party - about 200-300 people dancing and singing along to music played by a very talented busker. I was keen to go back down but as we had had a full day in Sintra,  we decided to just take in the joyous atmosphere from our window, as did several people opposite. 

Lisbon is well known for a certain type of music called Fado and to attend a venue to hear this was high up on my "to do" list. Many of the restaurants where you can hear Fado are located in the Alfama part of Lisbon, close to the port. The place we chose on the recommendation of the hotel proved to be wonderful. We arrived around 10:00 after eating elsewhere. It was an intimate setting with only 7 tables and images of famous fado singers (Fadistes) adorning the walls. Fado singing is impassioned, sung from the heart and usually accompanied by a musician playing a pear shaped mandolin style instrument called a Portuguese guitar or Fado guitar.  The nostalgic tunes are often about the sea or the life of the poor,  conveying feelings of sadness and melancholy, but also happiness and love.  We were lucky enough to hear three different singers - two older men in their 70s and a young man with a fabulous, rich and resonant tenor voice. No one talks or moves during the performances. Once a singer is announced,  the lights dim and the atmosphere becomes focused and intense. 

Young talented Fado singer (Fadiste) - the one on the right!

The Fado restaurant - Tadasca do Chico

We caught one of the local buses to the Castle of St George set on one of the many high viewpoints of Lisbon and marvelled at the skills of the driver as he negotiated an incredibly tight and steep ascent.  We decided against paying to go into the castle as the queue was ridiculously long and we had already seen some impressive castles at Sintra. Instead we paid to ascend the tower of the Castle church. The fee included a drink of your choice. I opted for port. Adrian, more savvy than me, chose orange juice. Of course access was up a narrow spiral staircase. We joined a happy throng once up there, all with glasses in hand,  admiring the view. There was not enough room to swing a cat. We had a great conversation with a young couple, a German man and his Taiwanese partner. Descent was equally tricky but with empty glasses.

Our last night in Lisbon, en route back to the hotel we found the street party again in full swing. This time we stopped to sing along and clap with all the others (well I did anyway!) - to well known Latin American and other songs eg La Bamba and Macarena.

Yesterday, we headed off from Lisbon in a rental car - an almost new Citroen 3 with 6 gears. So unlike the clapped out cars we had in Greece. The toll roads are amazing, and with speed limits of 120kph, distances can be covered quickly.  

Portugal's famous cod - apparently 1001 ways to cook it

One of Lisbon's funiculars - we gave our legs a break

View to the end of our street

Our street at night - very lively

Belem Tower

Belem Tower, built in the 16th Century was a fortress guarding the entrance to Lisbon Harbour and would have been one of the last things Portuguese explorers saw of their homeland as they set sail. 

Impressive sculpture on the seafront at Belem just outside Lisbon

Chillin' in the shade on a hot day in Belem

Tarts and Fairytale Castles

We enjoyed our time in Lisbon, a very hilly city. As mentioned earlier in my blog, you do need stamina for travel and on the slippery and often uneven, but very beautiful paved streets of Lisbon, you also need to set aside the fashionista and put on the most comfortable and secure footwear you have...in my case sneakers. 

You may recall I was on a mission to find a gluten free Portuguese tart and before the clock struck 12 on our first day, I had found it. Adrian sampled one too and decided that whilst not as light as the gluten enriched version, they were still yummy. The streets of Lisbon are awash with beautiful pastries. I would stop to admire them, but alas, not partake.

We shared a demi-litre of white sangria in the early evening in one of the many delightful plaças in the city and the company of a German couple beside us. Their children, 15 and 10 were resting back at their hotel. They too were headed to Sintra the next day, a famous tourist destination. They jokingly said - "we'll see you there".

Sintra is an amazing place, full of fairytale castles with towers, spiral staircases, underground tunnels and with paths meandering through the lush gardens of diverse trees and shrubs from all over the world. Our taxi driver from the station to Pena Palace was worth every cent of his 10 euro, giving us a potted history lesson of Sintra and Portugal on the short 10 minute journey. The former kings and queens of Portugal resided in this palace and the original furniture, artwork and ceramics are still there.

Pena Palace

The monk making a rare appearance from his grotto in the gardens

Attaining the High Cross in the gardens of Pena Palace

From Pena Palace we walked to Quinta da Regaleira and who should be arriving there at the same time was the German couple we'd met the day before, this time with their children. Given the number of tourists at Sintra, what a coincidence!

Quinta de Regaleira

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.

The mysterious Well of Initiation at Quinta de Regaleira 

There is more of Lisbon to come in the next post.