PEI to Portugal

Since our luggage was who knows where,our first tour was Serta to buy clothes.That wasn't that easy as the shops were scarce and it was close to lunch closing time.But we managed to find a few"tween" things to wear.Then we were off to visit Coimbra. This city located in central Portugal was the second Portugese capital and is renowned as a university town-the oldest in the country. It is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site,founded originally in Lisbon in 1290 and moved to Coimbra in 1537..We will have to visit the famous Joanina Library on our next visit.We did see inside the Santa Cruz Church,where a mass was in service.And we spent time in the Machado de Castro National Museum.This museum was spectacular, full of modern and ancient works of art-worth a visit.What a wonderful job has been done saving ,and restoring the artifacts and treasures from the ancient Moor,Portugese and Romans who at different times influenced the history and culture of the area-dating back to AD 878.
We got our exercise walking up and down the streets of Coimbra-narrow,cobbled and so colorful.One item that really caught our attention was the local bakery and the pastries and goodies the Portugese are known for.I have never seen such large meringues. Nicola bought one and she filled it with homemade custard,fruits and chocolate-"too die forRead more