Coimbra (Sé Nova)

Our first rainy day. We made the most of it visiting the Museum National de Machado de Castro and Roman Crypts. We started with exploring the extensive ancient Roman crypts and halls - we got a bit lost - they were that big. From there the museum followed with ancient sculpture and relics. Next paintings, then paintings, then ceramics, then jewelry. It was never ending. We quit for lunch at noon not getting through to the last quarter. Our heads were full.

Our bellies were not. We ate at the museum cafe with a view overlooking the town. I was taken by the density of houses and the lack of cars everywhere. They just didn’t fit in lots of the alleyways. It afforded a sense of quiet and peace hard to obtain when you have to fight to talk above traffic. There are pastelerías everywhere you turn. Sheryl bought some almond tarts to share for dessert.

We had tickets to see a most important part of the old university - the Library. It was stunningly beautiful - however - we had exactly 10 minutes to explore the two library rooms with no possibility to take photos and no signs or other information about the library. We were frustrated that we just couldn’t really understand what we were looking at. Why were there some shelves empty of books? What was the significance of the place to the university and how was it organized? How did they access the impossibly high shelves? What were the symbols and representations painted on the ceilings all about? Etc. Honestly, it seemed overpriced and disappointing.

Connected were the halls for students to present their dissertations for their degrees with a court of scholars seated in the large hall. It seemed like it was deliberately designed for intimidation. This building was connected to the palace with beautiful tile work.

Even with the cloud and rain, we still walked and walked and walked the streets/alleyways getting periodically lost and returning back to the same squares. Tomorrow we leave for Porto. I see port in our future.Read more