Santa Cruz Park

Despite the rainy weather, we very much enjoyed our time in Lisbon. The people were friendly; the city had good signage for directions and it was easy to get around despite all the hills; plus our hotel was in a good location. We certainly didn’t see and do everything but we saw enough to conclude that it is one of our favourite European cities. And today I can finally say that my bronchitis has now fully resolved. The only thing that has not made a full recovery is the muscle strain around the rib cage which continues to be painful at times. It looks like I might be seeing my family doctor when I get home.

Today we took the Metro to the train station, where we caught a 12:15 high speed train to Coimbra, 200 km north of Lisbon. The most challenging part once again was hoisting our luggage up and down stairs at the Metro station and onto the train. I have to manage my own luggage and I hate to admit that it has become more difficult as it aggravates the already sore and weakened muscles. I haven’t added anything to my luggage yet it feels much heavier. We sometimes laugh about our decrepit bodies but soldier on! We arrived in Coimbra in 1 3/4 hours and headed down the street to our hotel. Not surprisingly, it started to rain. We looked at the hill we had to climb and the 1+ km distance to cover on cobble stones and this time I said, “Screw the budget...we’re taking a taxi!”. It was a well spent €6.

Our boutique hotel, the IBN Arrik, recently opened for business. The 200 year old building was once a convent and then a school so it has a lot of character. For €68, with a full-service breakfast, it certainly is a good value. After getting settled and having lunch we went for a walk to see some of the city. John didn’t last long and decided to return to the hotel to rest. I decided to explore on my own and did fine with my paper map until it was time to return to the hotel. I knew the direction I needed to go but it was getting dark and I couldn’t find any street signs to coordinate with my map. I ended up in a narrow, unlit walkway between these very old buildings that twisted and turned up a steep hill. There wasn’t a soul around and I was feeling a little anxious. Eventually I did end up at the university campus, which is what I had intended, but in a deserted area. I stopped in a lit parking lot to consult my map, when I suddenly felt a light tap on my bum. I swung around quickly expecting that someone had followed me. But there was no one there! It must have been my Guardian Angel who was nudging me in the right direction. Creepy! Within a few minutes I was amongst groups of university students and then back to the safety of our hotel.Read more