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Santo António Dos Olivais

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    • TravelerBUEN CAMINO 2023
      Day 14

      Etappe 12

      May 21, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

      Die gestrige Unterkunft war für einmal von der Optik und auch sonst, nicht wirklich toll! Denn das Gebäude, in dem wir untergebracht waren, hatte bestimmt sehr viele Jahre auf dem Buckel und das Mobiliar stammte mit Sicherheit aus einer früheren Epoche. Das uns zugeteilte Zimmer war sehr speziell eingeteilt. Wobei, von "Einteilung" konnte man eigentlich gar nicht reden. Das Bett, die Douche und das Lavabo, alles war in einem Raum ohne Trennwand untergebracht. Das ermöglichte einem, dem jeweilig anderen, entweder beim schlafen oder je nach dem auch beim douchen zusehen zu können! Super!
      Nun....Pilger benötigen keinen Komfort, Hauptsache sie haben ein Dach über dem Kopf und schlafen gut! Und so war es dann auch! Am Morgen gab es ein gutes Frühstück welches uns eine schweigsame, ältere Frau zubereitete. Also, war alles gut!

      Die anschliessende Tagesetappe verlief problemlos. Es gab viel zu sehen, denn die Gegend hier ist wirklich schön. Wenn man dann,  wie es öfters passiert, eine kleine Anhöhe erreicht, tut sich einem eine bezaubernde, fast ausschliesslich grüne, Welt auf. Wunderschön! Die Wege, die durch die Wälder führen, sind meistens gut zu begehen. Was mir hier auffällt ist, dass der Wegesrand meistens mit wunderschönen Blumen bewachsen ist und wir dadurch immer wieder schöne Schmetterlinge zu sehen bekommen. Überhaupt, hier ist der Wald wild und naturbelassen... und nicht so aufgeräumt wie bei uns! Das gefällt uns sehr.
      Auch heute haben wir wieder einige Dörfer durchquert! Es scheint, dass hier in jedem Haus auch ein Hund mit zur Familie gehört. Was wir schon angebellt wurden....Dabei sind wir doch ganz harmlos...jedenfalls ich!  Wir haben die Erfahrung gemacht, dass die Bewohner dieser Dörfer freundlicher zu den Pilger sind als ihre Haustiere ! Sie sind immer aufmerksam und hilfsbereit  Heute zum Beispiel hat uns eine Frau einfach so gefragt, ob wir genug Wasser dabei hätten? Da geht einem doch das Herz auf...
      Das war es für heute....euch allen eine gute Nacht, Gitta und Roland

      22.05.23      Read more

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    • TravelerPORTUGAL 2023
      Day 6

      University of Coimbra

      March 30, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

      Coimbra has been an educational institution since around 1200. The university was originally a Royal Palace. The ancient library has around 60,000 books and is a current reference source for students. You will see some students wearing formal robes around town and around campus. Reminds you of Harry Potter when you see them.
      A degree from Coimbra in either medicine or law is considered prestigious.      Read more

    • TravelerPortugal, Morocco and Spain
      111
      Day 13

      Coimbra Day Two

      April 12, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

      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

    • T & D & Twins in Portugal 2022
      Day 9

      Tag 9: Coimbra

      August 29, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

      Den heutigen Tag verbrachten wir in der Studentenstadt Coimbra. Sofort war für uns klar, dass es sich bei Coimbra um ein Juwel hält, dass in den Reiseführern mehr Beachtung benötigt. Die zahlreichen spanischen Touristen wussten dies schon. Das UNESCO-Weltkulturerbe hat jede Menge zu bieten.
      Wir begannen unseren Tag in einem kleinen Cafe bei dem „Mosteiro de Santa Cruz“. Nachdem wir genügend Kalorien zu uns nahmen, besichtigten wir direkt die Kirche. Anschließend besichtigten wir noch die katholische Kathedrale „Sé Velha“, die uns architektonisch udn kulturhistorisch interessierte. Danach führte uns der Weg durch die historische Altstadt zum Campus der Universität. Beeindruckt von dem palastähnlichen Gebäude, wollten wir noch den „Torre cabra“ besichtigen. Mutig erklommen wir die 184 Stufen in einem engen Treppenhaus, um mit einer atemberaubenden Aussicht auf die Stadt belohnt zu werden.
      Anschließend gingen wir in den „Jardim botânico da universidade de coimbra“. Der botanische Garten ist ein absolutes Highlight.
      Nach der ganzen Lauferei machten wir am „Rio Mondego“ Pause, tranken einen Kaffee und entspannten. Wir wollten es uns nicht nehmen lassen mit der Bimmelbahn durch Coimbra zu fahren und so konnten wir nochmals viele Attraktionen von einem anderen Blickwinkel sehen.
      Zum Schluss ging es nochmal bergaufwärts zu unserer Unterkunft, dort machten wir uns für das Abendessen frisch.
      Das Abendessen nahmen wir in einem authentischen portugiesischen Restauran zu uns, der „Taverna Casa Costa“. Das essen war fantastisch und die Preise unschlagbar.
      Morgen geht es nun weiter nach Viseu, dem Geburtsort von Tiago.      Read more

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    • El Camino
      Day 15

      Day 11: Rabaçal to Coimbra

      May 15, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

      I started out shortly after 6:00 am from Rabaçal knowing I would have to make up the 3.9 kms that Anita & Ernie had walked yesterday when they continued onwards to Zambujal. I thought I would be trailing them until we got to Conimbriga, the site of Portugal's largest and most impressive Roman site that Ernie was keen to see. As it turned out, they had gotten off to a later start than anticipated so I caught up with them just as they were leaving of Zambujal.

      On our way to Conimbriga, we crossed paths with an oddball barefoot "priest" who gave us our scripture reading for the day. The passage urged us to love our family, love our friends, love the people we work with. In essence, the importance to love others. We weren't sure if this was the priest's shtick to ask us for money, but he continued to say that happiness was found within us, not the outside world, and that we should be tortoises and not hares on our Camino journey. He then got us to each ring a bell 3 times for luck and we continued on our way. We weren't sure what to make of him, but he didn't ask us for anything in return, and his words certainly resonated true with me.

      We stopped at a cafe in Conimbriga for our first break of the day only to discover that we had already overshot the Roman ruins by 1.1 kms. I hesitated to retrace my steps, adding extra mileage to a day that was already proving to be a scorcher. In the end, I couldn't resist, nor could Ernie so we went back to see the ruins while Anita decided to carry onwards.

      When we got to the ruins, we were so disappointed that we wouldn't be able to access the site until 10:00 am so we had to content ourselves by touring what we could from the exterior.

      As a result of our desire to see the Roman ruins, Ernie and I ended up playing catch-up with Anita for most of the day. We finally met back up in Antanhol for the last 6.3 kms into Coimbra.

      We arrived tired and hot and as we walked through town to our accommodations, we saw a sign telling us it was 14:45 and 35 degrees. With the backtracking we did, I walked about 32 kms today. It was a real sense of accomplishment, and the cherry on today's cake was when I saw Roch hiking up the hill to our guesthouse.

      Distance covered since Lisbon: 252 kms.      Read more

    • El Camino
      Day 15

      Francesinha festival, Coimbra

      May 15, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

      When we were onboard the heritage train, Roch noticed an outdoor festival taking place shortly after we passed the Botanical Gardens. Curious to know what it was about, we retraced the train route and found the Francesinha festival in full swing.

      The Francesinha is a Portuguese sandwich originating from Porto. The literal translation for its name is 'Little French Girl' but it's only little in name. It’s a rather large sandwich filled with layers of beef steak, cured meat, fresh sausages, topped with cheese, covered with a beer sauce, and typically surrounded by French fries. It is, apparently, the Portuguese adaptation of the French classic, the 'Croque-Monsieur'.

      Since the festival had stalls offering vegan versions, how could we say no? The sandwich was indeed very yummy. The vegan cured meat tasted surprisingly like bacon. It all washed down tremendously well with a cold beer.      Read more

    • TravelerTwo peas in a pod
      1111111
      Day 24

      Coimbra

      April 17, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

      Back to city life: the next stop is the lovely city of Coimbra. Located on a hill and providing a good first view of the city, our first visit is to the Universidade de Coimbra (the university of Coimbra). Being one of Europe’s eldest (founded in 1290) it is a historical highlight to visit. The main attraction here is the “Baroque Library”, a place that not only keeps many first editions and historical documents but is also considered to be one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. It’s a little hard to convince you without pictures as we weren’t allowed to take any (rest assured you can google it if you are curious enough) but, maybe, you can try to imagine it… There’s three main rooms of the library that can all be seen from the entrance: they are all square halls with high ceilings and only separated by large decorated arches. The light is dim, and the smell is somewhat dusty. Just like what you’d expect in a very old library ;-). Each room is beautifully decorated: the wood used for the shelves is carved and painted, the ceilings are displaying baroque style paintings too, there’s a lot of gold to be seen and there’s many old looking books wherever you look, all the way up to the ceiling. To reach the higher placed books there’s both little wooden balconies as well as those type of library ladders you mostly see in the movies. We can’t see it, but the shelves of this library house more than just books. There are bat families taking their residence! As they help to get rid of flies and other insects that could harm the paper of books they are well looked after: it actually helps in the conservation of all these classics!

      The rest of campus was nice for a walk but nothing else impressed us as much as the library. The next day we take our time to explore the rest of Coimbra. We walk through little streets and see more coloured houses in the old center, we visit the botanical garden, and we enjoy a few other parks walking and relaxing… it’s a nice day of strolling around and taking in the vibes of this place. Let the pictures speak for themselves…      Read more

    • Treasured MemoriesPortugal
      Day 5

      The University of Coimbra

      August 28, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

      The University of Coimbra, located in Coimbra, Portugal, is one of the oldest universities in Europe, founded in 1290. It's renowned for its historical significance and academic excellence. The university's campus features a mix of architectural styles, including Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance, making it a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

      The stunning University Library, known as the Joanina Library, is remarkable and historic, housing a vast collection of rare manuscripts, ancient books, and valuable historical artifacts. The Joanina Library is not only a treasure trove of knowledge but also an architectural masterpiece that showcases the university's cultural and intellectual legacy.

      Arriving on campus on what appeared to be the University’s Initiation Day for incoming new students, I encountered a multitude of students wearing dresses in long, black robes (traje académico) that bore a striking resemblance to the uniforms worn by students at Hogwarts. As I observed, a part of me half-expected Harry Potter to walk by and the students to take to the skies on broomsticks at any moment. Ten points for the House of Stevenffindor!      Read more

    • West Europe - North Africa
      Day 111

      Coimbra!

      July 14, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

      Giro veloce a Coimbra con annesso pranzo-cena fregatura in cerca di una Francesiña vegetariana,a avevamo davvero troppa fame a quel punto, dopo tutti i giri nelle aldeie ed il trekking senza toccare cibo 😅.
      L'abbiamo poi trovata in periferia in un posto davvero molto bello, la taverna Cumpostu (seconda cena 😀!)
      È stata una lunga ricerca, ma ce l'abbiamo fatta!
      Per le poche ore passate Coimbra sembra molto giovane e viva, sicuramente da rivedere.
      È anche una bella cittadina universitaria.
      Dani dice che ha troppe salite 🤣!      Read more

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    • TravelerPortugal Lissabon nach Porto
      Day 4

      Universität Coimbra...

      February 7 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

      Nach einem guten Frühstück gings wieder rauf auf den Hügel zur Universität von Coimbra. Zuerst haben wir uns den Zeremoniensaal angesehen. Die Universität verfügt ebenso über eine kleine Kapelle. Beeindruckend hier war vor allem die große Orgel. Einzig in der Kapelle hat es extrem gestunken, weshalb man nicht lange dort verweilen wollte. Anschließend gings in die Universitätsbibliothek. Beim ersten Raum war ich etwas enttäuscht, da es in keiner Weise interessant war aber als wir dann in das Hauptgebäude geführt wurden, war ich fasziniert wie prunkvoll sie ist. Leider durfte man hier keine Fotos machen. :/ aber ihr könnt sie euch wie bei Harry Potter vorstellen.

      Im Ticket war ebenso noch ein Besuch im Wissenschaftsmuseum inkludiert. Das war naja semi interessant. Man konnte einiges auch ausprobieren aber die Hälfte dieser Geräte war außer Betrieb. Im Museum für Kuriositäten waren alle möglichen Steinsarten ausgestellt und Tiere in Gläsern bzw. Tierskelette oder ausgestopfte Tiere. Der botanische Garten befindet sich gefühlt noch im Winterschlaf. Die Gartenarbeiter sind aber schon fleißig am gartlen.      Read more

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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Santo António Dos Olivais, Santo Antonio Dos Olivais

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