Firstly, we had some encouraging news from our Architect and we are hoping to bring you an update on the house very soon., so watch this space…
So, one of the places most tourists miss off their list of places to visit in Portugal is Coimbra. We ventured up that way when we visited the Roman town of Conimbriga, which is just to the south of Coimbra, and were looking for somewhere nearby to perhaps get a good meal. We actually ran out of time that day, but we decided to come back and have another look.
We set off early, it is about an hours drive, and to be honest the weather looked pretty grey, so we were wondering what the day would bring? The drive is pretty uneventful, and the A1 is not the most attractive motorway between Leiria and Coimbra, but the roads flow freely here when compared to those in the UK, and so we arrived in good time.
Parking is not that great in Coimbra and you will probably have to pay, but if you find street parking just outside the centre, like we did, it’s free and only a five minute walk to reach the old part of the city with most of the attractions fairly closely together. Be warned though, the old part of the city, with its impressive university buildings (one of the oldest in the world) is built on a hill, and we hadn’t really planned an itinerary so found ourselves going up and down, then back up, several times.
Another schoolboy error, was arriving at the university around lunchtime, so many of the places we wanted to look around were closed while they were having their break. Never the less we did get a good ten kilometers of looking around the city under our belt.
We also enjoyed a lunch in the small square next to the entrance to the old cathedral. The coffee, as we have come to expect here was excellent, and we asked for a baguette and toastie with some fries on the side. The bowl of fries that arrived, would have fed four, and then the baguette came with its own fries, so we were well over our carbs for the day!!
The walk back up to the Paço das Escolas was well worth the slog though as the architecture is amazing and the sense of history is palpable considering how old the university is! Also, the views over and around Coimbra and across the Mondego River are pretty spectacular, especially as the clouds that were there when we arrived quickly burned off and the temperatures soared.
We then wound our way downwards through the narrow streets, occasionally avoiding cars and mopeds but it’s a great atmosphere with nice shops and cafes dotted along the way. One particular street hung croché mats above for shade which made amazing shadows on the street.
Once we at river level, we decided to go and get some shade walking through the botanical gardens, but then realizing it was all uphill to get to the Praça da República where we wanted to take a break and get a cold drink before making our way back to the car.
Overall an enjoyable trip out, and well worth a return journey to explore a bit more in the future. Some really interesting historical buildings and stunning vistas make this a worthy stop on anyone’s travel in Portugal.
A real hidden gem!
We decided not to drive back down the A1, but via the more scenic A13. It is more expensive on tolls that way but way more scenic. Just as we passed the first toll we also thought we would just come off at Penela and head across country. So glad we did too. We took the IC3 down to Alvaiázere then across towards Ourem joining the IC9 back to Porto de Mos. There was almost no traffic and we discovered so many pretty villages and beautiful countryside!
Our Portuguese Life 