06/09 - Fail attempts

Today was not our day. This is our last real day in Coimbra, because tomorrow we will be leaving quite early to go to Leiria. We wanted to visit the Sé and go to Conimbriga (a short bus ride from Coimbra) it is the largest and most extensively excavated Roman site in Portugal.

Heading to the Sé

We realised that the 1st one (the cathedral) was closed on Sundays.... unless you attend the mass at 11am. But we would have missed our bus for Conimbriga, so we skipped the Sé. We had a hard time finding the local bus stop, so we had no food and little water. Plus one of us forgot to change shoes before leaving the hostel and was wearing flip flops....

12pm found the bus on time, got on it, 40 minutes later, we arrived in Conimbriga. We discussed with the bus driver at what time were the bus to go back: 1.55pm or 6pm (That's a massive gap!). At the ticket office we have the good surprise that the site is free the 1st Sunday of the month YAY!!! We wtart walking in the site when we read a sign telling that it was a 16km walk.... 16?????? no way!

We have not hat (and sun is hot!!), little water, wrong shoes for one of us, and did not bring any lunch with us... a big decision has to be made. We decided to reach the closest ruins, have a look and head back for the bus at 1.55pm.

What we saw was nice, really well preserved Roman ruins with impressive mosaïc work on the floors. but not worth 16km.

floor mosaïc

well preserved ruins under a roof protection with vegetation end water

more floor mosaïc

Roman ruins

The bus driver was puzzled to see us waiting for him, where he left us an hour earlier. Back in the bus and back to Coimbra.We ate in a small restaurant around 3pm, the place and food were not that great and then we headed for a park that was recommended to us by a colleague: Quintas de Lagrimas.

We had to pay to get in, and because it was recommended to us as a Romantic Roman garden, we thought why not! Plus it was a hot day and the garden was promising shade! We went up and down, relaxed a bit on the grass, but overall we were disappointed and a bit gutted we paid for it.

On our way back, we crossed the Ponte Pedro y Ines again, to see it in day time. Further on the way, as we went passed the Jardim Botanico (the entrance is under the Aquaduct) at the bottom of the 125 steps for the university), we decided to try it as it was free. And it was actually much nicer than the one we paid for...

Ponte Pedro e Ines by day

Aquaduct leading to the entrance of the Jardim botanico

Jardim Botanico

After the Jardim Botanico, we finally headed back to the hostel and socialised, made dinner, packed and went to bed early for an early day tomorrow.

Slept another night in our private room in Grande Hsotel de Coimbra.

05/09 - Adeus Porto - Bem-Vindo ao Coimbra

Lazy morning, our bus was at 2pm from the center of Porto to Coimbra, so we packed everything and headed to town a little bit early because we were not sure of how long it would take and if we had a bit of time, one of us really wanted to see the staircase of the bookshop (Livraria Lello & Irmão) by day. Which was the case.

You actually have to pay to enter the bookshop 3€ (but if you buy a book, they deduct it from the price of the book -> csqces: queue for the till was massive). This little bookshop was jam packed, and thus photos were not that great.

Crowded "Livraria Lello & Irmão"

the famous staircase

Before taking the bus we bought some fruits, sandwiches and vegetables for the ride. And at 2pm we said our goodbyes to Porto.

Ponte Dom Luis I, from the bus heading to Coimbra

 Porto - Coimbra is less than 1h30. So we arrived in Coimbra under a beating sun with our backpacks and a huge hill to climb to reach the Hostel... Imagine 2 unhappy bunny! It took us 30min to climb up.

The hostel seems nice and the staff too, luckily our private room is on the ground floor (no more stairs!!). First thing we did was taking showers and getting changed. We rested a bit and then heading to town around 5pm.

We chose to go and see the University, this is what the town is famous for. In 1290 King Dinis founded a University in Lisbon, one of the world's oldest and most illustrious. In 1537 it was transfered to Coimbra It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

did I saw no more stairs??? I was wrong... 125 steps to access the University

Façade of one of the University building

We bought tickets and managed to visit it before closing time, it was good because there was no crowds. We visited the Sala Grande dos Actos, room where major event such as graduations are celebrated, the chapel Capela de Sao Miguel and the Library Biblioteca Joanina, holds 300,000 books including really old ones. And we saw the Belltower and the Via Latina (colonnaded walkway).

entrance to the University

The Belltower and the main building

the Univesity from the far end of the place

the Via Latina

Sala Grande dos Actos

view of the city from the University

3rd and last room of the library (picture taken from the internet)

After visiting the University, we decided to visit the town and small narrow streets leading down to the river. We passed the Sé (= cathedral) but it was mass time so we decided to come back tomorrow to visit it. We looked for somewhere to eat while waiting for some free Fado concert in the street. Fado is an old music genre characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics.

Coimbra's Sé Velha

Statue of Fado

We found a really nice restaurant called "Tapas nas Costas", they were serving tapas, it was a bit pricy but delicious. After dinner we decided to walk it off by crossing the river and seing the city by night and cross an Architectural pedestrian bridge named "Ponte Pedro e Ines".

our dinner

Coimbra by night (at the top the University)

city view by night from Ponte Pedro e Ines

Architectural pedestrian bridge "Ponte Pedro e Ines"

In the end, we were way too tired to wait for the 10pm concert so we headed back to the hostel for an "early" night.

Slept in a private room at Grande Hostel de Coimbra.

04/09 - Daytrip to Braga

Today we left Porto and headed to the north of Portagel to Braga. We left the hostel around 9am. In the end we decided to take a bus to Braga instead of a train. It took us 45min. at 11.15am we were in Braga.

view from the bus heading to the town center of Porto

Once we arrived, we walked around town and got information to go and visit Bom Jesus do Monte, it is a religious retreat on hillside gardens.

Braga

late breakfast: Bola de Berlim and Croissant de Amêndoa

Braga town center

From the town center we took a local bus to go at the bottom of Bom Jesus do Monte. Then we had the choise between taking a funicular or climbing all the steps. we decided on the latest. Half way in the shade we stopped to eat our picnic. Then there was different platform to enjoy the view of the city. At the top we were rewarded by a nice esplanade and a church.

map of Bom Jesus do Monte from your guide book

the steps entrance

picnic in the shade

picnic near one of the chapels

steps leading to ....

...steps, leading to more steps!!

finally at the top!

the church

a water display with a grotto and  a pretty gazebo on top

resting in the shade before heading back down

Back into the town of Braga, we explored it a bit more. We went passed: the Palacio do Raino (also known as Casa do Mexicano), the Camara Municipal, the Arco da Porta Nova, the Jardim de Santa Barbara...

The blue-tiled façade of Palacio do Raino

the Camara Municipal

The Arco da Porta Nova

the Jardim de Santa Barbara

At 7pm, we were back in Porto and decided that before heading back to the hostel we would try to catch the sunset on the river from the Ponte Dom Luis I and see the city by night. Because tomorrow we are leaving for Coimbra.

the tram on Ponte Dom Luis I

Portrait with the sunset and the city center in the background

Damien walking along the bridge while a tram passes

Walking on Ponte Dom Luis I by night

the riviera by night

Ponte Dom Luis I by night

We headed back to the hostel later than we had planned, taking a bus from the Riviera all the way to the hostel, we were in bed around 11.30pm.

One more night in seperated dorms in Pousada de Juventude / Porto Youth Hostel.