Coimbra

On my 4 last trips it have been raining alot, so yesterday when I arrived to a sunny and warm Lisboa I was really happy about finaly getting some sun. When I wake up monday morning an see that the sky is full of dark, rainfull clouds and a cold wind was blowing thru the city, my optimism pretty much goes down the drains. But I thought it´s still early morning so I check out from the hotell and heads toward the Oriente trainstation to catch a train to Coimbra.

By the time I got there, it took about 2 hours, the sun was back and warming up my windchilled body. I don´t really have a plan for Coimbra, what to see and so, but one thing I did want to visit is the university. It was first funded in 11th century and was moving back and forth between Lisboa and Coimbra until the king said enough and it staid in Coimbra. It´s a big place, but only building for the faculty of law is old, from the 15th century, the rest, the faculty for medicin, sciense, letter and fysiks is new, built in the 1940~. I visit the old libray with lots of really old books, and the - for some reason - famous clock tower. It´s just a clock tower. A well...



I leave the university area and head back downtown, a part of the city with maze like streets, no more then 2m wide, it feels like walking inside with the walls that close together. In a few places it pops up small plazas with a café serving coffe or sandwishes and with a small fontain in the middle. I find a nice café overlooking the "Praça 8 de maio", and get my book out, very nice place to just sit.

I´m staying at a friends house and after dinner it´s time to go out and see the nightlife. Unfortunally, this is offseason for students so many of the clubs and bars are closed, but some are open and we visit some to get a feel of it. Portugees people are known to party alot, they often keep the clubs open till 4 or at someplaces, 10. Giovana, who is my guide, takes me to some really cool places and we listen to some nice music. I wanted to experience some Coimbra fado, but the "Casa de fado" is closed, if just this night or for all of august, she didn´t know. I have to try again tomorrow. Yes, my friends talked me into staying another night here before continue on my journey.


I´ll get back to you...