Ola!
Just up from a short nap this lovely afternoon, and ready to go out and climb more hills! Well…maybe not more hills…
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| Great Hall in Royal Palace |
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| Amazing ceiling! |
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| View over Coimbra |
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| Old Cathedral |
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| Beautiful river |
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| And great bridges! |
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| King Joao, Founder of College |
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| St. Michael's Chapel |
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| Courtyard in front of Royal Palace |
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| In Prison! |
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| Books on second floor |
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| New Cathedral |
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| Lots of gold... |
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| Love the hot chocolate! |
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| Stunning sculpture |
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| Roman remains |
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| More corridors! |
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| Old Cathedral |
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| Looking up at University from Old Cathedral Cloister |
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| Beautiful tree! |
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| Coimbre guitar |
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| R's mussels |
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| My eggs and truffles! |
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| R's shrimp and pasta |
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| My pasta with pesto! |
Up this morning about 5 am, as I had had such a great night’s sleep, and to blogging a few minutes later. Definitely needed to catch up in order to get today’s program on the road.
We went up to the 5thfloor about 7:30 for breakfast, which was fine. Not as much variety as we have been used to having, but perfectly adequate for breakfast. We have reservations for the Library tour at 9:20 am, and I didn’t NOT want to be late! Robert, taking one look at the “hills” and the University square up the hill in front of us, decided that a taxi would be the way to go. As he tells me frequently how old he is, as I don’t seem to take that into consideration, I bowed to his advancing years and into the cab I went!
The driver I am sure is used to taking people up to the University, as he went to the exact right place to drop us off. There was what looked like one other tour group in front of us, but they disappeared when we went into the first ticket office. As a note here, I will say that when you try to find out how to get tickets for the Joanina Library, you will be told on-line that it is not possible to reserve in advance, and that you need to go to the ticket office early on the morning of the day you want to visit and see what they can do then. However, when we got here yesterday, I told the nice man who checked us in at our hotel that seeing the Library was what we wanted to do the most. He simply smiled and asked me what time I wanted to go, and I told him the first thing in the morning, if that was possible! Well, I guess if you’re a hotel in town, most things are possible! He came back with a sheet of paper listing us as having reserved two spaces for 9:20 today! Amazing!
So, into the ticket area where there were no people! The nice gal there told us that we had to go to the “other” ticket area, where people who have reserved need to go. So, down the street 50 feet or so, through the Iron Gate, and turn left, and voila – ticket office #2! Still no line but there we paid and were given our tickets.
The Library tour actually wasn’t until 9:40 am, but as we had some time before then, we were directed to the Royal Palace and to St. Michael’s Chapel, so in went! And truly, when I say we had both places to ourselves – it was just the two of us and the person checking tickets at the door! Amazing!
The Royal Palace of Coimbra was purchased by the University from the Royal Family in 1597. It is here that the most iconic rooms of the University are located and where the most important traditional academic ceremonies take place.
The Great Hall of Acts is the main room of the University and where its main ceremonies are held; it is also the place where oral defense of theses are held by doctoral students and is better known as Hall of Capelos, Capelos being the name given to the small cape used by the University’s Doctors on solemn occasions. It is really a stunning sight, and to have it to ourselves was incredible!
This was also the first Throne Room of Portugal. Here, between March and April 1385, the assembled Courts determined the acclamation of João, the Master of Avis, as King João I of Portugal. Its decorations are from the 17th century, and the absence of any mention of the Spanish monarchs, who ruled the kingdom between 1580 and 1640, are the direct result of the huge political and ideological support of the Institution to King João IV, Duke of Braganza.
From the Great Hall, we next headed outside to the catwalk around the building to take in the views! They were great, and we were able to find our hotel, far, far below! (Robert, I admit now you were right – taxi up and walking back down works really well!)
After the Palace, we went into the Chapel, which was really stunning! Unfortunately, the entire gilt framework for the organ and the Royal Box was under restoration. We could see it through the safety netting they had put up, but that definitely gives us a great reason to come back to Coimbra, which we both have fallen in love with! (Robert note: He likes Coimbra, but greatly prefers Evora because Evora doesn’t come with hills!)
By now it was time to head down the Minerva Stairs and report to the University’s prison, at the bottom of the Library. Truthfully, a scary place, where students who were unruly or disrespectful could be sent to rectify their little ways! (Boy … if we had only one of those when I was at Art Center, things might have been a trifle easier… Hmmmm….)
The second level above the prison was the book repository, which is where in medieval times the books were held and where anybody – public included! – could come and read. These books of course were zealously guarded and many of them were actually “chained” to the shelves! One way not to lose things I suppose, but it makes reading difficult I would imagine!
From here, we went up the final steps into the Joanina Library, and Brenda, we were there!!! (When our friend Brenda found out we were going to Portugal, her first question was: “You’re going to the library, aren’t you?” And now we have!) (Where, by the way, NO photography at all is allowed! And since prison was so close, we decided we would follow their rules…sorry!) The tour had about six or eight people in it, and we were free to wander the main corridor between the three rooms as we wanted for 10 minutes, looking up to the second stories of each room. We only saw one ladder in the entire place, and it wasn’t done nearly as neatly as ours at home! (Thanks, Dick Snow!!) And then our time was up and we were outside again!
For me, the best part about the Joanina Library is that the Library building itself contains two nesting colonies of small bats, who help to take care of the old books! (I love bats!) The bats actually nest in another part of the building, but go into the library at night and take care of all the bugs and moths that might damage any of the books. It’s a very synergistic system! I understand that once the tours are over for the day, all the old oak tables are covered with leather pads to protect the books. Such a great idea!
From the Library, we decided to start walking back down (and I do mean down!) and meander our way towards the hotel.
Our first stop was Nova Se, which is the “new” cathedral, as opposed to Velha Se, the “old” cathedral. The New Cathedral was, originally, the church of the Jesuit Formation house of Coimbra, established in the city in 1543. In 1759, the Jesuit Order was banned from Portugal by the Marquis of Pombal, Prime-Minister of King José I. In 1772, the bishopric seat was transferred from the old Romanesque Cathedral of the city (now called the Old Cathedral of Coimbra) to the vacant, spacious and more modern Jesuit church.
The church architecture was influential in the Portuguese colonial world. The façade of the former Jesuit church of Salvador, in colonial Brazil, (now the Cathedral of Salvador), built in the 17th century, seems inspired by the Jesuit church of Coimbra.
From the New Cathedral we next visited the Machado de Castro Museum and the Cryptoporticus of Aeminium, stopping first at the Museum’s coffee shop for a little mid-morning sustenance. To say my hot chocolate was thick, is an understatement; and here is actual proof that the spoon could stand up all by itself! Ha!
After our short break, we went through the Museum. It is housed in an elegant old bishop’s palace, and includes the Cryptoporticus. This vast, barren understructure of the ancient Roman forum upon which the palace was built, was really a bit frightening, as the lighting was really low level and there didn’t always seem to be any directional information. I was wondering aloud how many visitors disappear there and are never seen again, about the time we did find our way out. Phew!
The Velha Se (old cathedral) was our final stop on our tour today, and it was really quite beautiful, with a lovely cloister looking way UP to the university tower. Fortunately, R was able to take photographs in all these lovely places, so at least there will be something to show for having toured them!
All in all, we finally made our way back down the hill and to our hotel, where I am writing now! (Obviously!) Robert had some Caltech work that he needed to do, and I was able to take a short nap! Thinking now seriously of going out for either a very late lunch or a very early dinner, but fortunately in Portugal, that is really an option!! Yeah!
More later!
m
xxx
Back from dinner, and it’s not quite 7 pm! I would have enjoyed seeing Fado again tonight, but think the sleep is a better idea this once. We went back to Il Tartuffo for dinner tonight, around 5-ish. We had a different waiter and a different yet exceptional bottle of red wine. R discovering the Tempranillo grape is the one he likes, and I do know at least one winery in Sonoita that grows it. So, more wine tasting is definitely in our future!
R ordered the mussels in wine sauce for his starter, and I had eggs and black truffles. The eggs came – two of them – over easy, and with truffles and bread it was amazing! For mains, R had their pumpkin angelotti (sp?) with shrimp in a cream sauce. I had their orecchiette (little ears) pasta with pesto, which was great. For dessert, R had a glass of port which he loved (and was very good!) and I had a slice of cheesecake. (Note: As a cheesecake maker myself, I think they could use a new recipe…) However, a lovely evening, and now we’re back in the hotel. I will get this posted, and then start looking up what we are going to do when we get to Porto tomorrow!
Much love,
m
xxx
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