2–3 February 2023

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 Coimbra

    After sleeping almost fourteen hours and waking up at two in the afternoon, I left my apartment to see the old city centre. Almost immediately I found myself in awe of my surroundings. The whole place is sunny, colourful, and fragrant. There is an abundance of brightly painted houses, spacious squares, and historic churches, and the streets are full of people enjoying the warm weather and romantic scenery. I spent a few hours simply walking around and admiring the beauty of the place, and I left excited to return. 

    On my second day I explored the hillier streets of the city. Having wandered to the top of the old city centre, I encountered the courtyard of the University of Coimbra. There, above the entrance to the Joanine Library, a Latin inscription declares, “Noble Coimbra gave this seat to books that a library may adorn her head.” Later that day, I went to the top of the hill on the opposite side of the Mondego River, where a large monastery overlooks the city. The locations of these buildings made me think of the mythologist Joseph Campbell, who said that the tallest building in a town reveals what it values most. Coimbra’s values are certainly visible. 

Coimbra

    Depois de dormir por quase quatorze horas e me levantar às duas da tarde, eu saí do meu apartamento para ver o centro da cidade velha. Quase imediatamente eu fiquei maravilhado pelo ambiente.  Todo o lugar é ensolarado, colorido, e fragrante. Há muitas casas brilhantemente pintadas, praças arejadas, e igrejas históricas, e há muitas pessoas a desfrutar o tempo cálido e o ambiente formoso. Eu passei algumas horas simplesmente a caminhar e a maravilhar à beleza do lugar, e saí animado para voltar. 

    No segundo dia, eu explorei as ruas mais montanhosas da cidade. No cimo da cidade velha se localiza a praça da Universidade. Ali, a Biblioteca Joanina tem uma inscrição latina que se traduz como “Nobre Coimbra dou esta sede a livros para que uma biblioteca possa adornar a sua cabeça.” Depois, eu fui ao topo da colina situada no lado oposto do Rio Mondego, onde é um mosteiro que guarda as relíquias da Rainha Santa Isabel. As suas locações destes edifícios me lembram do Joseph Campbell, um mitologista, que disse que o edifício mais alto de uma cidade mostra o que ela valoriza mais. Os valores de Coimbra são certamente visíveis. 

Pictures

My first view of the city
A minha primeira vista da cidade

A typical street
Uma rua típica

The main street
A rua principal

The courtyard of the University of Coimbra
A praça da Universidade de Coimbra

The Joanine Library
A Biblioteca Joanina 

A street at sunset
Uma rua no ocaso

Three buildings along the river
Três edifícios ao longo do rio

The front of the old city centre
A fronte do centro da cidade velha

The Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova
O Mosteiro da Santa-Clara-a-Nova

The cloisters of the Monastery
Os claustros do Mosteiro

The cloisters of the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova
Os claustros do Mosteiro da Santa Clara-a-Nova

The view of Coimbra from the Monastery
A vista de Coimbra do Mosteiro

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