The weather is flaky and I’m no longer near a coast. Yesterday as I sat on a patio it went from bright sunshine (I had to go to the bathroom to take off my base layer as I was burning up) at 11:45 to very cold and pouring rain at 1 — and btw my weather app consistently showed partly sunny and no rain until 7 pm. I started the day at the old cathedral (Se velha), dating to 1139 though based on a Moorish temple from the 10th century. It’s mostly Romanesque on the outside. On the inside the cloisters are more gothic. And I’ve learned that all the tiles are a Moorish influence. I guess it makes sense. I stopped back at the university on my way from the cathedral because it was beautiful and sunny and I wanted to capture the Paco das Escolas in the sunshine. Also I wanted to see the students in session (I was previously on campus on Sunday) because I heard they wear long robes even for daily classes. They do. Though I’ve now heard it’s not mandatory. Just tradition. Certainly I saw several students in very formal dress — long black capes (or robes —there’s apparently another Harry Potter reference with Coimbra and Porto that I hadn’t known about) over black suits with white shirts for the men and black skirts with black tights and white shirts for the women. I can’t imagine going around to classes in that get up but it was required I think until fairly recently. And since the school has been around for over 700 years I guess there’s some history and tradition to get over.

I also saw the Santa Cruz monastery from 1131. It was more ornate inside and had the tombs of Portugal’s first two Kings. I’m finding all this entombing and having reliquaries with skulls and parts of martyrs to be a weird thing. At some point I’ll look up where this tradition comes from but it certainly seems ghoulish to say the least. I’m sure it’s based on a good old heathen tradition the church just appropriated. But the church was cool. In between (and when it was only just drizzling) I walked through the botanic garden. I liked it a lot though much was closed off. They had a big storm recently and many trees had been knocked down and paths were blocked for safety. It’s a very old garden, now part of the university. Mostly exotic trees; flowers were in green houses. I think the walls in the background are remains of old aquaducts but I might have that wrong. The maps just call them Arcos do Jardim.

Many of the original walls and towers were knocked down over the years. A main one, the Torre Almedina, was very near where I was staying. I actually went into their museum and talked to the guy for a bit. He explained about the walls and a little history.And just as a side note, I’m showing here all the major stairs and inclines I had to climb to get to my Airbnb, following the incline at the Almedina gate.Considering I was still a little sick when I arrived, it was a lot when the host said she couldn’t meet me at the apartment and I just had to go “to the top of the stairs” to get my key from a shop up there. I thought I was going to faint when I saw these sets of stairs. In fact not just a few stairs and I have a big backpack. I actually walked into the store next door to my Airbnb and must’ve looked so pitiful the guy behind the desk readily agreed to hold my backpack while I went up the last sets of stairs to get my key. Good thing. Because the store patron was out to lunch! The store was closed for another half hour though there was no sign so I didn’t know when anyone would be back. And my host didn’t answer her phone when I called. I was pretty unhappy. But as luck would have it, I walked into the cafe nearby to ask them if they had any idea when the store might reopen and the patron was eating lunch there! Thankfully, she got the key for me immediately.

I should’ve bought something from the nice store guy who held my bag but it was a total tourist place and as we know, I’m not taking home any souvenirs!!!

I must say in all these and subsequent dealings, I found people much friendlier in Coimbra than Lisbon — or most of Croatia for that matter. People helped me, made occasional eye contact, had a conversation that was beyond polite, and even offered extra information at times! Except for the woman who flew by me in her car on a tiny street (I stood in a doorway as there was nowhere else to stand) and actually hit my purse which was strapped around my body (but that’s another story).

Even the tourists were friendlier. I went to a fado performance at a small theatre right by my Airbnb and chatted awhile afterwards with a couple from the Bay Area. Got good ideas on where to go in southern Portugal which was helpful! And I liked Coimbra fado much better. It’s quite different except for the instruments. (This shot is for my brother who used to say his guitar is his woman.) Anyway Coimbra fado is sung only by men, and by University students who were typically trying to serenade a girl – or maybe say goodbye to their school. It wasn’t the melancholy, whining sounds we heard in Lisbon from women missing their men at sea. Both had longing tones but this felt different and lighter. I liked Coimbra’s better (though I wonder why women can’t sing Coimbra’s style as well). Notice that they all wear capes. This is because they were university students at one time — and I think just kept the capes on from school. But more on that later.

I’ve actually made it to Porto and it’s lovely and friendlier here as well. Although it’s supposed to rain most days this week. Oh well, more wet touring days. At least I’m not looking to take ferries to islands. And I’ve already done laundry in my new place! Such excitement.