Coimbra and Netos

We had an earlier start for the day we travelled to Coimbra. Ever since Ros told me about this place I have been looking forward to visiting the place. It was a full on day as we did not arrive back until after nine.
We had to drive a couple of hours north of Lisbon towards Porto along some pretty busy roads and this was a Sunday so guess on a working day it would be humming.

Our first stop was at Fatima,the most sacred pilgrimage site in Portugal and rather extraordinary for its buildings. The old church heads the site but there is a new,very modern church built in a round shape with little adornment on the exterior which is such a contrast to other religious buildings we have seen here. There is a modern sculpture over the entrance of white rosary beads created by a well known Portugese artist who works in plastics in honour of  the Pope's visit . Victor said she has also created a huge cock,the National symbol of Portugal and critics fear the next one might be an erect phallus.

We checked out inside the building briefly but we had better things to see and do so it was onwards to Coimbra and the University area where we were in time to visit the Library before lunch. Victor studied  history here as a student so we had some pretty interesting discussions about life as a student here.
We started at the library, first known as the 'book house' and commissioned in 1717 by King Joao. The library has three chambers, two in black,one in red. Each section has different scenes painted by special Artists and the portal was erected as a triumphal arch between two ionic columns.
The library is amazing. 60,000 books written in Latin date back to the 17 th century and include bibles and other religious texts.
Leather bound books behind mesh screens reach to the ceiling and special ladders are built into the 72  shelves so the top shelves can be reached. The ceilings are richly embellished and painted in the tromp l'oeil style to create optical illusions.  The Royal Coat for Arms is impressive above our heads a different reads " this is the home that august Coimbra donated to books so that the library may crown it's front".
A feature of the library is the presence of bats,special entrance and exit holes are drilled into the rafters for them to do their work eating insects and moths  thus preventing damage to the books.
Underneath there is  depository where books are on display and below that is the Academic prison where students and professors served their time for misdemeanors up until 1832.We exited out the Minerva stairs which lead you up to the main courtyard.

We visited the manuelian designed St Michael's  chapel with a splendid organ still in use today and the other  buildings around the courtyard, including the Ceremonial Hall where the throne hall conducted ceremonies.
An impressive outdoor courtyard  space was  dominated by the Statue of King Joao 111 who built the University and bestowed it to the country was surrounded by all the buildings and the University was thought to have been established in March 1290. It is home to students today from over eighty countries.
We had lunch in a local restaurant known to Victor where we sat outside by a very historic 16th Century  water fountain.
Victor introduced us to his 'republic',here that is a student flat and home to about twelve students.We were invited inside by a very good looking young philosophy student as they have an ongoing association with their flat and reunions take place each year. It was rather seedy with a strong smell of weed present but they were very welcoming. How strange we must have seemed to them.
We wandered around the old streets and back alleys retracing the student days of Victor and appreciating the age of the town.Definitely a student town like Dunedin. Very atmospheric and we visited the oldest, do cathedral and the cafe which McDonald's tried to butyl recently.
We could have spent many more hours exploring this city but we had a long way to travel home and we were to visit Netos,  the village where Victor grew up. We were to meet his mother too. She had been at the hospital all day with his father who is a paraplegic and undergoing surgery for a tracheotomy. I was sure we would be the last thing she wanted to add to her day but Victor thought otherwise. He probably needed to give his mum some support.
We picked plums in the garden until his mother came home and then we helped her herd her goats into the new pasture. It was real village style and she was on her own running all the family land and a long way from medical help with her husband to support.
She gave us fresh goat cheeses she had made which we ate with olive bread that night for tea. We were so late home we did not fancy walking into town for a meal.
Another fascinating day and lots of rich arguments about politics,symbolism,conspiracy theories and life!