Coimbra

---

I left Porto today and rode the train to the university city of Coimbra. Unlike Spain, there was no security screen at the train station and, in fact, my ticket wasn't even checked until the conductor came down the aisle when we were halfway to the first stop. Like, Spain, however, every seat was filled and I was glad to have made my reservations in advance. I followed Rick Steves's walking tour of the city of Coimbra, starting with the view from the Santa Clara Bridge (see photo). You can see the university buildings at the top of the hill and the Portuguese flag waving proudly from the bridge. I stopped at a couple of churches and was struck by the horizontal organ pipes/trumpets that are apparently a Portuguese specialty (see photo). I toured the university (established 1290), including the King John Library which has a lot of really old books and an interior decorator who worked overtime (see photo). I am pleased to be here in a new (to me) city and I'm not the only first-time visitor. My taxi driver told me that the Pope is coming to Coimbra in a couple of weeks. I assume this is part of the celebration for the hundredth anniversary of the first appearance of Our Lady of Fatima, which is located about an hour from here.

---