Yesterday we took three trains from Pinhao to the university "town" of Coimbra, which is more of a busy, congested Portuguese city. Almost missed our connection, as our train was 16 minutes late leaving Pinhao.

There's a huge construction project going on right outside our apartment window - on the same level with the fourth floor!

Portugal feels like a perpetual construction zone and is anything but peaceful. This trip has been quite the departure for us - a far cry from the quiet countryside of Switzerland, Austria and Germany that we usually visit.

I had a 'help me Jesus' moment when confronted with 65 steep steps up to our apartment. No matter how well we vet these places, there always seems to be a surprise. Not much fun with luggage.

And the eggs and fish - I can't seem to get away from the eggs and fish. A grocery store visit yesterday was an assault on the nose.

We're off to explore Coimbra - wish us luck.

PS - I will address the Douro question when I have more time.

This separated us from our apartment

Construction outside our fourth floor window

Cod in grocery store - phew

I'm on the wine diet - can't fault the wine

An entire store dedicated to sardines

University students

Help me Jesus - 65 steep steps up to our apartment

Oh, Mel, I hope your experience of Coimbra improved and you’re enjoying it more than your initial impressions! And if not, may the wine carry you through!

Ouch, 65 steps with luggage is no fun! Can't wait to see more photos from Coimbra. Love the sardines tins, I think I'll bring back as many as my airline weight limit allows.

Mel,
Hopefully your holiday in Coimbra flourishes after your initial reception (numerous apartment stairs-major construction site outside your window) We arrive there on May 13th for 2 nights. Curious, did the apartment owners advise you in advance about the stairs and or the major construction. That happened to us in Leipzig. Major construction directly in front of the apartment, street completely torn up which resulted in no Wi-Fi service at all in the area. The construction had obviously been ongoing for a while with no mention of it from the Air BNB owner. Which I thought was wrong.

Oh dear. I ran into the too many steps problem in Aix - didn't fully process which floor the room was on. I also had a problem with scaffolding outside my window in San Sebastian, but I arrived at the start of a holiday weekend, and moved out early before the work started (all the way out of San Sebastian, for that matter). How long are you in Coimbra, and can you move?

Cool student photo!

I was wondering all along how you would fare in Portugal, given your love of the mountains and the amazing scenery and hiking in Switzerland and Austria, etc. I was surprised by your choice and hope it isn’t a complete bust. We especially loved the Alentejo area and if you’d be willing to rent a car there’s lots of beautiful countryside to explore from Evora.

At least there’s good wine!

Curious, did the apartment owners advise you in advance about the stairs and or the major construction.

Yes and no. We knew there were stairs, but underestimated how many and how steep. It's not the first time we've done this to ourselves. Almost every place in Coimbra we researched had an access problem, be it steep hills or stairs - this place had no hills so seemed a good compromise. The construction just began 10 days ago per the owner. Even though they're currently pounding right outside my window, last night they finished at 6 and didn't start up again until 8 this morning, so it wasn't a problem.

We're here for three nights and will just stay put.

I was surprised by your choice and hope it isn’t a complete bust.

It absolutely has not been a bust. Yes, it's very much outside of our usual 'zone' but we're having a good time and it's proving to be a good experience. We loved Porto, which surprised the hell out of both of us.

Mel,
Have you found "Fangas Veg" at Rua de Fernandes Thomas 45 in Coimbra? No sardines there!
https://www.facebook.com/FangasVeg/

Maribel - thank you, might have to look into it.

Mel, its great that you've chosen a reality-based TR i.e. including the daily 'good, bad and ugly'. Many TRs skip or edit the grind. Btw, your '65 steps from Hell' reminded me of our own dodged bullet. Covid cancelled our planned Amalfi coast trip, which would've included an all-time splurge villa rental. Only prob with that villa was its series of steep steps. We'd planned to stay at Progol's Scogliera lodgings then move onto that nearby splurge. Our knees were grateful for that cancellation.
Carry on Mel!

I am done. the huffing

A good day in Coimbra...a rookie mistake at a bakery this morning...I randomly selected an interesting looking filo pastry - took one bite, and very briefly thought it was apricot due to the color...but no...it seems the egg hater had inadvertently bought herself a Pastel de Tentúgal.

We visited the colorful and pungent Mercado Municipal...The Biblioteca Joanina, Royal Palace, St Michael's Chapel and Chimico Laboratory at the university, followed by a shockingly cheap Indian lunch (12.30 euro for two including a full bottle of wine!) then coffee and kitties at the Cat Cafe.

Tonight...Fado


Mercado Municipal

Mercado Municipal

Mercado Municipal

Mercado Municipal

Coimbra views

University

Palace ceiling

No idea

Rescue kitty, Cat Cafe

Coimbra

Great pix!

Sadly, it's been a few years since I was in Portugal, but the wine used to be so cheap that the restaurants didn't sell it by the glass. Sounds like things haven't changed too much.

Really enjoying your photos of Coimbra.
Mel, speaking of stairs, have you been up (argh!) or preferably DOWN the long "Backbreaker's Staircase" (Escadas do Quebra Costas) yet?
You probably have. It connects the U. and Old Cathedral with the downtown. Stairs, stairs and more stairs! Luckily we took it down rather than having to climb it up. Coimbra, another of Portugal's vertical cities, built on a mountain! A good cardio workout...

Very nice that they put in an elevator for the mobility challenged! (At least, there was one the last time I was there.)

Enjoying your photos! Are those pigs feet in the market? Coimbra looks gritty.

Karen, it is gritty...at least that's how my eyes saw it.

Mel, last November I wrote you this:

"Be carefull when booking the places you will stay. I'm working at a guesthouse downtown that is the only one with a lift (not good for you because the rooms are really tiny, I think 9 square meters, you have no place for luggage), but in 2019 early 2020, I was managing several apartments in Porto city center. One of the buildings, very well located and really beautifull, had no lift, of course. Only stairs. When "Booking" says "only stairs available to the upper floors" read the reviews and try to find out how high the building is. This one was 108 steps."

I'm sorry I told you this would be a Porto and Lisboa problem. Completely forgot that Coimbra has the same issue.

Fado: Fado from Coimbra is completely different than Fado from Lisboa, and much better, I think. It can only be sanged by men.

No. We walked up a fairly gentle incline - I think it might have been via the aqueduct (?) We walked past the elevator and funicular, but never saw any stairs. However, the descent to the Indian restaurant was very steep, but still only a few stairs.

Yep, trotters.

All of Portugal feels pretty gritty so far. In fact, we've used that very word several times since we've been here.

The Escadas do Quebra Costas leads you to the Old Cathedral. Below the Old Cathedral there's a very, very good restaurant, "Tapas nas Costas" for wines and petiscos at Rua Quebra Costas 19, next to a Fado house.

Off the above street (Quebra Costas) is other petiscos (small plates like tapas) street, Rua de Fernandes Thomas, the old Fangas street, with little tapas places lined up in a row---Fangas Maior, Alqueire Comes e Bebes, Fangas Veg, Arcada Comes e Bebes, also a Chocolataria Equador.