Saturday, September 28, 2024
At around 17:30, we finally found our way to Hotel Quinta das Lagrimas (from Casal de São Simão). Although we arrived 30 minutes early, we could not find the car entrance, and both Google Maps and Apple Maps gave incorrect directions.
We called the hotel, and the receptionist explained how to use the service entrance. Once inside the hotel's driveway, I had to back up my Nissan Qashqai and park near the reception (after getting help from a valet attendant).
We checked into room #46 in the new wing and decided to rest by going to the sauna and pool. The Turkish sauna was quite hot, and we spent a few minutes there. We rested for 30 minutes by the pool. Although the pool closes at 21:00, the sauna and the steam room close at 19:00.
We returned to our room and dressed for dinner. We previously requested 20:00 dinner reservations at Terraco Bairrada (across the river), but the hotel could not get through. The hotel called again and was able to make reservations.
At first, we considered using Bolt or UberX, as Google Maps indicated a 30-minute walk. However, this was incorrect (again), so we followed our hotel's advice and walked there. (The walk to the restaurant was only 10 minutes.)
On the way there, we heard loud music and did not know where it came from or what it was. Later on, our dinner hostess explained that it was the famous concert:
A Reuniao Morangos com Acucar (Reunion of Strawberries and Sugar)Featuring 3 Bands:
- DZRT
- 4Taste
- Just Girls (Morangos com Acucar)
We walked over a beautifully lit pedestrian bridge, "Ponte Pedonal Pedro e Ines," across the Mondego River. From there, we could see the waterfront, the concert, and Coimbra.
Once upstairs, we decided to sit indoors, as the concert was loud. After looking at the menu and discussing various options, we ordered the following items:
- Drinks: 2 x Local White wine, Pellegrino, 2 x Hot Black Tea
- Main: Arroz de Peixes (Fish Stew for 2 people)
- Dessert: Petits Gâteaux (excellent)
The fish stew was delicious (though Inna usually does not care for stews). The Petit Gâteaux was fabulous!
Sunday, September 29, 2024
After waking up at 08:15, I showered and dressed. Inna was very tired but eventually got up. We walked downstairs to the Quinta das Lagrimas Restaurant and told the waitress our room #42.
We were seated at a small table for two and waited for coffee to be poured before heading to the buffet.
At the buffet, we noticed an Omelet Station and ordered the following omelets:
- Boris: Omelet with Mushrooms, tomatoes, and peppers
- Inna: Omelet with Mushrooms, tomatoes, ham, and onions
The omelets were well-made but nothing special. We tried various breads and small pastries for dessert, though we still preferred Pastel de Nata. I also ordered an espresso (and Inna ordered black tea). Lately, I have preferred espresso to drip coffee.
After breakfast, we decided to walk around the various Quinta das Lagrimas Gardens.
We started our walk at the Romantic Garden, where we noticed some guests were formally dressed for the upcoming wedding. The garden was beautiful, though I can't say what made it "Romantic."
From the Romantic Garden, we walked to the Golf Area. I did not know there was a golf course at the hotel. If I had time, I could practice putting and golf swings (for distance).
We walked from the golf area to the Medieval Garden, where the wedding ceremony was set up. Many photographers took photos of the Hoopa, which looked very nice.
After taking a few photos, we walked along hiking trails to the Old Forest (Velha), stopping at the Lagrimas Fountain.
The Legend:
We were in the middle of the 14th century when D. Pedro, Prince Heir to the Portuguese Throne, and D.ª Inês de Castro, Castilian maid of Princess Consort D. Constança, gave in to the passion that united them.
Defying the rules and social precepts of the time, the two lovers met secretly in Quinta das Lágrimas's gardens and continued attending even after Pedro's widowhood.
This relationship, strongly disapproved and condemned by the people and the court, would come to an abrupt end in 1355, when by order of King Afonso IV, D. Inês was beheaded.
Legend has it that in the place where Inês was killed, a fountain sprouted whose waters stem from her tears. The blood of her body would forever stain the stones of the fountain. Even today, in the Fonte das Lágrimas, there is a strange stain of red algae on the rock.
Mad with pain, and after having assumed the King's crown in Portugal in 1357, Pedro ordered the arrest and death of Inês's murderers, tearing their hearts out himself.
After visiting the gardens, we crossed the Mondego River (via the pedestrian bridge) and saw the city's main sites. Our first stop was the Old Cathedral of Saint Mary of Coimbra (Se Velha de Coimbra). We paid the entrance fee (2.50 euros/person) and went inside.
This Romanesque Cathedral was built like an impregnable fort, with small windows and thick walls. We walked around taking photos, then went upstairs to see the cloisters.
Our next stop was the Santa Cruz Church (Igreja de Santa Cruz), where the remains of two Portuguese kings are buried. It was much more impressive than the Old Cathedral, and we spent much more time here.
On the second floor, a Choir section (with seating for singers) was separate from the rest of the Church. I had never seen this done before.
As we got hungry, we continued our walk to Nau Specialty Coffee, where we had a light lunch. We ordered the following items:
- Inna: Latte, Burrata
- Boris: Mocha, Sandwich
This was the first coffee shop with a "Mocha" on the menu (so I had to order it). It was delicious.
We traveled to the University of Coimbra for our tour, about which I wrote in a separate blog post.
After leaving Coimbra University, we stumbled into the New Cathedral of the Holy Name of Jesus (Sé Nova do SantÃssimo Nome de Jesus (Coimbra). It had doors open (we thought it might be closed), so we decided to pop in for a quick look. It looked beautiful inside, but we'd seen so many cathedrals that they had lost their charm. We did not see anything especially appealing about this one.
After visiting the New Cathedral, we still had time for other activities. Inna suggested that we try listening to Fado, as it is sung by men in Coimbra (Women sing Fado in Lisbon and Porto). We purchased tickets for the 18:00 show (50 minutes long) at Fado Centro.
After sitting in the small room, we were treated to a concert by two to four musicians playing Fado. There were two guitarists and one or two singers. The singers were students from the University of Coimbra with good voices. However, to me, Fado or "fate" is about expressing emotion - heartbreak, sorrow, etc. I felt nothing listening to these Fado musicians, so I cannot rate them highly.
After listening to Fado, we decided to have dinner at the highly recommended Sete Restaurant (rated 4.7 on Google by our Quinta das Lagrimas staff). I made reservations for 19:00.
After being seated indoors, we looked at the menu and ordered the following items:
- Appetizer: Seven Flavors Salad with Moscatel Jelly, Bread, Olives
- Drinks: Sparkling Wate,
- Inna: Octopus
- Boris: Lamb Shank in red wine with chestnut purée
The Octopus was mediocre ( a bit too chewy), and the Lamb Shank was difficult to cut (it should have been softer). I enjoyed the chestnut purée (smooth and sweet).
On the way back to our hotel, we stopped to listen to a street musician - Eli MacFerry. He played and sang quite well. In general, we have encountered many excellent street musicians in Portugal.
Here is a video of Eli MacFerry playing guitar and singing "Harvest Moon."
We also stopped by the Mondego River waterfront to enjoy the beautifully lit fountains.
Monday, September 30, 2024
After waking up, we packed our suitcases and hurried to breakfast.
We checked out of our hotel and started our drive to Obidos at 08:30. There was heavy rush-hour traffic, but the drive was relatively easy along the beautiful Portuguese roads.
Coimbra Trip Report
Highlights
- Visiting the University of Coimbra, especially the Library and the Royal Palace
- Enjoying the waterfront Coimbra scene. There was a lot of nightlife.
- Visiting the gorgeous Santa Cruz Church (Igreja de Santa Cruz)
- Visiting the Romantic and Medieval gardens at Hotel Quinta das Lagrimas
- Listening to Fado singers at Fado Centro and to street musicians
Lowlights
- Trying to find the hidden car entrance to the Hotel Quinta das Lagrimas
