Viagem até Coimbra (Portugal)

Not 100% recovered from my cough yet, I tried to make this post as soon as I could.
Last friday I went to see my old flatmates in Tallinn Joao and Mara in their place in Portugal.
Thomas wanted to make them a visit, and I joined them seizing the chance. I know later it would be impossible with school stuff and so on...
So, after some hours by bus, and then by train, I reached Coimbra, the home city of Joao.
And few minutes after me Thomas came, so... absolutely in synchronization!
We were joking later... that we spent almost exactly the same money and time.. one coming from Germany (some thousand km. far) and other coming from 500 km. far hehe
So, first stop: drinking some portuguese beer in Joao's parent's house.

Wheather was absolutly warm for being february, I guess that of the climate change again :)
After walking and hanging around Coimbra, we tried to rest for the next day. In fact, it was a physical day :)
Lousa Mountains

Here we started the trip to the Lousa mountains. This is a medieval castle as many others in Portugal (after this trip, I can say, the medieval-reminiscent-country!)
We walked around the nature to reach to one really old-medieval village, lost in the middle of nothing!
You can see pic by pic how the castle is going to be further and further XDD

Yeh, in this pic is already quite far, don't you think? :)

Wow! after a long long walk, but really enjoyable through forest and nature we reached the village. It seemed we were in another time, in another civilization.. and the landscape was absolutly awesome from there.

Some shots meanwhile the walking period






Yes, that was a bar! :)
Pity it was closed that time

But there was another one where we stopped for a while to have some rest and drink a shot of chestnut liquour.

Here we are!!

Group pic in Lousa's mountains

Arriving to the village:




After that, we went out a bit at night in Coimbra. It was strange for me at first that I didnt see too many people in the streets, but I understood it when Joao told me Coimbra is a student's city (like Santiago de Compostela here) and in weekends there were not too many people... students used to go back their homes.
Unfinished cathedral




Coimbra


Apartments of students (Republicas) where sometimes they had strange ornaments outside, like hanged rag dolls (?) XD


Sight of the old town of Coimbra

University of Coimbra


Like a student's city, Coimbra is full of political graffitis in lots of walls, even I could find 2 in reference of the "freedom" of my region.
Sí, incluso aqui en Coimbra había "GZ livre", ainda que me dá que foi algún galego o que escribiu esto, a xente de Portugal sinte afinidade cos galegos, pero non creo que chegue a tanto. Paréceme máis lóxico pensar que algun erasmus de galicia se unira ó innumerable das pinturas políticas nas paredes da cidade.

Obidos

In Obidos we can find a medieval fortress, that surrounds the old city (like the walls of Lugo) and in the middle a middle ages' castle.



A quen se vos parece esta xarra??


Peniche cliff

Tomar, the city of the Templar order

This place is absolutly amazing. With the hiking day, this visit made worth the trip.
I encourage everyone, specially if he/she likes the medieval period to visit these places in Portugal. You will end the trip shocked ;)




The Templars also had their time to go to the toilet, though they cared quite few about being some at the same time in the same place XDD

Joao VII, King of Coimbra!


Cool detail in one of the columns


Huge! I tried to put pics and pics, but it's even bigger than you can see here.




Torres Novas, the home of Mara

This is a small district in Torres Novas where the parents of Mara live.
Full of olive trees, calm, green and relaxing place.
Mara's mother invited us to a lunch there, really interesting! homemade bread (yeeeeeeeeeh) homemade cheese, homemade marmelade, fruits just taken from the tree... the best way to have a long and healthy life... eating the best and the tastiest things!

Fatima

Another castle (ough so many!!)


So that was in a general sight my trip to Portugal, 4 or 5 really great days, full of visits, good moments and rememoring our times in Estonia, and with the nicest company.
I'm really afraid that after this trip... I dont know what to show next time Mara and Joao come to visit me in Galicia heheh
All is few comparing to these amazing places!
So once more, thanks Joao and Mara for being so good hosts and planning so complete journies!
Thanks also to Thomas, and I wish you have good luck in your new experience in Ethiopia. That's really an adventure!!!
And lastly, thanks to the parents of Joao and Mara, for hospitality and being so kind!
See you!
Muito obrigado!!