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November 8, 2006, Coimbra, Portugal
We've made it to Coimbra, Portugal, which is a city we've wanted to visit for a long time. There is a really old university here — founded in the 12th century in Lisbon and definitively moved here in 1537. It's a university that is very famous and prestigious in the Lusophone world. In Brazil, children of the elite would be sent here for their education, and as we are both students of Brazilian history, literature and political, among other areas, we've both read quite a bit about Coimbra.
There are some very old monuments here, as well. The “new” Sé is from the 16th century, while the “old” Sé is from the 12th century. We've been staying at the youth hostel here, which has meant that we had to be in separate rooms, due to their policy of male/female bedrooms. The hostel is actually a pretty good deal, though, so we've decided to stay one more night here. Perhaps the biggest inconvenience is that the hostel is closed from noon to 6 p.m., meaning we're on the street all day, like it or not! Fortunately, there's a lot to see in Coimbra!
November 9, 2006, Coimbra, Portugal (Entry 2)
We have been traveling for over a month now. In a lot of ways, we've gotten largely used to it, though it can be tiring being constantly on the move. There are days when we're exhausted, but when we feel that way, we just stay in the room or go to a beach (when that's possible!). It is important to rest as well as to move. One thing that is difficult is the lack of access to home-cooked meals. Restaurants are not only expensive, but they get surprisingly tiresome after a while.
From where we sit, above the Teatro Acadêmico Gil Vicente, we have a great view of people coming and going. It's strange how relaxing it is sometimes to sit and watch people go about their business: a dry leaf blows along the sidewalk, a girl runs across the street to avoid traffic, a man stops to lean against a wall in the sun and smoke a cigarette. The world is a beautiful place, no matter what they say!