Brazilians at Heart

We may be exploring Portugal, but it IS World Cup time. There is a plaza in the walking area just outside the old city where they have set up seating and a large-screen TV to show the World Cup. Even when there is no game on, there are pre-game festivities and analysis. The Portuguese love their "futebol", but tonight is Brazil's first game and the Brazilians are out in force. As we ate our dinner outside in another plaza (within earshot of the TV plaza), we watched the yellow and green shirts go buy. As the game started we were in front of the big TV. If there are any Swiss around, they are keeping a low profile.

Steve bought some popcorn and brought it back to the hotel room, but I expect we will be able to hear the shout when Brazil scores a goal.

Sunday in Coimbra

We've been looking at beautiful churches in Coimbra most of which have worship schedules posted indicating that they really are churches, not museums. I decided that I wanted to worship in one this morning. I had thoughts of going to the New Cathedral (18th c) since I figured it was likely to have the best music. It is located pretty close to the top of the hill. I reached the Old Cathedral three-quarters of the way up breathless about five to ten and could hear the organ, so I decided that I was high enough.

Between the Portuguese accent and the reverberation of the building I didn't catch everything, but did get the scripture readings and the apostles creed and the priest's request to be courteous to the tourists waiting outside to get in. (I later saw graffiti written on some steps saying tourists made the writer feel like he lived in a zoo, except there were other words included that I won't write here.) Can't say that I could blame the writer as I took shots of narrow streets and flowers on balconies.

I shared a pew with a woman in a suit who I'm pretty sure is a nun. I suspect she is principal of a school because several adolescent girls came up for hugs after the service asking what she thought of their singing. The music was sweet and resonant, totally fitting for the 12th c Romanesque building, although less than professional. There was a wide range of ages in the service including young people in the pew in front of us, and several worshippers of African ancestry including the priest and a couple of the young acolytes.

After the service, I explored the cloister, which dated from the thirteenth century. I could sit there all day with my thermos of tea and a book.

Steve stayed in the rooom this morning working on his presenteations to be recorded in Rome (the reason for the trip.) I brought him back in the afternoon. This time we did make it all the way to the new cathedral. I was amazed at how, after worshipping with the nun and the rest of the congregation this morning, I felt a loyalty to the Old Cathedral as "my church." The "new" gilded 18-th c baroque church felt gaudy and modern.

For lunch we went back to a little outdoor cafe where we ate nata yesterday (little warm custard pies made with filo dough) and ate quiche and salad and THEN nata and cafezinho. It is quite warm in the sun and we enjoyed the nice breeze.

Coimbra University

We took the train north this morning from Lisbon to the medieval university town of Coimbra.

This view from the terrace of Oslo Hotel where we are staying gives a good overview. The university, where we headed is at the top.

We wound up through narrow streets. There was a Renaissance-type fair going on in front of this Old Cathedral dating from the 12th century when the Moors where in control of the Iberian Peninsula.

The university is located in a former palace donated by King João III in 1537 (exactly the time period of my character Colin Hay in Wales.)

Here's a view from the balcony of the palace. The Joanina Library is the last entrance to the right. The  entrance to the Chapel of St. Michael is just out of the picture to the right. The statue is King João III.

I thought of Mom Hardy when I saw these organ pipes in the Chapel of St. Michael. The painting on the ceiling is very typical of this region.

Beneath the library is the academic prison, intended to keep unruly students separate from common criminals. Very motivating to keep university rules.

No pictures were allowed in the library itself. I'll have to look for something on the Internet. This is the old workroom.

Here you will find pictures I wasn't allowed to take.

After the library, we relaxed in the botanical gardens. We got turned around and disagreed about the way back to our hotel. We both turned out to be wrong, but we got there eventually.

Before actually returning to the hotel (to watch Copa do Mundo [World Cup]) we stopped at an outdoor coffee shop and then wandered down the street to the Monastery of the Holy Cross. 

The cloister was my favorite part.

This fountain in the corner of the cloister was where the monks washed  before dinner.

The church had another fabulous looking organ. Unfortunately no concerts scheduled this weekend.

The carved choir stalls had lots of character although most of the characters were more damaged than this one.

Cascais, Portugal

Manie took us on an outing down the coast to Cascais. The drive reminded me of going south to Cape Point from Cape Town, but the houses look more like Brazil with their pale stucco and red tile roofs.

Cascais is a tourist town of beaches...

...and narrow streets.

 We wandered along the promenade past this sand castle...



...and this fortress...



...to this lighthouse.



Manie is a photographer, too, so we both scrambled for good shots like this Moorish-style house from under the bridge.

The house turned out to be the Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum with this beautiful courtyard.

For lunch we ended up at a local spot on a side street (not the main tourist avenue) run by this delightful woman and her husband.

I looked at the squid and shrimp, but ended up with grilled sardines since I had never eated them not from a can. I'm not sure I would order them again (at least, not with squid and shrimp as an option), but glad I did once. Mani instructed me in how to peal back the skin, eat a layer, then peal out the spine and ribs to reach the other half.

They were cooked in this grill on the varanda where we ate.

Steve did NOT eat sardines. He has a slice of beef with an egg and chips.

We ended up helping a couple couples (like the one in the background here) with translation. The arbor was full of tiny grapes that will ripen (according to our hostess) in September.

And here is Manie.

Off to Portugal

Steve has a couple days work in Italy, and I asked to come along. He likes to check in with the Instituto Bíblico Portuguêse once a year, so here we are.

Guess who else is here!

Our old friends Lúcio and Rosalee Guimarães (Brazilians who were our prayer partners in Mozambiue in the 1980s) have been teaching here for three months. They leave tomorrow. We bumped into them in the house of some other Brazilian missionaries who have spent ten years in Italy. Sandra made lemonade.

The guys watched Russia-Saudi Arabia in the early World Cup competition.

We're staying with a South African prof, Hermanus Taute (Manie) in a Lisbon apartment.