PORTUGAL 2005 Part 10

INCREDIBLY, THIS SERIES HAS COME THIS LONG... THANKS FOR ALL THAT KEEP ON WAITING AND READING!!!

(This story continue from Part 9 - THE INDEX of this series are HERE)

**SICKNESS OF NORA**

In the morning, the company met at half past eight and everyone was there but there were no sign of participants from Philippines; "Joyce", Jessica Joyce N. Cirunay, and "Nora", Leonora Eco.

'It's quite amazing,' I said to Mr. Praphon. 'they never be this late. Or that because of our Chinese food late night contained too much MSG for Joyce. She might feeling ill today.'. Mr. Praphon made no answer.

After waiting for her in the bus for a while, both of them stepped in. Joyce looked well but wary. She hold her colleague's , Nora, shoulders tightly, helping her who was trying to help herself.

'Poor Nora!' she cried out loud as soon as Nora got to her seat, her eyes went red but she added nothing. Nunu went directly to her and started to ask. I saw like Joyce explained things to him twice and after Nunu left her, starting to use his phone, for a while, she contained herself better and was starting to explain things to us that already gathered round her and Nora, sitting weak in her seat.

'She felt weak on one-side.' Joyce started and told the others that things happened to Nora after showered in the early morning. She felt very weak and panicked. However, it might not as bad as we firstly thought. Joyce told us that the doctor had checked Nora and told her that it is not likely a stroke. 'She is healthy and don't have any underlying disease which related to the stoke.' We were reliefed after hearing Joyce's explanation and the company was being ready for the returning trip to Lisbon in the afternoon.

Before lunch, we visited 'The Roman Ruins of Conímbriga' - The largest Roman Ruins of Portugal - which brought us back to the third century. I took only a few pictures since I was not in the mood. Nora told us she felt better but still weak.

We took our lunch at Hotel D. Luis when Nora felt worse again. We stayed a few hours there and we received a signal from Nunu that Prof. Gaspar decided that Nora should be back to the Coimbra University Hospitol. Pedro the driver drove, faster but more gentle, us backed to Coimbra.

Hospitol staffs were ready when we arrived. Nunu and Joyce went with Nora. The rest of the company was waited in or around the bus in the parking lot. It's getting cold. More than an hour passed, Nunu came back first and told the company the bad news.

'Nora had a stroke. The doctor didn't let anyone to be with Nora but Joyce asked for his permission in order to be her friend in this foreign country. Prof. Gaspar was there too. I think doctor will allow them to be with Nora for a while.'

'How about us tonight?' someone in the company asked Nunu 'We can't wait here 'till dawn but we don't want to leave the philippines behind. We have to decide - stay here another night or heading for Lisbon.'

'I don't think we will stay here tonight.' replied Nunu, 'At the worse case, Joyce will stay here but we have to wait a bit more...'

It was around 9 p.m. when the company left the hospitol. Joyce was with us but she will come back, by train, as soon as the next light of dawn. We all waried and worried but Joyce was the worst. Nora might have to stay in Portugal for a bit longer, until doctor allow her to fly. Pedro drove steadily South to Lisbon. It was almost midnight when the company reached 'Hotel Palacio' in Estoril, Lisbon. The light of Lisbon didn't enlighten us as much as it should be.

PS. I decided to cut the other things because the fact is that in that day, I worried much about Nora and I would like to dedicate this blue chapter to her.

PS2. Nora was recovered well, I'm not sure whether it is 100% or not.

THIS STORY CONTINUES IN PART 11

PORTUGAL 2005 Part 9

(This story continue from Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 and Part 8)

**FAREWELL TO OPORTO**

As soon as the Tuesday sun rise, the company left Oporto, the city which I wish to spend at least 3 or 4 days exploring the historic and scenic of the city.

'The person who organised this trip must have the ability of the tour guide.' I said to Mr. Praphon. 'I think Professor Rogerio Gaspar is the one who organise this event but Why?' he asked in return.

'We have only a brief time in each city than we expected. If we want to see more, we've gotta to return here again.' I replied and started to murmured 'O OPorto old and fair, the home of world's great wine. Port wine of her is sweet but strong, carried to the town from Vale do Douro by rabelos. The autumn here is cold and gold is every corner of the town of old. I wish I could return again, to feel the more of OPorto a foz do Rio Douro (OPorto on mouth of Douro river).' (It didn't like a song as which I sang at Cabo da Roca but the expression in my heart at the time of the parting of the fair city.) I sat silence, staring out of the bus, trying to remember as much of Oporto as I could.

The company turned South-westward to 'COIMBRA', a city unforeheard by most of us but it was once the capitol of Portuguese Empire. We travelled by the straight road and didn't make any stop since we had programme to visit Coimbra hospitol before noon.

**IN THE COIMBRA, THE CITY OF HISTORY**

The historic city of Coimbra is located in central Portugal, around cem (100) kilometer south of Porto and duzentos (200) north of Lisbon. I was looking to see the Coimbra University which is claimed, as Nunu told us, to be the world's 5th oldest university.

After vsiting one of the most advanced hospitol in Portugal, Nunu let us rest after lunch, waiting for the time that we could visit the university. By this time, the company took photographs together.

: with 2 participants from Singapore: Jessica Teo & Lim Na
: with Nunu
: boys band!?

++Universidade de Coimbra (University of Coimbra)++

This university is claimed by the Portuguese that it is the 5th oldest university of the world. The university was founded, or ratified, in 1290 by King Dinis, in Lisbon. For some reasons, about 20 years later, the univeersity was moved to Coimbra. After moving to and fro between Lisbon and Coimbra for several times, the university was permanently located in Coimbra in 1537. Universidade de Coimbra is one of the most renowned university in Portugal and in European continent. I's stunned with the classic architectures which has been well reserved.

We walked through Porta Férrea (the old gate) to the main courtyard which shining againt the pale red afternoon sunlight. The statue of D. João III was standing in the courtyard.

: the old gate (source: WIKIPEDIA)
: the main courtyard (source: WIKIPEDIA)
: with king João III
: a series of pictures of Mr. Praphon, my pics are blurred again -*-

After a brief visit with the university senior staffs in the 'red room', the university allowed us to visit the famous 'Biblioteca Joanina' or The Joanina Library, a Baroque-style library from the 18th century.

One of the university staff took us to the entrance and led us in. It was dark inside because the university want to reserve the beauty of old. After the light was turned on, I was amazed of what I thought I was staring at 'um grande palácio de ouro velho e leal' (a great golden palace of old and fair). It was indeed a library because there are books everywhere, eventhough it was unlikely to pick them for reading or borrowing.

'There are more than two hunderd thousand books in these great halls,' said the university staffs 'so, this place is the pride of Portuguese knowledge and it is priceless. For us, people of Universidade de Coimbra, will reserve them the best we can. It survived many earthquakes and will survive more. You might take a picture or two but definitely do not use flash. If you do not know how to close your auto flash function, I recommend you not to shoot a picture here, okay?'

His word was definite and non-negiotiable. So, I took a picture in the dark with 'night-mode'. It's not so good but better than having nothing.

The Sun was gone when we left Universidade de Coimbra. We stayed at TRYP Coimbra Hotel nearby the hospitol. That night was the last night for me in Coimbra and we had only a few days left in Portugal. We invited Nunu, the care taker, and Pedro, the driver, to have a dinner with us in a chinese restaurant in Coimbra.

Pedro was not familiar with chopsticks and he asked for a fork after trying to use them for a while and felt that he couldn't catch up with our speed ^_^. Nunu was skillful, or might be better than some of us. We tried to tell him how to use the chopsticks nicely and I thought he can use them very good now.

We were planned to travelled back to Lisbon tomorrow but a sad thing happened...

THIS STORY CONTINUES IN PART 10 (Oh my God! this series is getting too long!)