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!)