[Coimbra, Portugal]
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| 2008-PortS |
Showing posts with label Coimbra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Coimbra. Show all posts
Saturday, April 05, 2008
How green is my soup
[April 5, Coimbra]
Little by little we are trying the Portuguese cuisine. It is not always a success. A few days ago Bettie had salted cod, and I had a curried chicken (the Goan connection, you know). The curry was instantly forgettable, and Bettie's cod was vividly memorable, but for the all wrong reasons.
But today we tried something worth repeating: Caldo Verde. a green soup of kale and potato puree. Fairly good in a soul-food sort of way. We also tried the local Coimbra pastry "pastel de Tentugal"; it made us long for Belem and pastel de nata.
Little by little we are trying the Portuguese cuisine. It is not always a success. A few days ago Bettie had salted cod, and I had a curried chicken (the Goan connection, you know). The curry was instantly forgettable, and Bettie's cod was vividly memorable, but for the all wrong reasons.
But today we tried something worth repeating: Caldo Verde. a green soup of kale and potato puree. Fairly good in a soul-food sort of way. We also tried the local Coimbra pastry "pastel de Tentugal"; it made us long for Belem and pastel de nata.
Coimbra 3 -- The Dog Killers
[April 5, Coimbra}
Descending from the university we pass
the old cathedral, built while the Moors were still making nuisances of themselves in the neighborhood, looks (and is) a fortress.
Descending from the university we pass
the old cathedral, built while the Moors were still making nuisances of themselves in the neighborhood, looks (and is) a fortress.Coimbra 2 -- The Gown
[April 5, Coimbra]
The University of Coimbra is atop a steep hill. Some walk; the wimps take the elevator, and enjoy
The University of Coimbra is atop a steep hill. Some walk; the wimps take the elevator, and enjoyCoimbra 1 -- The Town
[April 5, Coimbra]
Today is a little cooler, and our itinerary takes us away from the noisy traffic into the ancient parts of the city. Coimbra has been a university town for over 700 years, and before that it figured in the struggle between Moors and Christians, changing hands several times. With improving fortunes of the Christian reconquest, Coimbra became the capital of the first true kings of a united Portugal.
Today is a little cooler, and our itinerary takes us away from the noisy traffic into the ancient parts of the city. Coimbra has been a university town for over 700 years, and before that it figured in the struggle between Moors and Christians, changing hands several times. With improving fortunes of the Christian reconquest, Coimbra became the capital of the first true kings of a united Portugal.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Coimbra is hot but the Guinness is cold
[April 4, Coimbra]
The train from Lisbon was efficient and pleasant, except for the seriously dirty window that inhibited seeing the countryside. Our first impression of Coimbra was not favorable. Our hotel (Ibis) is located on a busy street, and though Coimbra is smaller than Lisbon, it seems strangely hectic and stressful. The heat is stifling, and yet our hotelier has determined that it is not yet hot enough in the year to provide air conditioning; we disagree. We walked around for a bit to orient ourselves then staggered into an “Irish Pub” for some Guinness and a cheeseburger; this was no time for culinary experimentation.
The train from Lisbon was efficient and pleasant, except for the seriously dirty window that inhibited seeing the countryside. Our first impression of Coimbra was not favorable. Our hotel (Ibis) is located on a busy street, and though Coimbra is smaller than Lisbon, it seems strangely hectic and stressful. The heat is stifling, and yet our hotelier has determined that it is not yet hot enough in the year to provide air conditioning; we disagree. We walked around for a bit to orient ourselves then staggered into an “Irish Pub” for some Guinness and a cheeseburger; this was no time for culinary experimentation.
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