(chutch of St. John Baptist on the cetral square)
| The other day we continued to the south to the university town Coimbra. Coimbra was the capital of Portugal from 1139 to about 1260. There is situated one of the oldest universities in Europe which was founded in 1290. The university areal is also the biggest attraction for tourists. Then we continued to a small town Tomar, which is also one of the historical monuments protected by the UNESCO. On the way we passed Fatima known for a miracle of apparitions. Just over the border of the town we saw the remains of a fire. That we usually just see on TV and cannot imagine what it means. It means several hundred meters wide stripe of burnt land. The fire is even able to go through the village and destroy everything. Finally Tomar! This day was one of the most demanding. We had to reach Evora and roads were just narrow, so it was impossible to drive faster than 60 km/hour. Tomar was incredible castle and monastery. Originally designed as a monument symbolizing the Reconquest, the Convent of the Knights Templar of Tomar (transferred in 1344 to the Knights of the Order of Christ). It amazed us with its vastness. The only pity was that in the interiers was prohibited to take pictures. Then followed the last moving of that day to Evora. Tha journey was neverending and finally we approached the town at 8:30 p.m. We found accommodation in a guest house. The evening walk was exactly what we needed after a day spent in a hot car. |
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| Historical center of Coimbra | Entance to the Coimbra University | The University of Coimbra is the oldest Portuguese university |
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| The university chapel | Romanesque cathedral in Coimbra | Portal of the cathedral |
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| You know, Portugal is a hot country, so it's necessary to produce the wind | Countryside from the car | The countryside was under fire just few days before |
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| Burned land |
Tomar itself is a small town (chutch of St. John Baptist on the cetral square) |
The castle of the Templars and the Convent of Christ |
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| The Convent of Christ | Part of the Templar's castle lies in ruins | The castle of the Templars and the Convent of Christ |
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| The castle of the Templars and the Convent of Christ | The castle of the Templars and the Convent of Christ | The castle of the Templars and the Convent of Christ |