Coimbra is a University town with much more to see than just the university, although that is pretty impressive.

To get from our hotel to the university, we basically had to walk uphill. When you’re lucky, the street flattens for a little bit. The rest of the time, you go up. There is even one stretch that the gentleman at the hotel called “back-break hill”. We couldn’t wait to get there.

When we did, we wished he wasn’t serious. Ouch!

When we eventually arrived at the University, we were a little winded, a little sweaty and a lot thankful that we made it.

This morning, we had scheduled a private walking tour with our guide João. He was formerly a student of the university who earned two Masters degrees – including one in history. He was a perfect guide for us: explaining the nuances of the palace, its history and answering our questions.

Our tour included the former royal palace, Saint Michael’s Chapel and the Joanina Library.

The royal palace eventually became the administrative area of the university. It went from being the King’s house to a group of meeting rooms and halls, plus an area where students were taken to task for their misdeeds. Much of the tile work and detailed carvings remain, but there was an empty feeling one can only feel in a re-purposed palace.

The chapel and its ornate organ is beautiful. The carvings, tile work and mosaics have been gorgeously maintained. The organ is still used for services today. There are over two thousand pipes that produce the music.

The library contains a vast collection of books and reference materials, but it is the ornate rooms and shelves that are over-the-top gorgeous. Gold leaf and hand carved woods are used to make a statement of the King’s power. Unfortunately, photos were not allowed in the main library.

After completing our tour, we bid João goodbye and then headed back down to our hotel. You’d think it would have been a breeze heading down. However, the extreme angle squashed your toes in your shoes as you steadied yourself. By the time we arrived back to the hotel, our tootsies were fully protesting!

We rested for a while with our feet up to avoid a rebellion.

We went back to Restaurant Il Tartufo for lunch and had the pizzas we wanted the day before. Unfortunately, they were bigger than we pictured and left us both filled up. So much so, that we changed our dinner plans as neither of us were hungry for dinner

Like boa constrictors after a hearty meal, we ended up back at the hotel and took naps while we digested.

Those naps extended into the early evening, but I guess we needed the rest so no harm done. We read, listened to some music and then packed it in for the evening.

For our last day in Coimbra, we headed out to walk around. Our anticipated path along the River was marred by construction. For safety’s sake, we opted to cut over to the old town.

We strolled through the streets avoiding the crowds and uphill climbs. It’s amazing how they squeeze in tables wherever they can. Personally, some of the chairs seemed to be precariously perched on the edges and there wasn’t a chance that I would have risked sitting there.

We did stop at a small cafe for a sandwich and beverage. We chose that particular place because there was a gentleman playing the accordion and everyone knows that I love listening to them – and this guy was good!

We walked around for a while longer before heading back to the hotel. We debated getting a cab to do some additional sightseeing, but ultimately chose not to.

Back at the hotel, it was Happy Hour. We checked out the hotel’s rooftop bar: “The River” and enjoyed chatting with some fellow travelers.

For our last evening, we went to eat at Devaneio Bistro and Wine Bar. It was one of those places that just said “try me” when I was looking for restaurants.

It turned out to be an awesome dining experience.

We chose the seven course tasting menu with the wine pairings. Their specialty is grilled meats and seafood. The portions were not oversized, so we could actually enjoy each “moment” as they called them.

Everything was delicious and paired perfectly with the wines. Now that’s how to finish up our stay in a town!

After chatting with the owner and exchanging pleasantries, we headed back to the hotel. Happy and sated are the two best words I can think of to describe our evening.

We relaxed a little before turning in as tomorrow we move on again.