Coimbra - not Oxford.

Some guide book or other I read described Coimbra as Portugal's Oxford. Indeed, if, as the giant 725 signs decorating the buildings imply, that Coimbra's venerable institution was founded in 1290, then it predates Oxford, making it, along with Salamanca, Bologna and the Sorbonne, one of Europe's oldest universities. Its setting is stunning, occupying a wooded hillside high above the wide river Mondego, which under today's bright  sky looked inky blue, if somewhat choppy due to the stiff breeze.

The university - a spectacular setting

The free aire is across the river next to the swimming pool and a water sports centre. The All the Aires book does warn that the 20 place parking is really a adapted car park. It was pretty full when we arrived earlier today, and having just squeezed in, it will be interesting tomorrow to work out how we are going to squeeze out. During the day it is policed by a particularly officious attendant whose attempts at being authoritarian are really amusing.

The aire - squeezed in car sized bays...

There's free wifi outside the swimming pool - its easy to find!

There is a long footbridge over to the old town a couple of hundred metres from the aire, then a stroll through the riverside park before you reach the edge of the old town. It's quite a nice park, distinguished by the unusual feature of having a 20 foot high effigy of a bear covered in bright green baize fabric next to the play park. The children appeared un-fazed by this but it scared the willies out of me.

I'm trying to imagine the planning application.....

We accidently visited Coimbra back to front, so spent the first part of the trip jumping to all kinds of conclusions which later proved specious.

The old town is up a warren of narrow streets leading to the university area. There is no management of traffic in the area so cars bowl down the precipitous alley ways with owners laconically driving one handed with mobiles clasped to the ear. On the shiny cobbles they would have no chance if stopping for a pedestrian. It's carelessness bordering on the criminal. Miraculously we did make it unscathed up the steep hill to main campus.

Cars bomb down these alleys at astonishing speeds...

It is a beautiful setting 

The major buildings of Coimbra university are remarkable. It looks like the place was expanded significantly in the Thirties and Forties. Given Portugal's political history this resulted in the most extensive ensemble of neo-fascist architecture that I have seen. "This is what Europe would have looked like if Hitler had won." I said half jokingly to Gill.

Classically inspired neo-fascist concrete facades

Decorated with uber-mensch statuary

The public spaces are uncared for, and the borders weed-filled of full of dead shrubs

The science faculty doorway

An odd mix of Art Decor and Futurism influences

Not all buildings are mid-twentieth century

The neo-classical Chemistry Lab survived the 1940s redevelopments

Both the university itself and the surrounding old quarter looks seriously dilapidated. So far as the university is concerned, giving its claim to being a significant research establishment and it's UNESCO World Heritage status, it's a pretty scandalous state of affairs. The dilapidation of the streets surrounding it is less offensive. Indeed the tumbled-down houses and walls daubed with politically motivated graffiti give the district a distinctly bohemian air. The cafe we went to not only had the cheapest espressos ever (50 cents) but was filled with students who looked like proper students, and may be at that very moment plotting the demise of global capitalism, rather than queueing up to join its corporate officer class, as in some Russell Group place back home.

The 50 cent coffee!

Admiring the grafitti

Gill liked this one...

We almost gave up at that point and returned to the van. Had we done so we would have taken away a seriously skewed impression of the place.

Since we had not found the tourist office and had no real idea of what we were doing, we descended from the old town taking a different route. It deposited us in a very pleasant cafe-lined square next to the river.  As it was now 5 o'clock the streets were filling up and there was a buzz about the place. Beyond here is the main shopping street with a mixture of ornate nineteenth century buildings and tall, white painted older ones. Oddly enough, it looked a bit Germanic. A busker was sitting playing some cool bossa nova; girls kept hopping out of shops and taking video on phones and tablets. We could not decide if he was moderately famous, unusually talented or exceptionally handsome in the eyes of his admirers.

Here, and in the old square down the steps it was lovely. The first place we had been in Portugal that you could honestly say felt charming; a place that you might imagine returning to.

We had gelato here

then wandered around some nice old squares

with beautiful old shops

Banco de Portugal - may be broke, but it looks the part!

A bit of a breeze had blown up by the time we walked across the long footbridge back to the aire Water sports enthusiasts were out in force. Top prize must go to the high speed wind surfer who scooted back and forward across the wide river at a remarkable speed. Equally remarkable were the acrobatic turns he performed as he approached each bank. For some reason the ones he did beside the riverside cafe, seemed just a little higher and more athletic - the cafe we had just walked past that was full of chatting students... predominantly female.

Billy Whizz on the sailboard.