From gorillas to convents

Amazing. With a prediction of 95% chance of rain today, we awoke to crisp blue skies. I need to learn how to interpret the weather report on this side of the Atlantic.

No rain today. Not one drop.

The news that New Mexico is on fire puts a damper on the moment. A sobering reminder that planet Earth is in serious trouble and that it’s going to be a long, hot, smoky summer as inevitably, Colorado, Arizona and California will burn and their smoke and ash will migrate our way.

So, while I can, I will take deep breaths of this cool, clean, damp air. This is a perfect day for a walk through the Botanical gardens. Giant eucalyptus merging into bamboo arches. Regal fig trees, Australian wattles. All shades of green. A surprise art installation in the midst of the greenery. A woman’s oddly soothing voice barring her soul.

Out the other end of the gardens, we emerge near the Mondego river. I check the map and note we are near “Half Gorilla”. Can’t pass that up. Must be a friend of Half Rabbit that we saw in Porto. The gorilla is impressive but I am stymied as to why it’s called ‘half’. Even more visually stunning is the yellow villa right next door.

We crossed the river on a nearby footbridge and spent the next hour trying to find a monastery museum where there was reputed to be another art installation.  I’ll spare you the details on how google maps failed us. Suffice it to say, we did find the place. The art installation, with its ring of red women’s shoes was meant to portray the ongoing horror of human sex trafficking. More fascinating was the 15 minute documentary (subtitled in English) on the building of the convent back in the 1300s.

Before arriving at the museum, however, we had made our way up a hill to an old convent, shuttered when the last nun died, one end turned into an auditorium for concerts. The security guard, who spoke no English, managed to convey that there would be a concert at 3pm, handed me a thick, glossy program and encouraged me to buy a ticket.The place was pretty much deserted. I sensed that Coimbrans were not yet flooding back to indoor events.

Time to head back to our side of the river and begin the search for a restaurant with an appealing menu. Grubb had cod poached in milk served on a bed of thinly sliced potato rounds. I had Espetada Lulas, a skewer of grilled peppers, onions, squid and giant prawns. It was all quite tasty.

Back to the apartment for a dessert of pastry. Grubb had bought them in the morning from what has become our favorite coffee place. Tucked into an alcove at the bottom of the 125 stairs that lead up to the University campus and always mobbed with young folk.