77. Portugal - Central Portugal

I have had difficulty writing this next post about Portugal - you'll see why as you read on.  I last left you in Guimaraes, from where we travelled south to Porto, capital of the north.

Porto is so down-at-heel that it is difficult to generate enough enthusiasm to look past the derelict buildings and weedy landscapes to see the good bits. 

The weather was around 18°C with 97% humidity which I find very uncomfortable - cool and clammy. In addition, we were watching Aljazeera English television coverage of the European refugee situation and there was no good news there either.

In fact, when we headed off on the sightseeing bus to get a first look at this old city of Porto, clinging to the sides of the Duoro River, I came home without one single photograph. Nothing had inspired me to even take my camera out of my bag.  

A second visit to the old city centre elicited one photograph.

This is the main historical city square.  The trucks are setting up a stage for an outdoor concert.  I am standing at the bus stop. Opposite me are two very large buildings, the one on the left with beautiful traditional features, but abandoned and falling to ruin.  The other, on the right, of a different (ugly) era, partially deserted, a few tenants remaining.

Many, many of Porto's old buildings have been boarded up and abandoned.  Some of them of great heritage value, like this one.  

We read articles about the incredible impact of the austerity measures on Portugal. Austerity has created hundreds of empty retail shops, many closed businesses, whole shopping centres given over to other purposes, landlords failing to maintain low-rent properties forcing the poor out into rural areas, a population with little spending money and an economy where a bread roll costs 6 cents.  

But it's not the austerity measures that have caused the abandonment of historical buildings like the one in the photograph above.  This is so widespread, and has been happening for so long, that it must be a cultural thing sanctioned by the local Council.   Where else in the world would local authorities allow building owners to neglect the heritage of a whole city like this?  In many, many places along the beautiful river front, old two and three storey narrow houses were being propped up on wooden struts, braced on the footpath or road - the props themselves having been there so long, they too were crumbling.  I just couldn't believe it.

But I did manage to smile at one charming, if slightly chauvinistic, initiative.

Parking for pregnant women.

And on the other side, parking once the baby had arrived.  

We happily left Porto for the university city of Coimbra, half way between Porto and Lisbon, on the Mondego river. 

Coimbra is a medieval town and we stayed among the steep, narrow streets in a tall, narrow building which you can see in the top centre of this photograph taken from the lower square. The chairs next to the fountain are for a concert that evening but rain clouds are gathering.

The concert got a little damp, but not sufficient to abandon the performance.

Looking from our window, you can clearly see the square where the concert was held.

Every road and pathway is steep.

This small alcove near the museum was completely tiled in old, reclaimed tiles from buildings that were no longer standing.  A nice way to remember.

We met Nuno on our way to dinner.  He was a history student in his final year at the University, adding to his pocket money and practicing his English by talking Coimbraian history to tourists in the square and selling personally designed postcards. Charming!  

Oh, my new friends are all from Western Australia, Maree, Claire and Caz. We found ourselves staying in the same apartment building. I haven't talked so much for months.  They are heading north; we are heading south. 

Happy travels!