All tagged Coimbra

We had talked about traveling to Portugal for at least 15 years, often as possible winter destination.  Like everyone else, we always seemed to go elsewhere--Paris, London, Rome, Vienna, Prague, Istanbul, Madrid, and Moscow, among others.  I can't say that was a mistake--each  is a worthwhile destination--but so is Portugal.

Coimbra

We spent most of our time exploring the older buildings, including St. Michael's Chapel and the Biblioteca Joanina, which is consistently ranked one of the most beautiful libraries in the world.   It contains somewhere between 40,000 and 60,000 books, depending on who is counting.  Many are in Latin, Greek and Hebrew.  Most are notable for their ornamental bindings and coverings.