The Harry Potter of Portugal...University of Coimbra

Next on our list was the University of Coimbra. Grandma was very excited about the University's library! I can imagine if Grandma had grown up in Portugal, she would have gone to The University of Coimbra. It is the country's greatest university over the past five centuries. It is also, as my Grandmother points out, the oldest. Well, it is debatable. It competes with Oxford and Harvard. It sits on top of a large hill looking down to the city below.
Grandma described the town as being rich with history as well as the university's traditions. She explained that the students used to wear capes everywhere they went. We all perked up and said, "Like in Harry Potter?" Rui our driver said, they still wear their capes on special occasions. We were all hooked!
We all walked through the impressive gates of the university and immediately looked for tickets to go see the legendary library. The library dates back to the early 1200's. Grandma described the library having many levels and there were ladders that you could climb so you could reach the top of the book shelf. The ladder had wheels that made it very mobile so it could jump from bookshelf to bookshelf. It was something right out of Beauty and the Beast.
We rang the door bell to the library, yes you had to ring a door bell, and a cute little Portuguese gentleman let us in. He took a liking to Sarah Grace because she was so excited about the ringing of the bell. He showed us another bell that was on the table. It was a small bell that when the students were studying they would ring when they needed something. There was absolutely no talking in the library so instead they would ring bells and then write down what they needed. The library contained a great deal of books! We were told that the oldest book was from 1100! It was a book about marriage or how to be a good woman. Interesting...
Sarah Grace secretly took some amazing pictures of the library and then we quickly made a get away. We could see the joy in Grandma's face as we exited the library. She does love books. She has made a list of all the books she has ever read since 1975 when she retired from teaching! I can only hope to read that list some day.
We then visited the University Chapel where a lovely woman greeted us who was crocheting. The entire chapel was filled with tile and gold. It was a quaint little chapel and is still used to this day.
We then all decided to walk back to the car and there we found Rui asleep in the front seat. It had been a long day. :)
We drove to Viseo where we were welcomed by a beautiful hotel with a garden and a swimming pool. Before dinner Sarah Grace and Rachel took a dip in the pool. As usual they had the best dinner! Viseo is known for their beans and rice and it was delicious!!! Grandma could not resist having some Creme Brulee for dessert.
Tomorrow is a very important day. We are about to embark on a journey in search for our relatives' villages in the mountains. We are sure to have quite the adventure!