Coimbra tem encanto

Today I'm going to show you some photos of Coimbra, an historical city which is located over a hill by the Mondego river, in central Portugal.

Coimbra is amazing and you can breed its history all over the place. Walk in the streets, seek for the monuments and finally, sit by the river and enjoy the view. At night, search for the Tunas (students musical groups) and hear its music...They will sing a serenade just for you...and then Fado de Coimbra will make you cry.

The intense cultural life centered on the university, one of the oldest in Europe, attracts every year students from all over the country and many international students.

Did you know that Coimbra served as the capital of Portugal, from 1131 to 1255? Or should I say Kingdom of Portugal, since I’m talking about our first king D. Afonso Henriques? Cool, right? The architecture is a result of many influences, considering, for example, that Visigoths, Moors and Germanic people invaded the city before the Christian reconquest.

Back in the Middle Ages, Coimbra was divided into an upper city (Cidade Alta or Almedina), where the aristocracy and the clergy lived, and the low city (Cidade Baixa) near the Mondego margins, where the people lived and the most part of commercial activities took place.

I took some photos at the baixa of Coimbra as I was waiting for my ride. I hope you enjoy it.

Portugal is really beautiful and magic; there is always a story behind each city, each monument, each corner. Be proud! I am proud!

Kiss, kiss

JB*

one month ago.

It’s tough being an emigrant!
Everytime I go to Portugal is such a blast! I always want to do so many things: visiting so many places I miss, eating all my favorite dishes, hugging and kissing my beloved ones…and yet, the time flies and there is always something left to do... When I arrive in Portugal I just don’t care about jet lag, you know, I simply don’t have the time for it! I’m always so excited that my body almost forgets that I've just slept a couple of hours. Unfortunately, my clock doesn't care about this excitement and steals 5 precious hours in Portugal.

This year, it was even more difficult to manage my time specially because Christmas and the Revellion were at weekend! However, I did visit my favorite cities!! I went to see my sister in Coimbra and my friends (and my boss) in Braga. I wish I took some more photos though… And I’m sorry Aveiro but I just didn’t have the time to take photos at your beautiful Ria.
The next collage of photos is just a little smell of my holidays back in Portugal; as you can see, I've manage to take photos of some great portuguese food that you would certainly enjoy :D .

Now, I'm back to the lab..and back to the gym too! hehe
Enjoy!

Kiss,kiss
JB*

January's quote

I need some inspiration

Hey guys!

Excited for 2012? We all know that this year will be quite tough! We need to be strong, to fight and survive in this world in crisis. More than ever we need to stand out; there is no time to be regular: be extraordinaire!

I arrived this week in Richmond and I was so jet-lagged, I felt asleep almost everywhere. I’m recovering, though…

However, I'm feeling a lack of inspiration. Somehow, I decided to get inspired by those animals I saw at the zoo. And you have to agree with me: feathers, patterns, colors… such a blessed creation.

Kiss,kiss
JB*