Hi,
Today Opal and I went with Annie and Hilary to Coimbra to see more gardens. Chris did not come with because he is in Carrollton, getting ready to start a new job. Here’s wishing him the best for that adventure!
The first place we stopped was Jardins da Quinta das Lágrimas (5HX7+FW Coimbra). This is a privately owned garden attached to a hotel. The charge to get into the garden is 3 Euros, and Opal was greeted with enthusiasm. Dogs are allowed into the garden, but saying that does not do justice to the welcome that Opal received. The lady running the café and entrance counter was very loving to Opal, and we had a few minutes discussing how beautiful Opal is and also learning about the lady’s dogs. This will be off set later. Keep reading.
The garden here is built around a noble’s estate (the hotel) and lands where Crown Prince Pedro and Inês de Castro had their forbidden love affair. Poor Inês is said to have been killed at the Fonte das Lágrimas (the fountain of tears) because of her growing influence over the prince. It’s an interesting story. Sad, but the story still resonates after all these years.
The gardens are very peaceful, and we enjoyed wandering the trails and taking in the calm surroundings. I would happily go back and visit again.
The second place we went was Mosteiro de Santa Clara-a-Velha (6H38+4J Coimbra). This ruins of a gothic monastery is impressive. Unfortunately, it is currently closed for repairs. But when it opens again (we walked around the outside but could not get into the inside) it will be fun to revisit.
So, I promised an off-set to Opals’ welcome at the garden of Lágrimas. Well, the monastery was fine. But the gardens in front of the monastery had lovely little seed pods on the grasses, which Opal ran through in search of sniffs. She wound up with a face and chest covered in green seed pods that had no intention of letting go of her fur. No worries. We had a brush in the car. But between the garden and the car, we stopped for a snack at a café. Tons of people approached (it was on a busy street) and many looked like they wanted to pet Opal, but when they got close enough to see the green seeds all over Opal’s face, they reconsidered. No pets for Opal. How sad.
Plus, Portugal dos Pequenitos (6H28+W6 Coimbra), which looked intriguing and was just across the street from the café, did not allow dogs inside. Now, I was tired by that point of the day, so I wasn’t too upset, but I do regret not seeing the monuments inside. We saw the tops of them as we walked past the enclosing wall, but it would have been great to be able to get inside. Oh, well.
All in all, it was a nice afternoon. We all enjoyed ourselves, and Opal eventually was brushed and cleaned so that the next time she steps outside, she will receive all the pets and hugs that she deserves.
Nola