Sé Velha Cathedral is Something Old While Sé Nova is Something “New”
At 900 years old, the Sé Velha cathedral is one of the oldest structures in modern-day Portugal. Likewise, Sé Nova is relatively new, being only 400 years old. The city of Coimbra, Portugal, is chock-full of history. It has been a pleasure to get to know some of that history. Take today, for example. A group I’m involved in, The Curious Knights of Coimbra, did an excursion to Sé Velha (old cathedral) and Sé Nova (new cathedral). Let me tell you about this fascinating history. Sé Velha, formally known as the Cathedral of Santa Maria de Coimbra The Cathedral The old cathedral dates from the 12th Century with the cloister…
The Tragic Love Story of Pedro and Inês
The story of Pedro and Inês is a real-life “Romeo and Juliet” based in Portugal. Much like in Shakespeare’s tale, two lovers are forbidden to marry, only this story involves the future king of Portugal. Who Are the Main Players in This Tragedy? The Infante D. Pedro D. Pedro was born in Coimbra, Portugal, on 8 April 1320, He was the fourth of seven children of Infante D. Afonzo and his wife, Beatriz of Castile. Pedro’s older brothers, D. Afonso and D. Dinis, his younger brother, D. João, and younger sister, D. Isabel, died in childhood, making D. Pedro heir to the throne. D. Pedro loved parties and music and…
The Legend of the Barcelos Rooster
If you travel to Portugal, you will find the Barcelos rooster in many places, especially in tourist shops. It’s a national symbol of Portugal. But how did a rooster become a symbol of Portugal and what is its meaning? The Barcelos Rooster Legend During the Middle Ages, a robbery was committed in the town of Barcelos in northern Portugal. There were no suspects to the crime. Around the same time, a pilgrim from Spain was traveling through the area. The townspeople suspected him of committing the crime despite the pilgrim’s pleas of innocence. He was arrested, brought before the judge, and convicted. When the pilgrim was about to be hanged,…
How to Prepare to Move Pets to Portugal
My family needs to move our pets to Portugal. We will have a cat and a dog arriving a few months apart, but the process is the same for both. In this article, I focus on moving dogs and cats to Portugal from the United States. I do not talk about exotic animals or moving from any other country. Pets are family members. Just as with humans, pets need preparation to move to another country. They require specific paperwork to enter the country legally. And if the pet isn’t used to travel, give special care to prepare them for such a big trip. Booking Your Flight Check with your chosen…
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Have you ever wondered what the cost of medication in Portugal is? I had heard it was much lower than in the United States, but I didn’t anticipate finding out just how much lower while on a scouting trip. While stuck in a hotel room in Lisbon because of Covid, I ran out of my medication. I had packed enough for our 8-day trip to Coimbra, but I did not anticipate getting Covid on this trip. My First Attempt at Getting Medications I have diabetes, depression, and thyroid issues. It’s important to stay on top of my medications and take them regularly. Unfortunately, I ran out. So I did what…
