April 2022  : AAA trip to Coimbra and Lamego

This trip, originally planned for April 2020, was thrice postponed due to Covid, but was now finally possible 2 years later in April 2022. Covid, however, still caused 2 participants to have to cancel at the last moment leaving us with 20 participants.
On the way up to Coimbra we stopped at Condeixa-a-Nova where we had a guided visit of the PO.RO.S museum.

After the visit we continued to Coimbra where we checked-in in a central located hotel.
This museum gives and overview of how the various aspects of Roman life and society were organized, with special emphasis on Conímbriga and the Sico region. https://www.poros.pt/
The next morning we went to the Roman City of Conímbriga where we had a guided visit of the Roman site and the adjoining museum. We started at the museum where there is a model of the forum and artefacts found at the site.

After the museum we visited the archaeological site of Conímbriga which is one of the largest Roman settlements in Portugal. It is estimated that only less than 20% of the city has been excavated.

The site was already inhabited at the copper and bronze age. The Romans arrived in the 2nd century BC and brought with them the elements of building and civil engineering. The city began to thrive and expand but in the 3rd C AD the imperium was invaded by barbaric tribes. In Conímbriga part of the city was abandoned and a big wall erected to project the remaining part of the city. After the occupation by the Visigoths there remained some habitation but the majority of the people moved to the former Roman city of Aeminium (the current Coimbra) when the bishop moved the Seat to this town in the 5th/6h C.
After a delicious lunch at the restaurant of the Conímbriga site we visited in Coimbra the Museum Machado. It is housed in the former Bishop's palace which was built on the site where the forum of the Roman city Aeminium stood. We visited the remains of the forum (the Cryptoporticus) on the lower floors of the museum.




After the museum we visited the city individually and some went also to a performance of Coimbra Fado.
The next day we left for the journey to Lamego by way of the Arouca area. During a coffee stop in Arouca itself we dropped in the church of the monastery of Arouca. We then headed for the vilage of Canelas where, after a sumptuous lunch, we visited the museum of the Giant Trilobites. These giant trilobite fossils are found inside the slates in this area and this private museum results from the interest for these trilobites by the owner of a local slate quarry. Trilobites lived 450M years ago, and their fossils are normally less than 10cm long. These ones found here can arrive to about 90cm.
The next day we had a guided visit of Lamego, which is a city with origins before the Roman occupation. We visited the old city including the Cathedral, the Castle, the Cistern, and the Archaeological site. We then visited the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios and its fantastic view over the city and surrounding mountains. Unfortunately the museum of Lamego was closed for refurbishments.
In addition we visited the Caves Raposeira, one of Portugal's major producers of sparkling wine (Espumante).



On our last day, while traveling back to the Algarve we visited the Leiria Castle, built by Prince Afonso Henriques, future first king of Portugal. The castle had a key military role in consolidating the Southbound advance of Christians in Portugal. Later it was occupied by many Portuguese kings.
In the afternoon we visited the Centre of Iberian Masks at Lazarim - CIMI. Many villages in Northeast of Portugal, are known for the very long tradition (some say Celtic origin) of wooden mask building to be used in Carnival.