The 2025 Morgan Europe Trip

 April 28, 2025   The Great Power Outage of Portugal, Spain, and Southwest France! Today was interesting to say the least. We returned to the University of Coimbra once again to go inside the buildings this time. The first time we went up on April 20th, we only saw the outside parts. Here's what the AI on Google said about the palace/university complex. (They are intertwined today.) "Early History (10th Century): The building began as a fortified structure during Islamic rule, serving as the governor's residence in Coimbra. Royal Residence (1131): After the Christian reconquest, it was transformed into the Royal Palace, becoming the first Portuguese royal household and the home of Afonso Henriques, the founding king of Portugal. University Moves In (1544): King John III moved the university permanently to Coimbra, and it was established within the Royal Palace complex, marking a significant shift in the building's purpose. Adaptation and Expansion: The palace was adapt...

 April 27, 2025   Lazy Day Sunday We had a relaxing morning getting up and going because church wasn't until 11am. We crossed the river and went up the hill to return to Santa Clara-a-Nova monastery because we wanted to see the beautiful church in action! It was full, there were bells, and an organ with an enthusiastic choir provided music. Much better than Easter Sunday in the other nearby church! It appeared to us non-Portuguese speakers, that an older couple was renewing their wedding vows at this Mass. You will see a cluster of folks in the photo. I wanted to re-photograph the church with all the lights on.  Santa Clara-a-Nova. They are raising money to refurbish the ceiling. While walking around, we gained access to another random church and snapped some photos. This one used tiles in its artwork. The baptismal font. Beautiful tiles telling Bible stories. From the back of church. The sanctuary. Jesus The pipes for the organ and a beautiful ceiling. We hung out i...