A new gym opened in the city centre this summer, amongst the 17th and 18th-century architecture. First of all, who doesn’t love a brand-new gym? It’s also only a 15-minute walk from our flat.
And so I went for the first time tonight. I feel like my mom (hi mom!) would say that it looks like a nightclub, and I suppose it does, but I love it just the same. I find all the black calming.
Walking home after 9pm, I felt completely safe. The city centre is well lit, but there are also lots of people walking around and eating outside. Feeling safe is one of the top reasons that we moved to Portugal. I can’t tell you how nice it is not to have to listen to weekly (or nightly!) gunshots or worry about being mass murdered by an AK-47.
It’s the first time that I’ve walked around after dark, so I thought I should take some pictures.
This is a grand, 16th-century 4-star hotel. The pharmacy we like to go to is on the left side with the green door. The Church of Santa Cruz a 16th-century church that at one time also included (in adjacent buildings) a hospital, a building for the elderly, and a nursery. The street next to the Church of Santa Cruz.A museum.Unknown what this is. Pedestrian only street. The Sé, which is located in a pedestrian-only area with lots of restaurants. The Arco da Porto Nova (The Arch). Supposedly, this was built without doors to symbolize local openness. A pedestrian area next to the Arch. Notice the dilapidated building between the red and blue one. That is very common to see (something about inheritance rights). A small church down the street from our flat. A dilapidated building around the corner from our flat. There is a preschool on the other side that takes care of a cat colony. There are always cats lounging on this roof. By my count, there are five.While I was at the gym, Sara went on a long walk and got frozen Greek yogurt.
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