I am looking for locations of these photos of my grandmother in Portugal in the 1946-1950 time frame. My father was born in Lisbon in 1947, and I am finally taking a trip to see where he started his life.

There are several photos with her in the same shirt on a bicycle trip. One of the most specific would be the sign that says how far Coimbra & Penacova are from her location.

Any help finding any of these locations so that I might be able to take the same bike ride my grandmother did. I am heading to Portugal in a month, for a month to finally do this trip I’ve been dreaming of since I was kids and first found these photos.

by Wheneyedo

8 comments

  1. Pretty sure number 11 was taken in Castelo de Santarém: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Castelo+de+Santar%C3%A9m/@39.233868,-8.6751936,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipPIkVWNlDoW7nmPZA7a4JJZuuc_FkAMRMVW-61h!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPIkVWNlDoW7nmPZA7a4JJZuuc_FkAMRMVW-61h%3Dw203-h152-k-no!7i4608!8i3456!4m7!3m6!1s0xd18ef60b6fac6c5:0x67e2d3c6d8bb90f0!8m2!3d39.233868!4d-8.6751936!10e5!16s%2Fm%2F0h63cyg?entry=ttu

    Others feel familiar but I can’t pin point where.

    Edit: Number 9 is in Mirante Emygdio da Silva in Penacova
    https://maps.app.goo.gl/MLp7qi7eYutU9mJA8

  3. I am pretty sure some of these pics are in Penacova, taken from the viewpoint next to the hotel or the one in the village center, it must be the Mondego river.

    The sign, being equidistant to Penacova and Lousã, and only 7 km from Coimbra, sort of indicates it might be the N17 road, it might be in the junction of Portela, at the entrance of the city. The road is also known as Estrada da Beira because it connects Coimbra to the interior region of Beira and indeed was a major connection to Celourico/Vilar Formoso for those going to Spain, before we had the IP3.

    Infrastructure changed a lot in Portugal since then so I can’t say for sure, but it’s definitely in the Coimbra district.

  4. 10 is Queluz Palace

    16 Jardim do Campo Grande… that lake and fence it gives me same vibe.

    [https://www.google.com/maps/@38.7559171,-9.1534647,3a,75y,41.5h,93.78t/data=!3m11!1e1!3m9!1sAF1QipPdCSIsKCyW5FO3Gtu6MaLhoAZbNwg-Jf6jKpOs!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPdCSIsKCyW5FO3Gtu6MaLhoAZbNwg-Jf6jKpOs%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya182.51447-ro-0-fo100!7i7200!8i3600!9m2!1b1!2i43?ucbcb=1&entry=ttu](https://www.google.com/maps/@38.7559171,-9.1534647,3a,75y,41.5h,93.78t/data=!3m11!1e1!3m9!1saf1qippdcsiskcyw5fo3gtu6malhoazbnwg-jf6jkpos!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2f%2flh5.googleusercontent.com%2fp%2faf1qippdcsiskcyw5fo3gtu6malhoazbnwg-jf6jkpos%3dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya182.51447-ro-0-fo100!7i7200!8i3600!9m2!1b1!2i43?ucbcb=1&entry=ttu)

  5. 12 is Portas do Sol in Santarém. That bridge is Dom Luís bridge connecting Santarém to Almeirim

  6. OP, looks like your grandmother did a road trip following the Mondego river, from Penela, passing by Coimbra, and finishing in Figueira da foz (by the beach – picture 11).

    ​

    I managed to find the location of picture 9 – [https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mirante+Emygdio+da+Silva+ou+Em%C3%ADdio+da+Silva/@40.2703123,-8.276776,199m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m20!1m13!4m12!1m6!1m2!1s0xd22e1b8bb66f613:0x72091d6c760ee1aa!2sPortela,+Penacova!2m2!1d-8.1929678!2d40.3234266!1m4!2m2!1d-8.443685!2d40.574734!4e1!3m5!1s0xd22e36e2e08a2df:0x30910c7ebf8277b6!8m2!3d40.2702875!4d-8.2765781!16s%2Fg%2F11c0pt6nz2?hl=pt-PT&entry=ttu](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mirante+Emygdio+da+Silva+ou+Em%C3%ADdio+da+Silva/@40.2703123,-8.276776,199m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m20!1m13!4m12!1m6!1m2!1s0xd22e1b8bb66f613:0x72091d6c760ee1aa!2sPortela,+Penacova!2m2!1d-8.1929678!2d40.3234266!1m4!2m2!1d-8.443685!2d40.574734!4e1!3m5!1s0xd22e36e2e08a2df:0x30910c7ebf8277b6!8m2!3d40.2702875!4d-8.2765781!16s%2Fg%2F11c0pt6nz2?hl=pt-PT&entry=ttu)

    ​

    Picture 5, not sure but close enough –

    [https://www.google.com/maps/place/Rio+Mondego+Travessia+das+Tropas/@40.274515,-8.2721951,18z/data=!4m20!1m13!4m12!1m6!1m2!1s0xd22e1b8bb66f613:0x72091d6c760ee1aa!2sPortela,+Penacova!2m2!1d-8.1929678!2d40.3234266!1m4!2m2!1d-8.443685!2d40.574734!4e1!3m5!1s0xd22e350b7d9507b:0xac8e77a1f7ba0d0e!8m2!3d40.274515!4d-8.2721951!16s%2Fg%2F11s416m96d?hl=pt-PT&entry=ttu](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Rio+Mondego+Travessia+das+Tropas/@40.274515,-8.2721951,18z/data=!4m20!1m13!4m12!1m6!1m2!1s0xd22e1b8bb66f613:0x72091d6c760ee1aa!2sPortela,+Penacova!2m2!1d-8.1929678!2d40.3234266!1m4!2m2!1d-8.443685!2d40.574734!4e1!3m5!1s0xd22e350b7d9507b:0xac8e77a1f7ba0d0e!8m2!3d40.274515!4d-8.2721951!16s%2Fg%2F11s416m96d?hl=pt-PT&entry=ttu)

    ​

    As someone said already this might be harder now because infrastructures changed a lot. Nonetheless good luck and have fun!

Leave a Reply