One day in Sintra

Moorish castle and Palacio de Pena, above Sintra
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So on my last full day in Portugal, I had a chance to go to one of the '1000 Places to See Before You Die' - Sintra, Portugal. The show was over,  I had packed up my equipment for shipment back to the states, and Sintra was a short train ride from Lisbon - so off I went.

It was my admin. Sally showed me the entry in "1000 places..." and I owe her big time - Sintra was spectacular!   Sintra was the summer retreat for Portuguese royalty for centuary's, and remains a gorgeous escape from the hustle and bustle of Lisbon.  Although very touristy, the town was still delightful!  In the short time I was there I had to choose carefully what sights I visited, and I think I made wise choices.

this is one town that the whole family could enjoy!

The Moorish Castle Ruins, and Palacio de Pena in the background
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First on the list was the 'Moorish castle', ancient 8th centaury ruins overlooking the town.  There was another, more modern palace and park on the adjacent hill (the "Palacio de Pena") but I'm a sucker for old ruins, and these delivered!!  The Moorish castle was actually renovated in the 1700's as a park, so the site today is not 'original', but is amazing none-the-less.  Spectacular views, lots of climbing and scrambling around in a cool green forest, and a nice visit with a young Italian graphic designer (in Portugal for the summer to learn the language) were the highlights of the morning.

Quinta da Regaleira
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Although I took a bus up to the ruins (another wise choice given the red faces and out-of-breath tourists I saw walking up the hill), I walked back down to the center of Sintra, where I finished some knick-knack shopping for the family  and wandered the wonderfully narrow streets.

Then it was off to the Quinta Da Regaleira, a palace built between 1904 and 1910 - the last years of the Portuguese monarchy.  Built around a "Garden of Eden" theme with amazing sculptural detail throughout, every turn provided a new vista, private garden, or unique view.  I did not have time to explore the entire grounds, but what I saw was amazing!  The house and church were architectural wonders - with Baroque style sculpures decorating every concievable surface.  They were connected by tunnels and water filled grottos that in turn emptied into ponds and streams on the grounds,  Add to the beauty some amazing views of the Moorish castle and Palacio de Pena on the overlooking hill, as well as terrific vistas of the entire valley floor below, and I can truly say I have seen nothing like it!

Moorish Castle hanging over Sintra
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Sintra was by far the highlight of the entire trip.  I only had a few hours to explore this town, but I would love to return with Pat and the kids. There were two more palaces, a toy musuem, and shopping and restaruant options that remain unexplored by this traveler.....this is one town that the whole family could enjoy!

Saturday morning and it was a 4am wakeup call to catch a cab to the airport in advance of 16 hours of flights home.  Add not one, but two layovers (Frankfurt and Denver) and it became an incredibly long day.  It is most certainly good to be home!