Portugal April 2009

Lisbon and Sintra – April 2009

Steve and I spent Easter weekend in Lisbon and Sintra Portugal. I sent out a link to the photos shortly after we returned (click here to see them again plus a few more that we just added). Finally, here is the narrative to go along with the pictures.

Our trip to Portugal was a chance for both of us the experience a new place. Neither of us had been to Portugal and we were excited to finally be going. It did not disappoint. We saw beautiful churches, glorious castles, mysterious palaces, gorgeous tiled buildings, and funky old rattling trams and funiculars.

We spent the first two days exploring Lisbon. We must have walked a marathon in those two days, but it was hard to stop when there was so much to see. Our first day included a walk from our hotel to the Castelo de Sao Jorge. Along the way we saw the beautiful cobblestones of Rossio Square, the many shops and restaurants along Rua Augusta, the statues of the Arco do Triunfo, the cloisters of the oldest cathedral (Sé) in Lisbon, and the conveniently located (if you are a man) sidewalk urinal. The castle was magnificent and we had lots of fun exploring. It is a good thing we worked up an appetite, because dinner was a huge seafood extravaganza. Steve had an amazing platter of grilled seafood and I had a lovely Portuguese stew with cod (bacalhau) and rice. Believe it or not, we needed more walking after our huge meal. We walked to Rossio Square and found a long line of people waiting to be served something being poured from a large unmarked bottle in to a little plastic cup. According to our guide book, it was the local cherry brandy (ginjinha). We had some; it was good!

Our adventures on day two included gathering picnic items and walking to the botanical gardens and the aqueduct. That evening we had an amazing crab dinner at Cervejaria de Trindade, a former monastery turned in to a beer hall. We liked this place so much, we went back again two nights later.

We took a train to Sintra on the third day. Sintra is enchanting. One of the main attractions in Sintra is the Castelo dos Mouros, located high up on a big hill. Steve convinced me that we should walk up to the castle from town. I grumbled a bit, but went along with it and I am so glad we walked! It was much, much better than taking the crowded bus. The castle was fascinating and really a privilege to see. A short walk away was the Palacio de Pena. It is an extravagant, pink and pastel palace, located even higher up on the big hill. It was built to be a summer palace for a former king and queen. The building combines many different styles and includes carvings and statues of mythical creatures. I am sad to say that I forgot to charge the camera battery the night before, so we did not take many pictures of the Palacio de Pena.

We could not restrain ourselves from taking pictures at the next place we went, so we resorted to using our cell phones to try to capture the amazing things we saw at the Quinta da Regaleira. The pictures aren't great quality, but the memories are amazing. The Quinta da Regaleira estate was built in 1892. The main house (palace) has an incredibly detailed Gothic façade; from a distance it looks like a drip sand castle. Each room inside is decorated in a different theme. Nearby is the chapel, which also has a Gothic façade and many fascinating things to see inside. But, the real fun and mystery is in the gardens. As we entered the estate we saw that several people had flashlights with them and we didn’t understand why since the sign said the place closed before dark. We soon learned that a flashlight would indeed have been nice to have (a useful tip to include in a guide book!!). Once again, our cell phones came in handy; we used the lighted displays to illuminate the path when it got too dark to see our hands or feet. Throughout the gardens are towers, bridges, stepping stones across ponds, hidden doorways, stairways to nowhere, and long, dark, dark tunnels. Unfortunately a young girl did not find the stepping stones across the pond as wonderful as we did. We think she inadvertently stepped off of a stone on to the “grass” and was very surprised to sink. We did not see it happen, but we pieced together the scene from what we heard - happy chattering, then a splash, and then screams from both the mom and the girl. Then, we saw a sad, dripping-wet girl being admonished and dragged back to the car. We were so delighted to come upon Quinta da Regaleira and know next to nothing about it; everything was a great surprise. (Sorry if I ruined it for any of you who might go there someday. It is still worth the trip because you have to see it for yourself.)

Belem and the much sought after Belem tart were the focus of our fourth and last day in Portugal. We had hoped to go to the maritime museum in Belem, but it was closed. We meandered through town and saw the Belem Tower and the Padrao dos Descobrimentos (a monument to exploration and discovery). Before heading back to Lisbon we got Belem tarts at the Antiga Confetaria de Belem. A little nibble of heaven.