A Day in Sintra

We rode the city bus on a winding narrow road up the steep hillside to Pena Palace on the top of the hill. Beautiful green, semitropical forest and trails going everywhere. The palace location is spectacular. It looks over Lisbon, the ocean, the countryside, and the surrounding hills. The palace is of course, amazing. The crowds and feeling of being herded, less so. Those darn tourists! We are starting to have the conclusion that places near or in large cities are a trade off between coolness and crowdedness.

Had another great dinner. Octopus for me and fish for Debbie. A big difference between Spanish and Portuguese cuisine is Portuguese has vegetables. In Spain most of the dishes are meat or fish, with fries. Other than an “ensalada mixta”, a very common, very consistent, and quickly very boring salad of iceberg lettuce, canned corn, carrots, egg, and canned tuna, it’s hard to find any vegetables when dining out in Spain. We have been reveling in well cooked vegetable sides with our meals since getting to Portugal. OK, enough whining!
Positive Note: The rumors about Portuguese pastries being exceptional are understated!Read more