Rainy day at the palace

About 8 Km outside of Lisbon, the Queluz Palace is “Portugal’s Versailles,” much as La Granja is Spain’s. None of the crowds and not as excessively ornate, with gorgeous gardens that we enjoyed when the rain dropped to a drizzle. There’s also a long tiled canal where the royal family used to go boating. The castle was built in the 18C and is full-on baroque/rococo, just a little shabbier than other similar palaces.

There were several Brazilians visiting, and they were very interested to read about where the first Emperor of Brazil, Pedro of Braganca, had come from. In a surprise move, this king declared Brazil’s independence from Portugal, which seems a little counter-intuitive. He then abdicated, making his son the new emperor, and returned to Portugal, where he died in the same Queluz palace room where he was born. As you. might guess, he wasn’t too popular in the circles of those who were in favor of Portugal’s colonial empire.

After a couple of hours there, we went across to the pousada where there is a small bar for those with a sweet tooth and a coffee craving. We stayed in the pousada many years ago, but I had forgotten that it was once a part of the palace complex, the place where the army and some high ranking palace staff lived. It is, like the palace itself, a little bit of a faded lady, but the building is historic and the decor is consistent with the style of Queluz. We had contemplated going on to Sintra, which is just a few more kms along the highway, but the weather refused to cooperate, so we headed back to the hotel, where fitness center and naptime await, one for each of us.Read more