Portugal: Pena Palace in Sintra

We’re now in Portugal, and it’s our last day of travel with Nance & Sande. We’d arranged a day-long tour to see sights outside of Lisbon and particularly the iconic Pena Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the hills of Sintra town.

A group of 8 of us joined our guide, Alberto, who took us first to the palace, which was occupied by various members of the royalty until the Republican Revolution of 1910. The coup leaders killed the current king, and the rest of the royal family fled in exile. What’s interesting is that it’s evident they really cleared out fast. All the furnishings and decorations are original from the time the family lived there. Queen Amelia’s hair brushes are still laid out on her nightstand.

We carried on with a stop in Sintra village for a coffee break with traditional pastries, and then a drive through the countryside for a traditional Portuguese lunch at a family-run restaurant (seafood is very big here, as you can imagine, being on the Atlantic). Delicious!

After lunch, it was on to the westernmost point of continental Europe, and then to another iconic (although touristic) village of Cascais. It was a great way to wrap up our travels with Nance & Sande and meet some new people, too!Read more