Lisbon, Day 2

Our excursion today was a five-hour trip to Sintra. We visited the Quelez Palacio and finished with a scenic drive down the Portugal coast.

One of the last great Rococo buildings built in Europe, the Palace was conceived as a summer retreat for King Joseph I’s brother Peter of Brangaza, who later became husband to Queen Maria I. (The Palace eventually became a place of incarceration for her when she became mentally ill.) The Palace became the official residence of Prince Regent John. So many beautiful rooms, paintings and a lovely chapel.

We then visited the charming town of Sintra. We were given one hour to wander through the quaint, narrow and steep hilly streets dotted with lots of shops and restaurants. We had a light lunch of sandwiches and famous pastels de nata (custard tarts) – so delicious. We also had Sintra’s famous pillow shaped travesselros (made with puff pastry, egg yolks, almonds and sugar) and some lattes.

Sintra was delightful but very crowded. Today was a national holiday, and there were many tourists and locals who perused the hilly, narrow streets. So cute and welcoming!

We left Sintra, taking the Portugal Rivera coast route back to Lisbon.Read more