Day 188: Sintra

Today we took a day trip to the city of Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to UNESCO, “In the 19th century Sintra became the first centre of European Romantic architecture. Ferdinand II turned a ruined monastery into a castle where this new sensitivity was displayed in the use of Gothic, Egyptian, Moorish and Renaissance elements and in the creation of a park blending local and exotic species of trees.”

On a mountain top, stands the Palace de Pena, sanctioned by King Ferdinand II and Queen Maria II for their home. It is now one of the most visited sites in Portugal and used by the government today for national addresses or meetings. It’s possible to taxi and bus up to the palace, but there is also a hike. The catch is that the hike is straight up hill and stairs. We power climbed up to the castle to make our 12:30 entry time.

The castle was astonishing with colorful tiles and architecture from Moorish times. They also had original furniture and fabrics from 1908. On the outside, it’s possible to hug the walls around tight bends while marveling at the nature and ocean. y
You just can’t beat combining yellow, pink, and blue colors on a castle with tiles and archways.

After touring the castle, we hiked down much slower and actually got to enjoy the view. They had flowers and waterfalls built along the path in the Vila Sassetti. The village of Sintra is also cute with colorful houses and tiles. We tried sour cherry liquor (ginja) in a chocolate cup and port.

Around 5pm, we trained home on our very last Eurorail train 😢😢😢 it’s been an amazing 90 Days with unlimited trains and we will miss the convience this pass brought us. Attached data related to our travels if anyone is interested.

Restaurant: Tulhas

Food:
Octopus
Iberico Grilled Pork
Tomato Salad

Spots:
Sintra
Palace e Parque de Peña
Vila SassettiRead more