Portugal Day 3 – Sintra and Lisbon

Our morning began boarding our very comfortable transport for the one hour trip to the National Palace of Pena located just outside of the historical town of Sintra, located in turn about an hour outside Lisbon.  The site is an old one with the first recorded building a chapel built in the 12th C dedicated to Our Lady of Pena. Later a monastery was constructed on the same site. Despite receiving heavy damage following the earthquake of 1755, the monastery continued until the year 1834 when all religious orders in Portugal were abolished.The site then caught the eye of Ferdinand – king consort of Queen Maria II –  who purchased the site and surrounding areas. The Park of Pena still has traces of the pre-castle era, for example, the Grotto of the Monk, the place where the monks went into secluded retreat.

The original goal was to restore the ruins as a summer residence  for the royal family in an area where winds off the Atlantic Ocean ameliorated the humid summer temperatures. However the romantic style of art and architecture at that time, coupled with the medieval imagery in fashion, led to the creation of what is known now as the Palace of Pena. Something that looks like a medieval fairy tale with a touch of the gothic, moorish and Lord of the Rings thrown into the mix.  The palace is surrounded by a magnificent arboretum containing trees and plants from all over the world including California Redwoods and many species of Camellias. Members of the royal family lived in the Palace until 1910 when it was classified as a National Monument. In 1995 it was classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

We reached the site after a climb from the parking lot and spent a couple of hours exploring its nooks and crannies. 

The Moorish inspired handmade tiles everywhere on the walls caught my eye.

As did the intricacy of the ceiling and wall decorations in some of the chambers inside the palace.

The walk through the castle ended up the large area kitchen, complete with two antique cookstoves plus utensils and pots and pans.

On the way down some group members stopped for an ice cream before making the final descent to the parking lot.

Following our return to Lisbon and a brief rest, a small group of us took a final sunset meander around the old town, soaking up the vibe and the sunset. Our first visit was to Igreja de Sao Domingos. On my previous visit I had been unable to take photos as a Mass was going on. Today was different and the original portions of the building that survived the earthquake were there to be seen in all their glory. Along the way we encountered some vertigo inducing tiles – yes that is a flat surface….

Our journey took us down the long avenue lined with restaurants and shops to the City Gate of Lisbon. The area beyond the gate borders on the Tagus River and it was to this flat area that many people fled in the earthquake of 1755 to escape falling debris. This was a time before any understanding of post earthquake Tsunamis: the one that arrived after shortly following the earthquake resulted in a considerable loss of life.

The area this evening 250 + years later is quite different: the river teeming with sailboats, ferries and freighters coming into port, children and adults enjoying the promenade and the beach. An unexpected extra was an amazing sand carver !

A climb up to the Castle to view the sunset using the elevator system in the city was an extra treat and provided us with some lovely photo ops.

A perfect end to a perfect day was an excellent seafood dinner. Salmon Tartar with mango and avocado paired with a green salad and an excellent Portuguese white.

Tomorrow we head to Evora!