Sintra was probably, if not definately, the best part of my time in Lisbon. We took a train from Lisbon to the town of Sintra located near the coast of Portugal. We got lucky with weather, and for the most part it was sunny, with a couple drops of rain here and there. There was a lot to see in Lisbon, and we decided to cover the main areas of Sintra first, and if we had time move further out to the coast.
We took a bus to the Palacio da Pena, which is this beautiful castle which reminded all of us of the fairytale castles you read about. Each section was a bright color, with detailed paintings around the trim. The architecture of the palace itself was incredible. I learned the a duke and his family lived there and until 1910 it was occupied by a family, and later opened to the public. The Palace was surrounded by a very large park, which seemed to be a huge forrest.
We wandered all over the palace, and were in awe of it all. After finishing at the castle, we headed to Quinta de Regaleria, another famous park in Sintra. Once again we all felt as though we were dropped straight into some make believe or magically land. There were trails that went in every which direction, and underground tunnels to explore. There were various towers I got to climb and the view was incredible. We explored an old Portugese castle, which at times was a little scary, gave us a breathtaking view of Sintra.
We made our way through different paths, and finally got to the underground tunnels. We walked through out them and found ourselves at the bottom of an unfinished well. There were stairs around the outside and we made our way to the top. Everything in Sintra was beautiful. It was all fresh, green, and all the people who helped us find our way were so helpful.
Before we knew it the sun was beginning to set, and we decided to head back to Lisbon. After all, it would take us about an hour just to get back. We got back to our hostel, and began to pack up our stuff since we would be leaving early the next morning. After packing we went for dinner adn talked all about the day, and the fact that we could have spent the entire week in Lisbon, it was absolutely fabulous. We tried to go to bed early to get a good nights sleep, and before we knew it we had fallen asleep. Next stop: Madrid, Spain!
Pictures: Sintra, Portugal
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AH! Punya! I think you'll love Madrid, but be prepared: the city is entirely overwhelming because it's so enormous! BUT! If you get the chance, go to the Puerta del Sol and the surrounding area (its great!), or the Museo del Prado or Reina Sofia (if you're into art). :)
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