Sintra

When we chatted with the local restaurant owner at lunch that we went up and down hills, he said “welcome to Sintra”. Indeed the city is on a hill and with curvy paths that felt like being on a roller coaster at times…but it was wonderful and magical!

Sintra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has a great number of preserved or classified architectural buildings. So after our hotel breakfast, we left our charming hotel where I watched a beautiful sunrise and we listened to chirping birds. Here’s a collage of the morning:



We were told we could find tuk tuks just down the road and in front of Sintra palace. Unfortunately there were none, so we called an Uber who drove us across the hill on the one way route which took us about 20 minutes and dropped us off at The Pena Palace - a national monument and representative of Romanticism. We had timed entry tickets and had also purchased the bus transport up the hill which was also open air per Tresa’s demonstration:



The palace is colorfully painted and is going through some restoration. Some photos from our visit:

Here’s Mary Ann on a turret and she also took a photo of me on a landing:





You can see the western coast of Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean from the castle and as we posed beneath the arches:





There was an ornate chapel with bright stained glass. One of the windows depicted Vasco do Gama in front of the Belem tower which we visited just a few days ago...





We enjoyed a quick drink at the café where our moms were sporting sunglasses, looking cool with local drinks such as a Portugal Pepsi!



We then entered the palace to see the interiors and the impressive furniture and decor!













As we headed down the hill on the bus, we met some Americans originally from Oregon who were very friendly. We exchanged local tips and itineraries. They said they were going to visit the Montserrat Park and we peeked into the garden and walked down to the road. Here’s a view of the palace from the road:



And here’s us on the road trying to evaluate how to get to the next destination, the Moorish Castle. Unfortunately, none of the taxi or tuk tuk drivers would take us as it was too close and going backwards on the one way road. So we walked slowly as we were in no rush.



Our next Sintra stop was Castle of the Moors built during the 8th and 9th century, and situated on a hilltop. There’s a bit of a walk to the main castle from the road, but we enjoyed the views on this beautiful day! We then climbed part of the castle wall and to the top!

Mary Ann and me in front of the flag of Portugal and at the top:

We then headed down as we negotiated narrow walkways and tried not to photobomb others:





Mama Kim also took photos of us going down as she did not go to the very top…



We then climbed into a Jeep to descend the hill and to find lunch in town. We learned our driver is from the north, but moved to Sintra after meeting his finacée online and who was from Sintra. He recommended a few restaurants and we decided to try a tapas place - we shared a cheese plate, eggs, and a caprese salad with some light sangria.





We then took a tuk tuk ride to Quinta da Regaleira which is near our hotel and also a famous palace:



The most popular site here though is the Initiation Well which was apparently used for tarot initiation rites. We walked up the hill and winded down the inverted well which was super unique. Mama Kim didn’t know what to expect, but was in awe during the entire experience:





Here’s a selfie looking up from the bottom:



And as we exited, we saw a small waterfall in underground tunnels and grottos and cute ducks in a fountain...





Then we ran into the Oregonians who originally thought this was closed today, but since we let them know it was open, they decided to check it out today. We enjoyed some beverages together and shared foot sizes and discussed working from home life…



As this was the last stop of the day, we then meandered back to our hotel…



We picked up our suitcases, packed our car, and then drove to the plaza to do some light shopping. After our purchases, we drove about an hour east to the airport and checked in at the Meliá Lisboa. Mama Kim was tickled by the hotel decor which included hallway lights and room numbers on the floor - definitely embracing that airport hotel vibe. 

We didn’t stay long as we had reservations at Cantinho do Avillez in the Parque das Nações neighborhood which seemed filled with restaurants and is just 10 minutes away. The neighborhood was also the site of the World Expo in 1998 and would have been cool to check out if it wasn't already so dark. We did see a cable car and a tower apparently named after Vasco do Gama!

The restaurant itself is owned by the famous Jose Avillez who has several Michelin restaurants, but this chain represents his casual fare. We ordered a pork sandwich, 21st century Professor eggs, mushroom risotto, scallop risotto, pork chop, papaya with lime mousse, and a chocolate cake with strawberry ice cream. We paired it with also a full-bodied and brawny red wine from the Douro Valley. A collage below of our meal:



After dinner we walked on the promenade and dropped off most of the crew back at the hotel. Then Tresa and I returned the rental car at the airport and walked back on our last night in Portugal!