Sintra Real - Royal Sintra

  Sintra, Portugal
Friday, October 13, 2006

Sétimo día
Sexta 13
Today we visit Sintra. Powerful motorcycles roar all around us. We learn that tomorrow the European Motorcycle Championships will be held in Cascais. There is not a hotel room available. How lucky we are to have our apartment.  

As we enter Sintra, we have great difficulty finding parking, and realise there are lots more people than we have seen up to now on our travels. Our first visit is to the National Palace.

1. National Palace, Sintra

For a small country, there are an awful lot of palaces. There are three just here in Sintra. This is the original royal palace, which housed the family for 500 years until they were ousted by the republicans in 1910. It is of course elaborate, as all palaces are, with outstanding views, and a stupendous kitchen where whole cows could be roasted on a spit, and which has the biggest chimneys I've seen anywhere.  These huge cone-like structures give the palace its distinctive appearance.

2. View of Sintra. Moorish castle on the skyline.

After a lovely picnic overlooking the palace, we wait at the bus stop for the shuttle service that will take us to Palacio da Pena. We wait and wait and wait. Even the locals are getting antsy. The bus has a set timetable, but ours arrives a full 30 minutes late. It is packed to the gills, and we have to stand. Shouts of protest follow us as we pass three more stops with long queues of frustrated passengers without pausing. After having waited so long and then have the bus drive right by, must have been awfully exasperating. In other countries they might have put on additional service, but this is Portugal. Probably no one told the bus company that there was a big European championship this weekend. The hill up to the palace is extremely steep with multiple hairpin curves, and we wonder how the groaning vehicle will be able to make it to the top in such an overloaded state. The short 10-minute ride costs us a princely € 3.85 to boot. Shame!  

3. Palacio de Pena

The palace sits 500 metres high atop a mountain with extensive views over Lisbon, the Tagus Estuary and the Atlantic Ocean and is spectacular. Also a royal residence, it was built between 1840 and 1885 by a romantic German prince influenced by King Ludwig's spectacular castle at Neuschwanstein in Bavaria. It's a mix-mux of styles, Gothic, Renaissance, Moorish, Manueline, and a touch of Disneyesque.

4. Curious Miryam on the walk back to town

Rather than take the abominable bus back to the city centre, we decide to hike down through the woods past the Moorish Castle. A brilliant idea recommended by Rick Steves. It's a lovely walk, and we re-enter the city through lanes and alleys, passing by romantic gardens and attractive residences. Back in town, we enjoy a beer with all the other tourists.

5. A welcome break in Sintra

We are surprised to see that the waiter has to cross the street with the drinks to where we are sitting. We hope he doesn't get run over with our beverages.