Thurs 9/5/19 – Well to beat the heat today I took a day trip to three different places one of which was in the mountains and a little cooler. I loved this tour group and especially the tour guide. We only had 8 of us in a minivan that felt like a private tour but only cost $65 for an 11 hour tour. You can’t beat that! Fabio, our tour guide, was a young, energetic recent college grad that was very knowledgeable about all the places we visited.
We started out in Sintra. For centuries, Portugal’s aristocracy considered Sintra, just 15 miles northwest of Lisbon, the perfect place to escape from city life. Those with money and a desire to be close to royalty built their palaces there. The main tourist attraction there is the colorful Pena Palace and while we were supposed to see it, we could not due to the extreme heat. Fabio told us that since there’s only one narrow road up to the hill top palace, the authorities closed the road due to risks of forest fires and not being able to get fire trucks up past all the tourist cars and buses. So instead we went to this really cool palace and amazing gardens across town called Quinta da Regaleira. Fabio said the owner was part of the Masons and brought people here to put them thru a survival test to join his order. So we simulated that same test. We had to climb 90 feet down this dark narrow spiral staircase, cross a pond via stepping stones, and navigate thru secret tunnels. We made it so they say all our sins were removed! We also got to drink from the fountain that claimed made you younger so not only am I sin free, I’m a lot younger now. Look out gang!
We also had time to walk thru the cute town of Sintra. It was so much more relaxed than the big city of Lisbon.
We then drove over to Cabo da Roca which is the western most point of mainland Europe. It was a beautiful look out point with heavy waves and a very rocky and high coastline. I thought I was back at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland!
After that, we drove to the seaside resort town of Cascais. It sort of had a Miami/South Beach vibe to it. Very beautiful port/marina and also a quaint little town. Fabio called ahead and got us a table so we could all have a late lunch together. It was a little cooler there so we sat outside and had a great meal. Afterwards we all got gelato and walked around town.
We then drove home to Lisbon and got back around 7 PM. All in all, a great day!
So here’s a summary of the pics. Pics 1-4 are at Sintra. Pic 1 shows the narrow walkways built with tiles like Lisbon. Pic 2 are some of the colorful buildings. Pic 3 is me next to that fountain with the magic water… do I look younger?? Lol. Pic 4 is the palace.
Pics 5-8 are at Cabo da Roca. The views were amazing.
Pics 9-12 were at Cascais. Pic 9 is looking out over the marina. Pic 10 is the palm tree lined streets. Pic 11 was our tour group at lunch. Fabio, our tour guide, is sitting next to me. Pic 12 was my lunch and yep… I had the octopus again!! This time I had the whole thing broiled. It really is tasty. Try it sometime!
That’s all for now. Happy Thursday to all. Still sending prayers out for my peeps in the Carolinas. Hunker down and be safe!
The Wandering Italian 