Oslo to Barcelona – 8 countries in 18 days – Day 14 – Lisbon, Portugal –  Pics Part 1!

Monday September 8, 2025

Hi Gang! Guess what? We ARE in another country today! Our 8th and last new country of this trip. Today we are docked in Portugal in the city of Lisbon. It is the capital of Portugal and seamlessly blends history, culture and modern vibrancy. Known as the “City of Seven Hills” it offers stunning views at every turn. 

As much as we love Lisbon, we have both been here several times (heck, I spent a week here several years back on a land tour) so we decided to explore outside the city. There are two areas nearby named Sintra and Cascais that Kathy had not been to so we took an excursion to explore those two places. 

Sintra is a resort town in the foothills of Portugal’s Sintra Mountains, near Lisbon. A longtime royal sanctuary, its forested terrain is studded with pastel-colored villas and palaces. The Moorish- and Manueline-style Sintra National Palace is distinguished by dramatic twin chimneys and elaborate tilework. The hilltop 19th-century Pena National Palace is known for a whimsical design and sweeping views.

Cascais is a town in the Lisbon District of Portugal, located on the Estoril Coast. Since the 1870s, Cascais has been a popular seaside resort after King Luís I of Portugal and the Portuguese royal family made the seaside town their residence every September, thus also attracting members of the Portuguese nobility, who established a summer community there. 

Cascais is known for the many members of royalty from other countries as well who have lived there, including King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, when he was the Duke of Windsor, King Juan Carlos I of Spain, and King Umberto II of Italy. The Casino Estorilinspired Ian Fleming‘s first James Bond novel, Casino Royale.

Our excursion included bus transport to both areas and we had lots of time to explore on our own. We loved both places but preferred Sintra better. Would like to have had more time there. 

After that we got back onboard and while it was pretty much an all day tour, we had time to sneak in an afternoon tea. We then got ready for dinner. I’ll do another update later tonight. Hope everyone is having a great Monday!