Off to Sintra

May 31, 2024

As is my habit when travelling I got up early to wander about and take some photos that I could not get in the last 2 days. It was much cooler and less crowded as well.
Later we went to Sintra which is known as the summer retreat for many Portuguese kings hence there are many palaces plus castles from the Moor period. It now is a serious tourist spot and where the truly well heeled live. The town is also now a world UNESCO site. We visited the Palácio Nacional de Sintra on this trip and I plan to visit the Palácio Nacional da Pena, the colourful palace when I come back with Tim. We had 45min to wander about so we took in a little of the town which is very hilly so we didn’t go too far.

Later Hilary and I did more laundry before I just chilled out at the hotel since it is 33C /91F here. H&C went to the tile museum something I plan to do when we come back.

A monument to the tile workers who created these beautiful streets.

A WWI war monument, Portugal was neutral in WWII. However it was a haven for spies from all sides.

Sardines are a Portuguese delicacy (yah NO) and I think this means there is a sardine festival coming up.

This statue commemorates the Marquis of Pombal. There was a major earthquake and tsunami in Lisbon in 1755. Under the stewardship of his prime minister, the Marquis of Pombal, King Joseph I oversaw the rebuilding of Lisbon with an innovative approach. The Marquis of Pombal introduced modern urban planning principles and stringent building codes designed to withstand future seismic events.

The lamp posts along Liberado Ave are topped with these sailing ships.

The National Palace in Sintra that dates back to the 14th century.

The conical structures are chimneys from the kitchen. In it original state the kitchen was a separate building but as the palace was expanded it became integrated.

This fort on the very top of the mountain was built by the Moors aka muslims.

This ceiling is covered in chatty magpies because the king thought the gossiping staff sounded like these.

Just one example of the beautiful tiles. The art was brought to Portugal by the Moors but was soon incorporated into Portuguese culture.

Another room had the crests of the noble families throughout

Except for one. This family had a member who tried to assassinate the king so they were removed from the walls and all of their lands were confiscated

Part of the kitchen, looks like pizza ovens to me.

Some more of the mansion on the hills in town

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