One thing I noted from many of those sites is that there is a complicated set of instructions to reach the site. Since I had some reward money from work that included travel experiences, I used some of that for a guided trip. I found one with Ricardo that seemed like a good balance of inclusions.
In the morning, my instructions were to travel to a nearby train station to meet up, but I received a text from Ricardo that he would pick me up, which was fantastic! We were riding in a car and after picking up 2 ladies from Kitchener Jackie & Jane, headed out of Lisbon.
Ricardo told us we were going to do Cascais first, then Cabo de Roque followed by Pena Palace in the afternoon, for better traffic and crowds. On the way to Cascais, he took us on some more scenic roads than the highway and gave us a little history. We passed the small town of Estoril which has the only casino in Portugal, and where Ian Fleming lived during WW2 and may have been inspired by the int'l crowd who were in neutral Portugal during the war.
Cascais is a home to the wealthy set and on our way into town, we drove by some pretty large mansions. The town itself is small with palm tree lined streets and kind of reminded me of some of the small SoCal beach towns. We had some pastries and coffee (and restroom break) before wandering around a bit.
After Cascais, next stop is Cabo de Roque, location of a large lighthouse and also the western most point of continental Europe. If it wasn't for the curvature of the earth, looking east you would be able to see NYC.
Finally we arrive in Sintra. We stop to find a lunch place, recommended by Ricardo, pretty touristy but I had a nice cod croquette and tomato rice dish, then wandered a bit on the hilly streets, past the conical National Palace, searching for the traditional pastry travesseiro ('pillow') and admiring the views.
Ricardo picked us up again to continue the climb up to Pena Palace. The road is windy and steep. Past a certain point, we are allowed only because we are a tourist vehicle and there are a lot of people climbing up and down the hill. Finally we arrive at the gates. Getting in is easy with Ricardo having pre-bought our tickets. There's also a shuttle to go from the gates to the actual palace. Jackie and Jane wait for the shuttle while Ricardo and I walk up. The grounds of the palace were planted by King Ferdinand with plants and trees from around the world. He missed the forests of his native Germany. So we see redwoods, cedar, sycamore, camellias, just an incredible variety of trees. The weather is cool but sunny so perfect for the short hike.
Before actually entering the palace grounds, Ricardo gives us a little history. King Ferdinand built it with his own money. He used inspiration from sources all over Portugal and even southern Spain to try and build a connection to the local people who were suspicious of the tall blond king who had married Queen Maria. It was really helpful to learn about the various design inspirations to better appreciate the incredible details we see.
There are incredible views from all around the palace and a wall walk that takes you around the perimeter of the building. Some of the details are actually plaster made to look like carved stone or painted tile rather than inlaid.
The interior is intact from when the last king escaped with his family in the early 1900's, with original textiles and furniture. Amazingly, the complex was turned into a museum almost immediately.
It's a really remarkable place and definitely exceeded expectations for me, made even more meaningful by having a great guide.
Leaving Sintra, we drive back to Lisbon, drop off Jane & Jackie and then me. By the time I'm back at the hotel it's 7p and I'm too work out for dinner.
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