Sintra was Magical

I'm a bit behind but what follows is one of my favorite stops during our Portuguese adventure, Sintra!

With only one night and full day dedicated to this magical little town, we woke up well rested and, if you can believe it, hungry!

So we descended the grand staircase to breakfast and let me just say that if you've ever wanted to feel like a queen or...king well, this breakfast was a feast fit for royalty!

Not only was the room adorned with crystal chandeliers, hand painted frescoes and fantastic orchids but the delicious and beautiful selection of food that lay in front of us looked too good to eat...  

Everything from omelettes, prosciutto and croissants to fresh fruit and salad...

and my favorite, yogurt, honey and figs!

Unfortunately it was pouring but when did the rain stop the Shermans?  Never! So, we embarked on exploring Sintra and its mystical hills dotted with fairy tale palaces and extravagant villas.
The Romans made it a place of cult moon worshiping and named it "Cynthia" after the goddess of the moon.  They were followed by the Moors who also fell in love with the lush vegetation and built a hilltop castle, a palace, and several fountains around the town. 

Later it became the summer residence of the Portuguese royal family and attracted a number of wealthy aristocrats who built huge mansions and villas. 

Famous British poet and traveler Lord Byron stopped by in the 18th century, writing that the town is "perhaps in every respect the most delightful in Europe," and calling it a "glorious Eden" in his epic poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage.  His fellow countryman Robert Southey followed him and saw it as "the most blessed spot on the whole inhabitable globe." 
Alya arrived in the Spring of 2013 to confirm what they had said and added that it was one of the most magical and mystical places she has ever seen.

Since we only had one day, we were advised to start with Quinta da Regaleira, one of the most remarkable of all Sintra’s palaces and lucky for us, located right down the road from The Seteais Palace.  

It holds a fascinating history and one that Jacob was very excited to learn more about which made it that much more fun!  This romantic property formerly belonging to the Viscondessa da Regaleira, was acquired and enlarged by António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro as his favorite country estate.  His vast fortune earned him the nickname of Monteiro dos Milhões, (Moneybags Monteiro) and he commissioned this unique project from the Italian set-designer and architect Luigi Manini whose genius, along with the mastery of sculptors, stonemasons and craftsmen created this magical place.  

What's cool is that it is said that the palace was created based on the commands of magical and mythological dreams of Monteiro which the Italian architect brought to life in the form of this masterpiece.  

The place has romantic influences and revival of Gothic, Manueline and Renaissance style to be a glorification of the Portuguese mystical and esoterical history from the Templar Knights, Masonry, Alquimy, Rosicrucians and Christianity...all that and I couldn't stop photographing it!

Visitors can get a guided tour or, stroll round independently and while we actually wanted the tour, we would have had to wait an hour and with the pouring rain, chose the latter.  My recommendation?  Take the tour to familiarize yourself with the layout and learn about the underlying philosophy of the design and then return to explore alone the areas that appeal to you the most. 

The "Palace of the Millions" is surrounded by a garden filled with mythological and esoteric symbols -statues of gods, mysterious wells, ponds, and grottoes. 

The highlight is an almost supernatural tunnel staircase that symbolizes death leading into a "Garden of Eden," symbolizing "rebirth" or the entrance to Heaven. 

If you can't tell by now, I completely and utterly fell in love with this place and almost wished we had a bit more time in Sintra but little did I know just how much I would later fall for Porto!

With still so much to see in Sintra, we descended the windy mountainous moss covered road to the center of town...

and did a bit of shopping...I bought the most unusual hand knit sweater/shawl at this little boutique whose name escapes me but, I will never forget as they treated me to a free tasting of the chocolate cherry Ginjinha and, carry a nice un-touristy selection of gifts, Port and Wine!

and of course Eating!  
Sintra is famous for their pastries and the place to have them is at Piriquita, a famous pastry shop that’s been around for over a hundred years.  

Queijadas and Travesseiros are available all throughout Portugal but Piriquita is famous for them so naturally, we had to try one or...two.  

The name of these pastries comes from its shape, similar to a travesseiro (pillow in English) and the long, sugar coded 'pillows' are flaky on the outside and creamy on the inside.  Freshly made throughout the day, they are served warm and perfect for a mid-afternoon snack as you regroup and take a break from all the walking and for us, the rain.  The recipe is a secret, patented and probably worth a fortune but I've managed to find it just for you my faithful readers.

The boys thought that they were just OK but for me, they were a tasty companion to a steamy hot cup of café con leche and I really just wanted to sit for a while!
The name Piriquita which means Parakeet comes from the nickname King Carlos gave Constança Gomes due to her small stature...see, I'm a wealth of information!
The main coffee-shop is right in the middle of the Historical Center but if you're there on a Wednesday when it's closed, head over to 'Piriquita 2' a little bit further up the street to make sure that you can get your fill of the baked goodness!
So now we were all dry, full and happy and made our way around town only to come upon Sintra's Toy Museum where Jacob picked up a little 3-headed dragon...how happy does this kid look!?

Granted that there is never enough time but there was still so much left to explore and the rain had finally subsided to allow us to enjoy the beautiful town with its winding cobblestone alleys where we uncovered little gems along the way...

Unfortunately, time was not on our side as we had things to do and places to see so we slowly started to make our way back...

 to say our goodbyes to the beautiful Seteais Palace vowing to return some day...

Next STOP...Nazaré!

Lisbon was Awesome but

we were ready to move on to our next destination...just two very important quick stops first.
Breakfast at the famous Cafe Nicola, another of Lisbon's literary and political meeting points when it opened in 1929.  It maintains part of its past in its art deco façade and a branch round the back called Nicola Gourmet sells 25 varieties of coffee beans by the bag... 

 A chocolate croissant and steamed milk with a few drops of espresso for the boy and Cafe Con Leche for us and we were ready...

Checked out of the awesome Sofitel (highly recommend for their amazing hospitality and location not to mention Lanvin bath products and Yves Delorme bathrobes) and went to pick-up our car for the drive to Sintra...

This was probably the least planned of all our trips as we left some wiggle room for extra time in the towns we liked best but, we did plan on traveling north of Lisbon toward Porto with a night in Sintra and so Estoril was next on our list.  
Just to give you a perspective, Estoril is a short drive from Lisbon heading west and a must stop especially, if you're visiting in the summer months when the beach scene is in full swing.

We were not lucky enough to experience it to the fullest as it was still off season but was great to see this town that, during World War II, acquired a glamorous reputation when Portugal's neutrality and mild weather attracted the rich and famous, German and English spies and European royals and aristocrats such as King Umberto II of Italy, Carol II of Romania, the Count of Paris, and Spain's Don Juan.

The town has since lost much of its status, but maintains a certain faded grandeur and is still a fashionable cosmopolitan playground with Europe's largest casino, tennis courts, some of Europe's finest golf courses, a race track that has held Formula One Grand Prix races and a pretty but somewhat rocky beach...

The picturesque beach of Tamariz has a number of bars and restaurants (most were still closed when we were there) and a castle overlooking it that is owned by the royal family of Monaco...

The casino, surrounded by gardens with tall palm trees, is known to give out the biggest weekly prizes in Europe but the coolest part? It was the inspiration for Ian Fleming's James Bond and Casino Royale!
Bond...Jacob Bond...

The Hotel Palacio facing it appeared in one of James Bond's first films ("On Her Majesty's Secret Service") and served as a backdrop for Richard Wilson's novel, "A Small Death in Lisbon." 

A beachfront promenade links Estoril to beautiful Cascais which was our next stop but not before Jacob had a chance to frolic in the sand...with rain boots on but beach is beach!

Next stop was the picturesque resort town of Cascais easily accessible by train along the shore from Lisbon's Cais do Sodré station but I recommend renting a car so you have the flexibility to stop, stay or go at your leisure plus, you have a place to keep your luggage and the driving in Portugal is fairly easy.  
Cascais, a formerly quaint fishing village that, like Estoril, became a popular resort with European nobility and kings in the early 20th century is a colorful cosmopolitan town with elegant pedestrian streets, luxuriant villas, fashionable shops, restaurants and bars.  Our first order of business was lunch and how do you make this kid happy?  Go for all you can eat sushi that's how! 
After lunch, we strolled the pretty pedestrian streets paved with blocks recreating wave patterns...

and dodged the rain popping in and out of shops and cafes like the famous Santini's Gelati that some consider to be the best ice cream in the world.  Internet fans go so far to suggest it's “a gift from the gods” and after a cup of dark chocolate and caramel, we couldn't agree more!

It all started with a little ice cream shop in Praia do Tamariz in 1949 when Italian immigrant Attilio Santini produced handmade ice creams with the freshest and highest-quality ingredients to serve to beach-going Portuguese during the Summer season... 

Today, they have shops in not only Cascais and Estoril, but also in the Chiado section of Lisbon so if you get the chance, this is a must and be sure to get the strawberry flavor which seems to be most popular with the locals!

The rain that came and went definitely put a damper on our visit to this beautiful little fishing village but what are you gonna do...shop? eat? Yes please!

With so many great little shops and cafes, there was plenty to keep us occupied until we were ready for our next stop but this is one town I would definitely recommend especially, in the Summer when the crowds descend upon the beaches and the yachts grace the shores!

Next stop on the list, an outstanding sight of Boca do Inferno or, "Mouth of Hell".  High waves crash into gigantic caves carved out of the rock by the sea, causing an awe-inspiring noise that may explain the name given to the site and why Aleister Crowley chose it to fake his own death in 1930...

Wow, it was starting to be one of those days when your senses are on total overdrive and all the great things you've seen, heard, learned and tried are starting to blur together and...we weren't even done yet.
Our next and final stop for the day and where we planned to spend the night was Sintra and, while I read amazing things about it, I was not fully prepared for what we came upon as we mazed up the hilly streets of Sintra and through the gates of the 18th-century Seteais Palace.

It was getting dark and a fine mist was setting over the town which made the scene that much more surreal and mystical...

The Seteais Palace was built between 1783 and 1787 for the Dutch consul Daniel Gildemeester who chose to build his house on the border of an elevation, from which the vast landscape around the Sintra hills could be admired.  

In 1797, his widow sold the palace to Diogo José Vito de Menezes Noronha Coutinho, 5th Marquis of Marialva.  The palace was enlarged between 1801 and 1802 by neoclassical architect José da Costa e Silva, author of the São Carlos Theatre in Lisbon.  The old and the new wings were connected in 1802 by a neoclassical arch, built in honor of Prince regent John VI and Princess Carlota Joaquina.  The monumental arch, decorated with the bronze effigies of the royal pair and a commemorative Latin inscription, is attributed to architect Francisco Leal Garcia...

1890-1910, the palace belonged to Joao Fernando Salazar e Bragança and after changing hands several times, was acquired by the Portuguese government in 1946.  The Seteais Palace has been used as a luxury hotel since 1954 but its original characteristics have been preserved with rooms containing crystal chandeliers, murals and antique furnishings...

From the gardens (the site of the annual "Noites de Bailado" festival in August with dance and ballet performances by top international names) is a magnificent view of the surrounding countryside and Pena Palace all of which I couldn't wait to explore the following day.  So we checked in with the most hospitable staff, explored our home for the night and got recommendations for dinner which took us downhill into town to Tulhas Restaurant...

The family owned Portuguese restaurant served up delicious fresh food and local wine which we thoroughly enjoyed while recapping our loooong and exciting day and getting ready for the next one...

 Put a fork in us, we were done so we walked back uphill to our palace and called it a night!