A 4-hour bus (from Lagos) and about an hour's train ride (with a connection in Lisbon) later, I arrived in the charming UNESCO World Heritage site of Sintra Hills. Situated northwest of Lisbon, this was where former Portuguese royalty and rich folks built their impressive summer residences. The weather was pleasantly cooler and the air seemingly fresher (except when vehicles' exhaust blew past me) in the hills. The old town planners obviously did not plan for the onslaught of heavy modern traffic as the narrow (mostly one-way) roads were a recipe for long traffic jams and extremely limited parking. Patience is a necessary ingredient if you're thinking of driving up and down and/or through Sintra.
I reserved a 5-night stay at Nice Way Sintra Palace hostel for 18 euros a night (with breakfast included) and found its laissez-faire attitude and super-chill environment a great place to R&R. Over the next few days, I planned to visit the following sites: the Park and Palace of Pena, the Moorish Castle, the Quinta da Regaleira, and Cabo da Roca (continental Europe's westernmost point).
Here are photos of my travel day to Sintra and sights of the town.
Above left: The miniature replica of Christ the Redeemer in Lisbon; Above right: Crossing the Tagus on the 25th of April Bridge (a copy of SF's GG Bridge) in Lisbon
Above right: The aqueduct in Lisbon
Above right: At Sete Rios train station in Lisbon ~ waiting for my train to Sintra (a one-way ride cost 2.15 euros)
Above: Arriving in Sintra
Above: On my walk to the hostel
Above: Nice Way Sintra Palace hostel in Sintra (18 euros a night)
Above: The historic center of Sintra
Above right: Ginja (sour cherry wine) served in a chocolate cup for 1 euro each
Above right: Local treats (most were with almond fillings) ~ yum!
Above: A hostel-cooked dinner for 8 euros (available three nights a week) ~ delicious. The best part was the conversations at the table (represented were mates from France, Italy, Portugal, Germany, and the U.S.!)
No comments:
Post a Comment