Sintra

Sintra is about 40 minutes west of Lisbon and costs nothing to get to by train if you have a Lisbon card. Maybe 4 euros if you don't. There are some wonderful attractions there such as the old Moorish fortress and the Pena Palace, a former monastery converted by King Ferdinand to be his regular residence.. 

But a word of advice. If you're going, go early, because the crowds and the queuing is horrific. The worst I have seen anywhere I have ever travelled. Of the three hours or so we spent at the Pena Palace, 2 of them were spent in queues. But enough of that, let's get onto the good stuff.

After waiting in a very long line to buy our entry tickets (somewhat discounted by the Lisbon card) we then waited in a long line to be actually permitted into the grounds. The usual deal is to see the inside of the Palace then take a walk around the estate. So, we joined the queue to enter the palace interior which was very long indeed. But when you do eventually get into the palace don't think your queueing days are over. The line snakes its way through the rooms and galleries in an ordered non-overtaking procession, er, rather like a queue. The rooms themselves are fabulous and varied, but you'll just have to take my word for it. Absolutely no photographs can be taken in the palace and they really do mean it. Some American students took a couple on the sly and were soundly reprimanded by the usher in the next room. The staff are all on walkie talkies and communicate who needs to get a rocket it seems.

The exterior of the palace is marginally less crowded and photos are allowed. People are swarming all over it like ants. The colours are amazing and the architecture entirely fanciful. It looks like it really should have been built out of ginger bread.

The grounds around the palace are a botanical wonderland with interesting little structures and follies sort of dotted about. But my goodness, isn't it hilly. There are some very steep and treacherous steps and paths to be encountered so mind you take care. Even the ducks are well catered for in these grounds as they have been provided with two moorish fort like duck-houses.

Ferdinand also took the time to restore the Moorish fortress on the hilltop next door and annex it into the lavish place estate as an interesting addition.

Piccies are below.

Approaching the Pena Palace in Sintra.

It sits high on the top of the hill overlooking the town.

 The palace walls are colourful and fancifully designed.

The main entrance gate. Is this Disneyland?

Nope. It was the regular residence of King Ferdinand and his first and second wives.

Here's us on a parapet overlooking the Triton terrace.

And yes we had to queue for our turn to get photographed here.

 A pillared terrace overlooking the good burgers of Sintra far below.

From a vantage point overlooking the overlookers.

Thank God. We cleared the crowds when we walked through the estate gardens.

A vast meandering botanical wonderland, though very hilly and tiring.

We chose a downward path called the Vale of the 5 Lakes. This is the Grecian inspired Temple of Columns.

  

 This is called the Statue of the Warrior.

You'll find interesting little Easter Eggs like this all through the estate gardens.

A view of the palace from the Queen Elizabeth seat, another small folly in the grounds.

Doesn't that look like Disney Fantasyland to you?

But Ferdinand did it to live in. Go figure.

A small pond of fish beside the trail.

This is the Shell Lake.

This is one of the two duck houses built on the lakes.

Pretty posh premises for the ducks I'd say. 

 Another duck house.

This one is styled after the Moorish fortress that Ferdinand was so impressed by.

A couple of team horses about to do some carting work.

The Castilo do Mouros (Moorish fortress) on the next hill over from the palace.

Was this ever used as a location in Game of Thrones, does anybody know?

It is remarkably well preserved.

  

A view of one of the fortress towers with the town of Sintra in the distance.

Wonderful views.

Belem

Today it was Belem's turn. This used to be a seperate town a few clicks further down the river, but over time it has been assumed into the overall location of Lisbon.

There are any number of ways of getting there, particularly if you start from Placa Comercio. Taxis, buses, tuk-tuks, they are all very keen to take your fare. But our Lisbon card got us onto a train that shot us down the coast to Belem in no time.

I say coast, but it is not the sea. It's a river that is several kilometers wide and gives every appearance of the seaside. Stepping out in Belem one is struck by its seaside kind of display. Parks and ice cream vendors, playgrounds and esplanades.

There is also some very popular attractions there. The enormous Monastery of San Jeronimo is one. It was initially to be built and financed by a 5% levy on the spice trade that the great Vasco de Gama (remember him?) established with his voyages to India. Well that proved so lucrative that the building program was extended for an additional 50 years. Nothing was too much trouble and no expense too great in the building of this monastery and it shows, believe me.

Then the monks were thrown out in a forced secularisation of the country sometime around 1833. What is an out of work monk to do? Since the monastery was annexed as a school many stayed on as teachers. As it happens they were also pretty good at cooking pastries and making wines, and a great many of the Portuguese bakeries and wineries owe their existence to this period of their history.

One in particular stands head and shoulders above the rest. The Pateis de Belem has a secret recipe for making their delicious baked custard tarts and they are unrivalled.

Making a grand statement on the foreshore is the Monument to the Discoveries. It stands like a massive sandstone slab with carved figures climbing upwards towards the sea along its sides. The inside has galleries and an interpretive centre full of information about who discovered what. 

The cross river ferry with the suspension bridge in the background. 

It's a very sleek catamaran and births virtually at the train station for the convenience of commuters.

Near the ferry birth is a cafe and bar.

I particularly liked that they provided deck chairs to relax in as well. A nice touch.

A typical street scape in Belem.

There is a wonderful park on the foreshore, with walks and statues and shady spots.

The formal Palace Guard outside the residential palace of the President of Portugal.

 Pasteis de Belem, the most famous pastry shop in the world.

You can buy custard tarts lots of places, but seriously they are not like these.

The queues outside to buy and the queues inside to take a seat are always long.

And it is surprisingly cheap to dine here.

 Bedlam in Belem at the pastry shop.

Inside there is seating for 400 in several adjoining rooms.

They are always full with more waiting.

But oh so worth the wait. Staff are just brilliant and the goodies they sell defy description.

Don't even think about just getting one. 

Crispy and mega yummy you will need to buy a couple or suffer in silence waiting to order another.

The Monesterio San Jeromino in Belem

Glorious high vaulted ceilings.

The tomb of Vasco de Gama.

The cloisters of the monastery.
Very ornate and beautiful.

Vaulted ceilings around the cloisters.

This tour group was keen and got into cozzies up for the occasion.

This funny little Chinese temple was in the park.
It is actually an old fashioned bandstand, but none was playing this day.

The Monument to the Discoveries on the Belem foreshore.
One side has all the guys who made the discoveries.
The other side has all the guys who backed the guys who made the discoveries.

Statues of discoverers marching forever forwards.

Plenty of tour operators at Belem.
Anything from powered scooters to Segways to the ever present tuk-tuk.
There was even an amphibious bus which drove along the street, down the ramp and sailed away. 

The Torre de Belem.
A fort built in the river Tagus to keep watch, but very ornate for a military structure I think.

The Monument to the Overseas Combatants, a war memorial next to the military museum. 

There is a ceremonial guard on duty which get changed at around 6 pm each day.

Se Cathedral, Miradouro do Sol, Castilo Sao Jorge, Miradouro San Pedro.

Bright and early start to what looked like being a busy day.

We walk from our accomodation down to the Praca Comercio on the riverfront. There is a tourism office there where we can buy our Lisbon cards and that takes care of most of our museum and monument entries and all of our transport costs for the next three days. While the cost (40 euro) was a little less than what we would be spending, the convenience was the decider.

With our shiny new Lisbon cards in hand we take the train to Baixo and hoof it to Lisbon's Se Cathedral. Hey, we gotta at least take a look don't we? And a big Norman architecture cathedral it is too. But I don't recall any historical connections to the Normans in my (albeit limited) knowledge of Portuguese history. Nevertheless, there it stands and protected on all sides by a phalanx of tuk-tuk drivers apparently

Keep climbing guys. This city is just made of hills. Skateboarders have a great time here half the time. The next reststop is the Miradouro do Sol, a lookout point over Lisbon's river side areas with the ever present coffee shop and bar to relax in while you do so. This one also featured a lovely water fountain and pond and a large hand painted Azulje mural of the harbour.

Keep climbing guys. Don't we need oxygen or something? The Castillo Sao Jorge is the castle complex at the top of the hill. Ticketed entry gives you 360 degree views over the whole of Lisbon and it is breathtaking. We spent quite a bit of time up there looking around and taking in the views. Lots of shady spots to sit in the gardens, cafes and venders, some random peacock families wandering about, all in all a lovely spot. Prices were actually quite reasonable for such a showcase setting.

Down we climb but had to stop to listen to a couple of buskers playing trad jazz (Sweet Georgia Brown) from a first floor balcony window. They had a great sound and setting and got their takings by means of a bucket lowered from the railing on a string.

Take the train a station or two further (isn't this Lisbon card great?) and it emptied us out right in front of the funicular "Gloria". Like most, she looked like she was only held together by the graffiti on her sides as she creaked and wheezed her way up the steep slope to the Miradouro San Pedro. This is on the other hill of Lisbon and affords great views of the Castle as well as Lisbon in general. I liked this place 'cause it had a cafe and bar with canvas deck chairs to relax in. So nice with a pitcher of Sangria.

Coming back home took us through the Praca Rossio and the Praca Figuera where tripadvisor told us of a unique little shop well worth visiting. It is called A Ginjinha and is about 10 feet square. It is also the only place in the world you can buy the original Ginjinha, a liqueur made from sour cherries. Sounds dreadful but believe me the stuff is to die for. What? Of course we bought some. We waited in the queue outside like everybody else.

 A typical Lisbon tram.

A good bit smaller than the Melbourne variety but then they wouldn't make it round the corners.

 Our local funicular "Bica" is the latest addition to Lisbon's funicular fleet.

Inaugurated in 1892, I think it's only held together by all the graffiti on it now.

The Placa Comercio is a large expanse of people, hawkers, buskers, restaurants and bars.

  It's a central hub for bus routes, trains, trams, taxis.
 And of all things, tuk-tuks.

The Arco Rua Augusta is an impressive structure centrally dominating the Placa.

 I don't know how you would make a toilet "sexy", but they think they have.

Though certainly curious, I just didn't waned to go and saved myself a euro.

Lisbon's Se Cathedral.
Those two squared off towers scream out a Norman influence to its architecture, but how?

The inside was frankly rather austere as catholic Cathedrals go.

Nothing particularly remarkable struck me.

Outside the Cathedral was Tuk-Tuk central, seriously.

All these drivers are hustling for a fare and frankly the walk around the Cathedral is pretty steep.

But walk we did up to the Miradouro (means lookout) do Sol.

A snazzy ceramic mural and some great views over Lisbon.

 There is a fountain and water feature there too, greatly appreciated by the local seagulls.

 But we climbed higher to the Castillo Sao Jorge at the very top for the all round look at Lisbon.

You can just make out the Praca Comercio near the river in the background.

Inside the Castillo Sao Jorge. There are gardens and lawns and parapets to climb on.

There are also plenty of coffee shops and ice cream vendors and not charging outrageous prices.

  

Wandering around and calling loudly were some peacocks and peahens. 

And they had some young'uns with them too. Are they called chick- peas?

These guys were amazing. They played trad jazz from a first floor window and collected offerings from passers by in a bucket lowered from the railing. Their dog was occasionally in on the act too.

 Here's something for my art group to try.

Paintings with materials limited to just coffee and red wine.

Up for the challenge?

The results can be quite remarkable, no?

From the Castle you can see the Miradouro de San Pedro on the other hill.
From the Miradouro de San Pedro,you can see back to the Castle.
(There are two main hills in Lisbon but walking there you'd think there were dozens).

We took the funicular "Gloria" grumbling and groaning down to the Placa de Rossio.
Large plaza with grand buildings, stately statues and fountains.

This place is the only one in the world where you get their fermented sour cherry liquor called Ginjinha. The shop is tiny, only about 8 metres square and the line is out the door and down the street 24/7. Of course we tried some. Then we bought a whole lot more. It's a great drop.

The sign above the door spans the entire width of the shop.
Didn't I say it was small, but oh so precious.