Monday, October 30, 2006
Lisbon!~
From Sintra to the sea
Take advantage of your holidays in Lisbon to enjoy some moments of pure relaxation close to the capital. Begin your trip in Sintra, one of the most magical places in both Portugal and Europe, and fill your lungs with the fresh mountain air, refreshing your soul with the immense cooling shade offered by the Parque de Monserrate and the Parque da Pena and visiting their respective romantic palaces. In order to get to know all the tastes and flavours of good living, try the local regional pastries, such as queijadas and travesseiros. Discover the streets filled with old houses and small palaces that spread over the hillside and the Palácio da Vila, with its huge conical chimneys forming the predominant feature of the town’s historic centre. Travel through history by wandering through the different rooms of this marvellous building and see a beautiful and important set of Mudejar “azulejos”. After this, make your way up the zigzags of the road leading to the Palácio da Pena, with the sunlight forcing its way timidly through the trees. This palace’s mixture of different styles, all displaying a highly romantic taste, is like the icing on top of the mountains. Stop here and have lunch, or perhaps you might like to move on to Seteais – another palace now converted into a hotel – offering a sweeping view of different shades of green that lead you all the way to the sea. After lunch, visit Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe, with its superb view over the sea and, arriving at Guincho, relax for a while on the terrace of an outdoor café, while you watch the surfers demonstrating their own special brand of skills. If you choose to stay in Cascais, there is an excellent supply of both restaurants and accommodation, and you can always spend the next day getting to know the town better, either on foot or by bicycle. You may, however, prefer to return to Lisbon by the road along the seafront and spend some time in Belém, admiring two of the most mythical architectural works from the period of the Portuguese Discoveries, each of them classified as World Heritage: the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and the Torre de Belém. Let your sweet tooth be tempted by the famous cream cakes of the Pastéis de Belém café or relax on the terrace of the Centro Cultural de Belém, watching a free concert in the early evening. Have dinner in the riverside area and then relax and have fun in one of the bars or discos to be found there.
Points of interest along the Itinerary
Palácio e Parque de Monserrate
Palácio e Quinta da Regaleira
Castelo dos Mouros - Sintra
Praia Grande do Guincho
Cascais
Cabo da Roca
Page Here!
Sintra town
Visit the magical town of Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage site.At the top of the mountain range outside Sintra is Pena Palace, built in the 19th Century by king Fernando of Saxe-Coburg Gotha. In the foothills you’ll find small palaces such as Monserrate and the Quinta da Regaleira, surrounded by exotic parks and estates. Strolling through Sintra you can see the Neolithic burial site of Tholos do Monge, marvel at the skyline from the Moorish Castle, experience the austere atmosphere of the Capuchos Convent, and enjoy the romance of Pena Park. In the historic old town, take a walk into the past through a maze of little streets, steps and archways. Towards the middle of town, you’ll see the enormous chimneys of the National Palace, the most fascinating royal construction in Portugal, a combination of numerous tastes that give it a strange beauty. It was here in the National Palace that King Manuel heard of the discovery of India and Brazil, and the great author and playwright Luís de Camões recited the “Lusíadas” poems to King Sebastião. It’s here that you’ll also see the best and largest collection of Mudejar ceramic tiles in the Iberian Peninsula.
