Sintra

To have seen the world and left out Sintra is not truly to have seen.

                                                                                                                                             —Old Spanish saying

 

Sintra Vila

I’m not sure I’d go that far, but I will say this: for as strenuous and demanding a tour of Sintra was, we were glad we did it. Sintra is popular and for good reason. Once the favorite summer retreat for Portuguese kings, their legacy and the monuments to their wealth attract thousands of tourists every year. Our visit was no exception.

Paço Real

Built along the north slope of the granite Serra da Estrela (the highest mountain range in continental Portugal), Sintra is simply beautiful and quite old. Knowing we could not possible see everything there is to see in one day, we chose three stops, which made for an exhausting albeit unforgettable day.

Our day started with a train ride from Lisbon, and we soon found our way to the local transit bus, which for a small fee would take us on a circuit high into the mountains. First stop: Palácio Nacional de Sintra in what is known as Sintra Vila. Because we knew our 5€ bought us a one-way, single circuit ride, and despite our better judgment after seeing the hoard of tourists already waiting for a lift to the next stop, we left the security of the bus. We were glad we did.

 

The Swan Room (Banquet Hall)

Construction on this site began in the 10^th century by Moorish rulers, and Portuguese royalty used the palace until the 1880’s. Paço Real (as the palace is known) is easily identified by its twin chimneys. As with anything this old (especially with the means and inclinations of extremely wealthy inhabitants), the palace underwent extensive renovations and additions over the years. The result is a strange combination of building styles and a virtual maze of room arrangements.

 

View of Sintra Vila (taken from the Moorish Castle)

The consequences of our decision to tour the palace became more than apparent as we watched busload after busload of tourists skip our stop. Hey, when no one gets off a completely full bus, no one can get on—so we waited. When finally a bus with limited available seats did stop, Gwaz used her travel-tested wits to slip under or over or beside or around or some way or other through her peers and onto the bus. When the attendant read her ticket, which indicated passage for two, he pointed at me and demanded that the massively bunched-up crowd should part not unlike the legendary Red Sea. Now I know what those Hollywood types feel like on the red carpet. Just to keep me grounded he added, “I know you’re big, but you must stay together.” I bit my tongue.

The Moorish Castle

 Next stop: Castelo dos Mouros (the Moorish Castle). Travelling skyward at angles that would make a mountain goat dizzy, we finally arrived at the Moorish Castle, sort of. The walk from the bus stop to the castle entrance was challenging to say the least (but nothing compared to what awaited us). Built in the 8^th century, high, high above Sintra Vila, the Moorish Castle is breath taking in every sense of the phrase. On clear days, as it was for us, the view extends for miles in every direction. Built from and among massive stone blocks, the castle is an engineering marvel considering its age and location. Upon learning that the castle was conquered by Alfonso Henriques in 1147, I had but two questions: how and why? Firstly, it seems unbelievably inaccessible especially when arrow-firing guardians want it to stay that way, and secondly, why not just ignore it? It is so far removed that the only way the resident army could possibly engage an enemy was to wait for them to attack.

 

(l-r View of highest ramparts, view from highest vantage point, Gwaz coming back down)

Nearing the end of my 62^nd year above ground, I know a few things about myself. High on the list is that I cannot wish away my acrophobia, so after a walk around the castle ramparts that only the Flying Wallendas would enjoy, we found ourselves looking up at a set of 1200 year old steps leading to something I would never see. With death on one side and demise on the other, I chose to wait for Gwaz to return. (Even she admitted to having to sit down whenever anyone passed her on the stairs.)

 

Palácio da Pena

Much to our surprise and far different than it had been earlier, without much delay we caught the bus to the last stop: Palácio da Pena. Resembling what one might expect from Walt Disney, the Palácio da Pena is halfway to heaven. No exaggeration: when the bus left us off, a sign indicated that the palace was 1500 meters ahead. What it didn’t say was that the 9/10’s of a mile was almost straight up!

View from the castle below

The palace we see today was built in the 1800’s by the king consort, Dom Ferdinand II, the husband of Queen Maria II. It stands over the Hieronymite monestary first built here in the 16^th century. The guidebook describes it as “an eclectic medley of architectural styles.” Uh…yeah…that’s close. The guide goes on to say “it is filled with oddities from all over the world.” Again, correct.

Dom Ferdinand saw his dream fulfilled with the completion of the Palácio da Pena in 1885, the year he died, having outlived the queen by 32 years.

As the guidebook says: filled with oddities from all over the world