Monday, September 26, 2011

Summer Travels: Leaving Portugal

After an extended stay in Sintra, we only had a couple of days to finish exploring Portugal before we needed to be in Madrid. We spent half a day in Ericeiras, a small resort town on the Atlantic, and half a day in Mafra, a nearby town famous for its grand palace.  We wanted to spend more time in Lisbon, but the terrible summer heat kept us away from the big city until the last minute. Unfortunately, between high temperature and limited time, we were left without much of an impression of Lisbon.  We'll have to save the real Lisbon for another trip.


Looking West from Ericeiras

The Rugged Portugese Coast

Roundabouts Do Not Always Work (view from our hotel window)

Colorful Ericeiras Street

Palacio Nacional de Mafra

Palace Courtyard

Entrance to the Palace Basilica

Grand Hallway

The Basilica (a wedding was going on!)

A Scrumptious Palace Room (one of about 1,200)

Marble Hall

Rare Library

Basilica Ceiling
Portrait of Boyfriend Leaving the Palace


The Gritty Side of Lisbon

Endless Lisbon Stair

Random Western Tiling Outside Defunct Establishment

Lisbon Street

Monday, September 19, 2011

Summer Travels: Sintra

We left Porto on a 4-hour train to Lisbon, where we immediately switched to a local train bound for Sintra, the famous local romantic hot-spot.  Although the hostel conditions there were less than ideal (a terribly uncomfortable mattress and residual cigarette smoke, despite the non-smoking signs), we loved exploring the ancient Moorish castle, seeing the over-the-top colorful buildings built by Portugese royals over the years, and admiring the cork convent in the middle of the woods.  At the convent, the monks slept and prayed in four foot high rooms (no photos of these allowed)--ingenious for their bowing-required-at-all-times architecture.

The Cork Convent Courtyard
Convent Chapel

Cork Convent Entrance Room
Bathroom, With Tiny Tub (on the right)
Convent Gate

Nature's Door
The Purples and Yellows of Pena Palace

Mysterious Palace Statue, Looking Down on Sintra
Palace Wall Detail
Palace Walkway
Ornate Palace Window
Palace Architecture
Sign Painted on Stone Between Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle

Standing on Top of the Moorish Castle Walkway (my favorite photo this week)
Moorish Succulents Peek Around a Boulder

The Moorish Castle Defense Wall, High Above Sintra
Purple Flowers and Orange Lichen Give Life to an Ancient Wall
Looking Over Sintra Toward the Atlantic Ocean, Both to the West and South
Closer View of the Wall, the Primary Surviving Moorish Castle Component
Sintra National Palace (we never made it inside)
The Small Lane Next to Our Hostel

Sintra City Hall, at Dusk
Beautiful Moroccan Inspired Sintra Fountain

Cute Couple Below Our Hostel Window

Monday, September 5, 2011

Summer Travels: Porto

The Continuation of Our 5-Week Summer Adventure:

After we left Coimbra, we took the train a few hours north through Portugal to Porto. Famous for its bridge (built by an apprentice of Eiffel), Port wine, and azulejos (painted tilework), the entire city is a World Heritage Site. Our favorite discovery was white port and a traditional local multigrain bread as dense and heavy as a brick, but delicious. Yep, we're foodies.