One of our Lisbon days was spent in Sintra, a mountainous region of fresh air and forests in the Estremadura, an hour outside Lisbon. A crisp, sunny day, it felt like a dream to be walking outside in nature again after a cold winter. I breathed. A lot.
The Moors apparently laid claim to this area in the 9th century. Scrabbling around on the ruins of the old fortress, Lily pointed out that the outer defense wall looks like the Great Wall of China. Whether Chinese, Moorish, or Portuguese, the views from that wall were incredible. It never ceases to amaze me, walking around ancient structures that were laid down more than a thousand years ago. And yes, we climbed all the way to the top.
The Palacio Nacional de Pena is, by contrast, relatively recent. It was a monastery, but converted into a castle after it was struck by lightning and soon later reduced to rubble by the Great Earthquake of 1755. The Pena Palace is Romantic-style, a.k.a. fluffy, colorful, and naturalistic. Flowery carvings line the halls, and walls of bright
tileworks play optical illusions on the mind. A half-mad stone satyr guards the portal. Instead of straight, utilitarian stone supports, the columns are carved into twists and vines with flowers. The palace borders on whimsy, as if one day it'll simply float off with a giggle on the back of a shooting star.
Syd and Lily being geocachers, we of course played "Are You Sure We're Going the Right Way?" which took us straight up the mountain into the woods, where Syd clambered around on some rocks for a while. With some sense of nostalgia, the route up the mountain reminded me of the Hidden Waterfalls Trail of Calistoga, and the shady, cool air was rejuvenating, even
though the hike back down was
n't as easy as the way up. Nearby, there was an ancient wall, minding its own business. Well, I don't think Syd found the cache there (he found a dozen others,) but it was definitely worth the trip.
One of our Lisbon days was spent in Sintra, a mountainous region of fresh air and forests in the Estremadura, an hour outside Lisbon. A crisp, sunny day, it felt like a dream to be walking outside in nature again after a cold winter. I breathed. A lot.
The Moors apparently laid claim to this area in the 9th century. Scrabbling around on the ruins of the old fortress, Lily pointed out that the outer defense wall looks like the Great Wall of China. Whether Chinese, Moorish, or Portuguese, the views from that wall were incredible. It never ceases to amaze me, walking around ancient structures that were laid down more than a thousand years ago. And yes, we climbed all the way to the top. 
The Palacio Nacional de Pena is, by contrast, relatively recent. It was a monastery, but converted into a castle after it was struck by lightning and soon later reduced to rubble by the Great Earthquake of 1755. The Pena Palace is Romantic-style, a.k.a. fluffy, colorful, and naturalistic. Flowery carvings line the halls, and walls of bright
tileworks play optical illusions on the mind. A half-mad stone satyr guards the portal. Instead of straight, utilitarian stone supports, the columns are carved into twists and vines with flowers. The palace borders on whimsy, as if one day it'll simply float off with a giggle on the back of a shooting star. 
Syd and Lily being geocachers, we of course played "Are You Sure We're Going the Right Way?" which took us straight up the mountain into the woods, where Syd clambered around on some rocks for a while. With some sense of nostalgia, the route up the mountain reminded me of the Hidden Waterfalls Trail of Calistoga, and the shady, cool air was rejuvenating, even 
though the hike back down wasn't as easy as the way up. Nearby, there was an ancient wall, minding its own business. Well, I don't think Syd found the cache there (he found a dozen others,) but it was definitely worth the trip. 
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