Sintra is one of the oldest towns in Portugal and contains a fascinating mix of sights to see. It's a hillside town in a beautiful part of the country just a short train ride from Lisbon. You can see the picturesque Castelo dos Mouros (more on that in a minute) from the center of town:
After arriving in Sintra, Dahlia and her parents first went to the Palacio Nacional de Sintra, which served as a royal palace until 1910 and opens onto the central town square:
The palace is especially famous for its two canonical chimney towers, which are located in the kitchen. The individual rooms (such as the Swan Room) are also quite striking:
Initially Dahlia wasn't too excited about visiting the palace. She had fallen alseep on the ride up the hill and her nap was interrupted by something loud on the palace grounds. Some quality time with Mommy (and some strawberries and cat-watching) made everything better:
After a short walk downhill, Dahlia and her parents arrived at Castelo dos Mouros. The castle, which built more than a thousand years ago, provides stunning views of Sintra and the Atlantic coast:
A nineteenth-century attempt to restore the castle was unsuccessful, but luckily the stairs along the castle walls are well preserved. Since climbing steps is one of Dahlia's favorite pasttimes, she had a blast:
The palace is especially famous for its two canonical chimney towers, which are located in the kitchen. The individual rooms (such as the Swan Room) are also quite striking:
Another famous site in Sintra is the Palacio Nacional de Pena, which is perched on a plateau high above the city. It's an unusually colorful palace and looks like something out of a Disney movie:
Initially Dahlia wasn't too excited about visiting the palace. She had fallen alseep on the ride up the hill and her nap was interrupted by something loud on the palace grounds. Some quality time with Mommy (and some strawberries and cat-watching) made everything better:
After a short walk downhill, Dahlia and her parents arrived at Castelo dos Mouros. The castle, which built more than a thousand years ago, provides stunning views of Sintra and the Atlantic coast:
A nineteenth-century attempt to restore the castle was unsuccessful, but luckily the stairs along the castle walls are well preserved. Since climbing steps is one of Dahlia's favorite pasttimes, she had a blast:
A family portrait. As you can see, Dahlia is eager to get moving again:
While on their way to the Algarve region, Dahlia and her parents stopped in the town of Evora. Evora has been called an "architectual phenomenon" because you can still the remains of a series of conquerors in this walled city. After lunch Dahlia and her parents visited the famous Church of St. Francis and its Chapel of Bones. The sign below is something of a welcome mat. It says, "Our bones that stay here are waiting for yours!"
Why is it called the Chapel of Bones? Simply because the walls and central pillars of the chapel are lined with bones. Pretty creepy:
As you can see, Dahlia's parents were fascinated and took A LOT of pictures:
Legend has it that this gentleman tried to get into the chapel without paying the entrance fee:
One of the central pillars of the chapel. It probably isn't up to code:
While on their way to the Algarve region, Dahlia and her parents stopped in the town of Evora. Evora has been called an "architectual phenomenon" because you can still the remains of a series of conquerors in this walled city. After lunch Dahlia and her parents visited the famous Church of St. Francis and its Chapel of Bones. The sign below is something of a welcome mat. It says, "Our bones that stay here are waiting for yours!"
Why is it called the Chapel of Bones? Simply because the walls and central pillars of the chapel are lined with bones. Pretty creepy:
As you can see, Dahlia's parents were fascinated and took A LOT of pictures:
Legend has it that this gentleman tried to get into the chapel without paying the entrance fee:
One of the central pillars of the chapel. It probably isn't up to code:
After some contemplative time in the chapel, Dahlia and her parents went on walking tour of the compact city. The architectural variety was truly amazing -- everything from Roman to rococo:
After a half-day in Evora, it was time to hit the beach!
After a half-day in Evora, it was time to hit the beach!
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