It is not uncommon for every town to have a special pastry.  After a visit to the local bakery for the town’s “aqueijada”, a scrumptious petite flaky pastry flavored with cinnamon, our first stop was the storybook Palacio de Pena from the 19th century.  It is a sight to beholden. The drive up to the castle was on a long, very narrow and winding road and quite eventful with its bends and turns which amps up one to a breathtaking image of this mythical residence.  It is a so-called “romanticist” palace that looks like it could have been created by Walt Disney and plopped right in the middle of Disneyland.  For history buffs, King Ferdinand built it in the 19th century as a summer retreat.  The palace features everything a “Disneyland/fairytale” palace needs:  drawbridges, turrets, ramparts, domes, numerous intriguing gargoyles, all washed in an array of pastel colors.  The exterior has a number of styles:  Neo-Gothic, Islamic and Neo-Renaissance.  The interior is decorated in gaudy Victorian and Edwardian styles.  The interesting fact about the palace is that King Fernando II purchased the ruins of a monastery here and adapted it and added on to for use as a residence according to his “romantic” taste.

We headed to the historical center of Sintra for lunch.  Since it was not quite noon, many of the restaurants were not open.  One of the restaurant options, was a French restaurant right in the middle of the square-we knew it was going to be a tourist trap;however, we reluctantly entered.  Big mistake!  In many foreign countries, you pay for any extras such as bread.  That is fine with us.  We were asked if we wanted bread and we said yes.  The waiter then proceeded to bring out bread, olives, cheese and prosciutto.  Needless to say, we “dug in” for a whopping $30 “price of bread” plus our mediocre lunch!  A lesson learned. . . turn down anything other than bread and don’t go to an obvious tourist- trap restaurant.

Apres lunch, we drove by a few more spectacular castles in Sintra and headed to the lighthouse and rocky bluffs of Cabo de Roca.  It is Europe’s westernmost point.  We also briefly visited the famous surfing beach, Guincho Beach and stopped at Boca de Inferno (a.k.a Hell’s Mouth).  It a chasm located in the seaside cliffs. Especially during inclement weather, the waves strike the cave walls in a violent explosive manner.  We continued our drive down the coast to the famous former fishing town of Caiscais which is now a trendy vacation getaway and Estoril which is known for it’s casino.

This evening we listened to some interesting fado music sung by a very masculine but sonsy woman while dining on Portuguese fare of potatoes and fish.

Alluring Lisbon has cobblestone, hilly streets, vibrant buildings and colorful neighborhoods. This morning, we took a free walking tour of the Chiado/Baixa,areas of “Lisboa”.  Lisbon’s city center is home to these two neighborhoods that meld together into one.  We were surprised at all the high-end shops and elegant cafes that encompass the Chiado area.  We were told that it is one of the most fashionable areas of Lisbon.  .  .  .  and indeed it is!  The tour started at Camoes Square.  The square was full of people, sitting outside cafes in the sun, snapping photos and gathering around street performers.   One of the area’s biggest attractions is the Convento do Carmo.  It is a beautiful medieval church in a state of ruin due to the major 1755 earthquake.  The Santa Justa Elevator, another of Lisbon’s icons, offers Neo-Gothic architecture with long lines in order to take the elevator to the top.  Our guide led us up to almost the top with no lines and no cost!

From Praca do Comercio, Lisbon’s main square, we took a scenic tram ride to the very popular district of Belem.  It  is about 5 miles outside downtown Lisbon along the coast.  We had lunch at a charming little cafe along the street.  Belem is noted for it’s famous Portuguese custard tart invented by the Jeronimos monks 200 years ago.  By inventing and selling the pastry, it enabled the monks to avoid closing down the monastery.  The Jeronimos Monastery is a very imposing structure and left us breathless both inside and out.  It is a famous example of the Portuguese late gothic architecture along with the equally famous Tower of Belem which is almost across the street adjacent to the Tagus River.  Belem reflects all the grandeur that characterized the “Age of Discovery” as this was the start of nearly all of Portugal’s voyages of exploration.  This area is packed with interesting historical sites.

We had dinner tonight at “La Petite Cafe” very close to our hotel.  The seafood was delicious as well as was the wine.    Portuguese food is wonderful and the Portuguese wine is even better.  Lisbon is the place where you come expecting nothing in particular and leave wishing that you could take it with you.  It definitely has a “chill-out” vibe and we absolutely love everything about it!

David was confirming our flight to Lisbon on the way to the airport in Madrid at 8:30 this morning. He suddenly realized (even though he had looked at the flight information at least 5 times over the last few days) that we were booked on the 11:00 PM flight not the 11:30 AM flight. We ended up having to purchase two new “round-trip” tickets for the last two seats on the 11:30 AM flight.  As a result, this short flight from Madrid to Lisbon will be one of the most expensive individual flights that we will take in 7 1/2 months of travel!  DANG!!

We arrived in Lisbon in the afternoon, checked into our hotel, grabbed some lunch and had a few hours to explore the city.  Our boutique hotel, the Memmo Alfama, is a little diamond in the heart of Alfama.  The hotel was formally a bakery and was turned into a hotel 3 years ago.  The “miradouros” (views in Portuguese) from the rooftop bar of the Tejo River are spectacular.  Alfama is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Europe and surely one of the most picturesque of Lisbon.  We are staying near the medieval Castle of Sao Jorge, where there are some of the best views of the city from this Moorish castle.  The main facade of the castle looks similar to a fortress.

The Alfama district was the one district that was not destroyed in the 1755, 9.0 earthquake; so there are numerous buildings older than the rest of the city.  It is a village within a city; and, retains much of the Moorish fishing village charm.  It was quite easy for us to get lost this afternoon in its timeless labyrinth of intertwining alleyways. The maze of cobbled streets and alleys here veer between the quaint and rustic with yellow trams snaking up the steep streets.  Everywhere you turn there are small patios, picturesque squares, and whitewashed houses with tile panels adorned with wrought-iron balconies. The chipped tiles, peeling paint and wash hanging on lines gives the neighborhood a level of authenticity.  It’s appears that this is a neighborhood people live in rather than just come to visit.  Many of the families have been living in this old part of the city for generations.  It is definitely part of Alfama’s charm. Despite Alfama being one of Lisbon’s star attractions, the area did not feel touristy to us.  Aimlessly wandering the streets of Alfama today was a great introduction to beautiful Lisboa.

It has been interesting – the Portuguese are very proud of their heritage and often bring up the Age of Discovery – when the Portuguese  sailed the world and discovered new lands.  That 150 year period ended 450 years ago!