A quick breakfast and hustle to the Moorish train station was on the agenda for the morning as we had an extra packed day scheduled – A half-day visit to the nearby town of Sintra, then to the district of Belem and finally a food tour with a company called “We Hate Tourism” that Grant found. We were excited, but also a bit nervous about how much we had to do.
The quick 30 minute train ride to Sintra was over in a flash and then we had to stop to refuel (as it seems like the breakfast was a little too quick ;)) and then another bus ride up the very steep hills to our first stop – the Moorish Castle. The castle had been built by the Moors when they had taken over Portugal in the late 700s AD, and then rebuilt and expanded by subsequent rulers over the years. Nowdays, the exterior walls are all that remains – the interior courtyards and building having given way back to the trees, but it’s still an amazing site. The 5 of us had a great time scampering all over the mountain, enjoying the heights, the views and the sunshine!
Then it was on to Pena Palace, which looks like a cross between a Disney castle and a Sorbet Sunday. It’s colorful, fanciful and down right gorgeous. We did a walk of the outer walls, learned about the rules of Royalty (pro-tip, just because you marry the Queen, it doesn’t make you King!) and enjoyed even more great views.
While there was even more to explore in Sintra, we couldn’t stay and had to hop back on the train ASAP if we were to make it to our next stop: Belem
Any local or guide book will tell you, there are three things you need to do in Belem: Visit the Monastery do Jeronimo, the Belem Tower and eat some of their famous Custard Tarts. And while we were a little too late to climb the Tower, we did get to visit the Monastery’s Church where we saw the tomb of Vasco De Gama, watched the tide go out around the tower, and eat fresh made tarts.
They were so warm and delicious that we ended up buying 10 more for the next few days!
Then it was a quick cab to the Rossio, where we met our fellow diners and guide, Gonzy, for our dinner tour.
One bus, fun bus!
We were hungry, but first we got to visit a great belle vista that no one but the locals know about to see the sun set over Lisbon.
Libson is beautiful from any angle
Then it was off to a local haunt where we enjoyed great Portuguese cuisine including small snails, black sausage, grilled pork, a seafood and bread dish (name unknown!) and of course, lots of wine!
After dinner, we hit up a few more spots including the tower of Belem for a digestif Port, and then up to the top of another of Lisbon’s 7 hills for more city views before being dropped off back in the Barrio Alto and home.
We thought about going out for a night cap, but we’d done so much walking, scrambling, hiking, etc that we all ended up just heading to bed. Which was not the worst idea as we had to head off to Lagos in the morning!
– J & G