Sintra

We slept in today. Breakfast was grabbed on the run so we could actually catch the bus to Sintra. This is a small town in the hills north of Lisbon. In the hills, it is a little cooler. To be comfortable therefore, royal families often spent their summers here. The idea was to escape the oppressive heat of Lisbon.

On the way, we passed under an aqueduct which was designed to bring water into Lisbon. One of the oldest, it was also one of the only structures to survive the big earthquake of 1755.

Arriving in Sintra, we immediately took note of the steep passageways.

This older building just stood out in the crowd.

We visited the National Palace of Sintra. In the main hall, the ceiling is covered in swans.

Detailed tiles are everywhere.

Another room has a ceiling covered in magpies. We were told that the king commissioned this ceiling because the
palace staff were gossiping too much.

Tiles and fireplaces.

A Royal Bedroom

It is time to pause for a story. Our guide explained that the king who slept in this bed wanted to go on an adventure. Being a Christian, he decided to travel to Morocco to kill some muslims. Several thousand young nobles went along for the excitement. In Morocco, however, they were surrounded and every single Portuguese Christian was killed. Our guide told us that she had visited Morocco on the anniversary of this battle. In Morocco, this anniversary is still a national holiday.

Unfortunately, the king at this point had no heirs. The crown went to a relative who was a monk and also had no heirs. Then, the only possible claim to the throne came from the king of Spain. Thus, for the only time in Portuguese history, the country suffered for a time under a dictatorship.

The white towers are actually chimneys. Apparently the kitchen was too smoky.

I love the detail in the window frames.

From this castle you can look up the hill to see another castle.

After then castle, there is the possibility of shopping.

We went sent to a washroom in the dark basement of a pub. Here we found this cleanup station.

This "palace" is actually the Sintra City Hall.