After gathering our group together we set out for Sintra and the Palace of Pena, the first stop on our tour. Unlike last year when we had a bright sunny day, this morning the palace, which sits atop a mountain, was shrouded in mist. It looked very mysterious as if from some old fairy tale. Pena is a relatively modern castle built in the 19th century by the King of Portugal. Inside it has an incredibly eclectic assortment of things. The kings and queens who lived there were typical people of the Victorian age. They abhorred empty spaces so each room is filled to the brim with all sorts of knickknacks and furniture.
We descended from the mountain and spent a little while in the quaint town of Sintra below. After lunch there we drove to Cap da Roca, the westernmost point on the European continent. Next stop from there is the USA.
Our drive then took us through the towns of Cascais and Estoril, playgrounds to the rich and famous, back to Lisbon. On Mondays the Jeronimos Monastery is closed so we could only see the outside. But we were able to stop at the café that sells the famous Pasteis de Belem, the trademark pastry of Lisbon. On an average day the café sells 15,000 of the delicious little cakes.
As we passed our last stops at the Belem Tower and the Monument to the Discoverers along the river we saw probably the most unique sight of the trip so far. Several fire engines, police cars and an ambulance came roaring by. The road along the waterfront is broken up by little inlets going into marinas and people who don’t realize the road is not a continuous straight one frequently drive off the edge into the river. Evidently some confused person had done just that! Fortunately Antonio our driver knew the way so we made it back to the ship without mishap.
Lisbon is a beautiful city and well worth a visit!
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