Sintra and Cascias

A short day trip to the small town of Sintra is a must do for anyone staying in Lisbon. The sheer Disney'esque feel of the Pena Palace is almost an assault to the senses. The architecture style is called Manuelline and was commissioned by King Ferdinand II. In my opinion, the building makes little sense design sense, but it is incredibly interesting. From the Pena Palace, you can see the ruins of the Moorish castle walls built in the 9th century. Another fascinating site in Sintra is the Quinta da Regaleira. It is an extravagant Gothic mansion built by a millionaire in the late 19th century. It encompasses beautiful gardens (with an elaborate tunnel system), fountains, ponds and lookout towers.

Cascias is a wonderful day trip from Lisbon (a quick 45 minute train ride) that leads to an adorable seaside beach town complete with a small castle like villa right on the water.

The Queluz Palace... traditional Portuguese architecture. Absolutely stunning!

The Queluz Palace Gardens

The Moorish castle who's walls date back to the 9th century and can be seen from the Pena Palace.

The Pena Palace

The Pena Palace

Highly carved decor cover almost every surface of the Pena Palace

The Grand Palace at Quinta da Regaleira

Garden sculpture at Quinta da Regaleira

The Initiation Well (Poço Iniciáticoin) in the Quinta da Regaleira

An underground tunnel leads to this waterfall and pond at Quinta da Regaleira.

Roasted Chesnuts

Portuguese kiddos are the frickin cutest!

Cascias waterfront complete with seaside castle villa.

Cascias was just adorable!

CHEESE!!!