Today is our day trip to Sintra which is supposed to get very crowded thus the early start
Hoping other tourists are still sleeping
Walk to Rossio Train station, about 15 minutes away
Steep escalator up from the sidewalk to the ticket office (reminds me of the Penn Station escalator in NY)
Buy roundtrip tickets, proceed to gate, and board the 8:00 train which is already in the station
Looking good, train is pretty empty.
After 40 minutes arrive at Sintra train station
Sites don't open until 9:30 so decide to walk to old town instead of taking any of the waiting taxis from the station to the sites. Will get a cab or Uber or bus from town.
The 15-minute walk is definitely worth it as the sidewalk has been well lined with large sculptures
Relaxing Sculpture, Girl Relaxing Sculpture, Boy
Wander around town then decide to call Uber to Moors Castle (Castelo dos Mouros) (skipping the major attraction - Pena Palace which is probably too crowded for us)
Ignore the several taxis that pass by
Uber driver quickly accepts the ride and we start to wait the 10 minutes
Something goes wrong and he texts that he can't drive the route we need
He tells us to cancel, we tell him to cancel, neither of us wanting a cancellation fee
This goes back and forth until it finally just cancels
No more taxis around
Ask at the Tourist Information Office about getting a taxi
The response is 'walk back to the train station or call them'
TI gives number but will not make the call
Grab some maps and leave
Call and get an answering machine speaking Portuguese
Decision made to take bus
Line is a mile long
After waiting awhile, I see another line up ahead with very few people in it
I walk over and find out it is another bus just no line
I wave our group over and we are around 10th to board
The driver closes the doors 3 people in front of us
Both buses leave
Next bus in 2 minutes
Our line is getting longer but we are at the front
A car drives up and blocks the bus lane
A bus pulls up and stops behind the car
We are in front of the car
The bus opens its doors
We are no longer near the doors
The middle of the line starts to head to the doors
The front of the line rallies and cuts them off just in time
We board
You can buy an all-day ticket, a roundtrip ticket or a one-way ticket
Keep options open -one-way ticket it is
Twisty turny ride
Castelo Mouros - Moorish Castle
Shaina and Mo already decide not to do return on bus, will figure out how to walk down later
Dropped near ticket booth for Moorish Castle, buy tickets and immediately head to coffee machine
Beautiful 10-minute uphill walk to the entrance of Castelo dos Mouros 1000-year-old ruins.
I need WC. Posted map by small museum shows only one back where we came from by a Moorish guard station/lookout point that we bypassed on the way in.
I walk back down, passing a nice shaded rock/cave, to the guard house for WC which is behind a locked gate and probably not used since Moor times.
Panting, I ascend back up to the museum where I left everyone.
Shaina tells me, 'You're reaching the age'
Not wanting to know what age that is, I ignore her
Another 5-minute walk and we are at the entry gate with a sign for the WC
Someone needs to update the other map!
I follow the signs to the lady's 'WC' - up the steps and up again and end up on a dead-end deck with benches. Back down some steps and around some bends and see 2 doors. One with a skinny man picture,
the other with a Christmas tree ball looking woman on it.
What's that trying to say? The fat woman door is locked. I wait and wait, nothing. Mo shows up and I have him stand guard while I use the skinny men's room. Upon exiting and walking around the back of the walkway I find the skinny women's WC.
What exactly does that arrow mean The Xmas tree one was handicap one.
Trying to confuse Sherrie
We wander the ruins and ramparts. Beautiful views, fun wandering up and down the stone steps.
Ernie says "It's a hell of a wall like the Great Wall of China"
Pena Palace and Moorish Castle
Pena Palace
Panorama No cooperation
We picnic on American-made (Shaina and Ernie), Portuguese ingredients either chicken or truth telling rooster (not sure which) and non-lactose cheese (because Shaina can't read Portuguese) sandwiches.
Mo getting his steps Ernie getting his steps Ernie and Mo rest Ernie is crowned
Sweet Couple Ernie on Guard Cloud cover or tsunami?
After several hours of roaming the ruins, we buy iced tea and water and leave to find a shady spot to drink. Hint, hint.
I have a great idea - I lead everyone to my secret hidden rock/cave on the way to the closed WC. Ernie doesn't want to come as it is downhill then back uphill, but we leave him so he follows. Perfect spot - stone bench behind an angled boulder the size of a small mountain that doesn't look like anything much is holding it up but we opt for shade and ignore the dangers.
Sherrie keeping everyone safe No one caring
Eventually we realize we have to start the long trek down. I down 2 Advil just in case.
We get back to the ticket area and search for the trail. After a bit of uncertainty, we take the only one anyone sees. (Of course, I lag behind to be sure it is right so I don't have to retrace my steps. - They finally come back for me)
It is reported as steep but beautiful with forests and views.
True on both accounts.
Which way is which Path is twisty with well-maintained steps. Pass sheer rock faces that have pitons ready for rock climbers.
Mo wants that route
Mo gets hungry on the way down Mo and Shaina after eating
Eventually arrive at a gate along the trail entering the grounds of Vila Sassetti.
Just Fit Wind thru gardens and whimsical buildings (mostly round shaped), up steps to nowhere. Not sure if anyone lives here but was designed by architect Luigi Manini.
The Villa King for a day
Somehow, we end up back in the town of Sintra - we made it. Wouldn't want to walk up the trail as others were doing!
Welcoming Committee Making fun of Welcoming Committee
We GPS ourselves to Casa Piriquita II, a recommended cafe for travesseiros - a puff pastry rolled, turned and folded 7 times. We try 2 types, almond and chocolate. Also bite sized queijadas with marzipan, cheese and cinnamon. Neither compare to Pastel de Nata. A little disappointing. We want lattes but they only have galau - lots of hot milk with expresso - like a hot Portuguese version of Rhode Island cold coffee milk. Maybe they brought it to RI.
Next stop, Quinta da Regaleira, a strange Gothic castle, same architect as Villa Sassetti.
It's about a 10-minute walk from town past a big fountain that people drink from but doesn't look too sanitary??
Quinta Regaleira
The castle is on a huge property with gardens, strange wells that do not look like they were ever designed to hold water. You can walk from the top all around the outside of them to the bottom - one looks like swiss cheese.
There are caves meandering around in different directions,
waterfalls, stepping stones across water (Shaina wouldn't cross and wouldn't let me go more than 4 stones out, of course all the 4 year olds did fine, maybe she's reaching that age).
As far as I'm allowed One area is called the 'tennis court' - just a huge flat dirt area with stone bleachers around it.
Lots of spiral staircases. The mansion is very ornate although the top floors are closed for renovations.
We walk back to town, then back to the train station where we have a 30-minute wait for the next train. I buy an ice cream cone (no one else wants one) - you know the old fashion type in the paper wrapper and hard chocolate topping. By the time I get back to everyone Shaina decides to eat my cone.
We had a very full day and we are so exhausted that no one talks for the 40-minute trip back.
We stop at Bertrand Bookstore (the longest continuously functioning one in the world)
I want to buy a book in English but can't get help - they are too busy checking people out, literally. On the other hand, Shaina and Mo get to use the toilets (no hills involved).
Quick stop at grocery store for Lisbon version of Costco chicken, salad and food for tomorrow's sandwiches. This time we keep Shaina away from the cheese and buy 'with' lactose...Flamingo cheese whatever that is. It is not pink. I suggest we add mustard to the mix and Mo buys spinach to make for the perfect Americana sandwich.
