Confessions of a Castleholic

Sintra, located about 25 kilometres north of Lisbon, is the stuff that fairytales and palace dreams are made of. Truth be told, you would probably need two to three days to discover all the castles and palaces of the area - as I just had a day, I picked four of them to get a closer look at. The Palácio Nacional de Sintra , which can be seen in the picture above, was on the bottom of my list. So while I did pass it in the morning after arriving in Sintra, I passed up the chance to visit just yet. Instead I made my way to the Quinta de Regaleira - and it was like stepping right into a fairytale. Not only the various royal families of Portugal throughout history liked to build palaces and mansions in Sintra. So did the nobles and wealthy. The Quinta de Regaleira , which was owned by the millionaire António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro, doesn't only feature a fantastic little palace, it also contains a stunning park. The Initiation Wells are probably their most famous feat...

My second day in Lisbon was all about visiting Alfama, the Portuguese capital's oldest district, and the Castelo de São Jorge located at its top with some very nice views thrown in for good measure. But first, I had to get off the hill I'm staying on. On the way I had chosen lay a church, the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição Velha to be precise. While I don't think it's technically located in Alfama, the church did have both a pretty portal as well as a ceiling painting portraying the Triumph of Our Lady of the Conception. The Alfama was about the only area of Lisbon spared from the devastating earthquake that hit the city in 1755 - more about it in yesterday's post - and thus the quarter has remained a picturesque labyrinth of narrow streets, small squares and beautiful old buildings. And oh my, I had to really refrain myself from stopping at every second one to take pictures. One of Alfama's main attractions is the Catedral Sé Patriarcal ...