Confessions of a Castleholic

Day 6 in Portugal was my last day in Lisbon, so it was time to just wander the streets once again and try to see a few more royal sights. Truth be told, I didn't take too many pictures of my last day. That's what tends to happen to me on every holiday. On the first few days, I take a gazillion and one picture - towards the end, I don't take that many anymore despite seeing new things. What I did take pictures of though was the Panteão Nacional . The former Igreja de Santa Engrácia was turned into a national pantheon during the 20th century and is now the burial place of important Portuguese people such as several presidents, writer Almeida Garrett, singer Amália Rodrigues and footballer Eusébio. Nearby are the Igreja and Mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora with the monastery being the star of the show. It features rooms with ceiling paintings and azulejos , ... ...cloisters with azulejos ... ...the Royal Pantheon of the House of Bragança, which wil...

So, let's continue with the coverage of my holiday in Portugal. I'm (not very) sorry but holidaying simply got in the way of blogging during the last couple of days - thus we have to play catch-up! My fifth day in Portugal was a one not including very much sightseeing, thus this will be a rather short post. It does give a sneak peak into a place that will merit its very own post with l-o-a-d-s of information though, the Palácio de Queluz . The palace is one of the last great Rococo buildings to be designed in Europe. Built in 1747 at the orders of the future King Pedro III, the consort of Queen Maria I, the Palace of Queluz was initially conceived as a summer residence, becoming the royal family’s preferred place for their leisure and entertainment. They lived there permanently from 1794 until their departure for Brazil in 1807, as a result of the French invasions.

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...

On my third day in Portugal I visited Belém, home of not one but two UNESCO World Heritage sites as well as some very tasty pastries. One of the two World Heritage sites is the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos . The monastery, including a church, is one of the most prominent examples of Portuguese Late Gothic Manueline style. King Manuel I of Portugal built it in 1502 on the site of a church dedicated to Santa Maria de Belém founded by Prince Henry the Navigator, where Vasco da Gama and his crew spent their last night in Portugal in prayer before leaving for India. (Phew, long sentence!) The Mosteiro dos Jerónimos was built to commemorate Da Gama's voyage and give thanks to the Virgin Mary for its success. His tomb can also be found in the church. The heart-stealer of the show though certainly is the cloister: Oh, the prettiness! So. Many. Details. I think I took approximately 100 pictures just of all the magnificent columns carved with maritime motifs such as rope, sea mon...