Alarm off at 6am this morning as going on one of the few organised tours we are doing on this trip that Jane organised through Viator online. A small group, max of 8 tour to Sintra and a couple other places outside of Lisbon. Ready and waiting for breakfast to open downstairs at 7am and then round the corner to Praca da Figueroa to meet the tour bus at 7.45.
Our guide David was on time in the Mercedes van and we sat in the back with another couple, a bit older from Beunos Aires, Argentina that did not speak English. 2 more stops for pickups and the 8 were in. As Jane was still not feeling well from the stomach ailment, we moved to the front seat and we were off to the first stop , Sintra, about 30 minutes away supposedly. Barely 10 minutes down the highway and traffic jam. All 3 lanes down to a crawl and eventually passed the cause a car overturned on its roof. It appeared no-one was injured and we were quickly back up to speed. This however meant by the time we got to the town of Sintra we were 40 minutes behind schedule. We only had an hour to walk around this town and have a look at the old palace from the outside, but I think this was adequate. David was very informative but not over the top, good start. Sintra is famous as it in the cooler hills behind Lisbon and the National Palace was the royal holiday palace for many monarchs and a place for many famous people of the time to holiday, including Lord Byron which means there is obviously a cafe named after him and a plaque on a wall. There is also the Quinoa de Regaleria with its unique architecture and amazing gardens.
10.20 back in the bus and up we went along a windy, narrow cobblestoned road until we were near the Palácio Nacional da Pena. All out the bus and up the hill we walked. This was not a small effort as the gradient was extremely steep and very uneven cobblestones. Stopped a couple of times for the elder couple but honestly the rest of us were glad we had to, it was extreme. We finally got to the top and what a magnificent sight. The castle is brightly coloured with unique Romanesque architecture and battlements that started with the Moors and totally restored/ renovated by King Ferdinand 11 in 1838 into what it is today. It was the royal residence for some time until the fled in 1910 due to the revolution. The only issue was that this is the most visited attraction in Portugal and up to 8,000 visitors a day can go through the Pena Palace and it looked like this was one of those days. There are set times and ours was 11am but we didn't get inside until 11.30 as there are no skip the queue here. You have your allotted group time and you wait in line. David did the waiting for us while we all wandered around the exterior and onto the battlements for some fantastic views, Alberton an extremely windy day. Finally inside to a well structured tour around the interior which was all furnished supposedly as it was when the royals fled.
I must say and I think all the group agreed that the exterior is the best part of the Palace, but maybe we've seen too many others.
A careful walk back down to the bus and it was the off to Caba de Roca, the most western point of the European mainland. Went past a few places where the recent wildfires had been and it was understandable with the vegetation, temperatures and high winds. Got out to have a look and take a couple of photos but not out for long at all as so windy it almost blew you off your feet. A very spectacular view however.
From here we then followed the pretty coastal road through Guincho (most expensive real estate in Portugal apparently) to the summer beach resort town of Cascais.
It was now after 2pm and David dropped us off in the centre of town with a few recommendations for lunch, with instructions of where to meet him (McDonald's of course, not one of the recommended restaurants) at 4pm to head back to Lisbon.
We all went to the same recommended place , a seafood restaurant, Pesacdor which I must say was excellent and not overpriced . Love viewing social interactions, the Argentinian couple sat together away from us, the gay guy couple from the UK ( one of whoms mother lives in Perth) chose a table alone and Jane and I sat with the gay travel agent from Miami ( his husband was home looking after the house and no I am not making this up) and the lone younger female from Sweden, living off and on in London for the last 20 years of African American descent. All four of us had the grilled sea bass with new potatoes which was brilliant except for the bloody bones 🤬 and all chose a different traditional Portuguese dessert, mine grilled pineapple in syrup, yum.
By the time we finished lunch it was 3.30 and we hadn't even looked around the town. Quick walk to the promenade to see the beach and the red lobster bodies sunbaking and then back to the meeting place under the golden arches to David. Sorry we didn't look a little more around Cascais but it's supposed to be a holiday and the lunch was perfect and company delightful and engaging, which is what holidays should be.
The trip back was without incident and we were back in the hotel almost on the dot of 5pm; now for a little late afternoon nap and then attend to the laundry.
I found a laundrette just up the street from the hotel, so we set off there with bags in hand , only to discover that the bloody money machine wouldn't take notes (broken) and we diihave enough in coins. So down the street to a shop to buy one bottle of €1 water with £5 euro note which gave me enough change for the washing machine. Jane went back to the room while I waited, speaking to a lovely young Italian female who couldn't work the machine, so needed my assistance. Then into the only dryer available, €2 and only 12 minutes. Obviously didn't choose the right setting and no where near dry, so back on again but #@$#&# me, not enough money again. So back to the shop and this time with a beer in hand back with the €2 for the dryer. Some items still not properly dry, but can't be bothered any further, so everything stuffed in the bags and back to the room to set up the Chinese laundry drying.
Time for a beer and wine before hitting the sack around 9pm after what was a most enjoyable and what seemed a long day.
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