A less visited but still beautiful palace in Sintra is the Monserrate Palace. This palace surrounded by beautiful gardens is a blend of Arabic, Gothic, and Indian architectural styles. The actual palace was imagined by an Englishman, Sir Francis Cook, who decided to build a summer residence from the ruins of a pre-existent neo-gothic palace … Continue reading Monserrate Palace, Sintra Dec 2019
Sintra in Portugal became one of the first places to exemplify a new architectural style during the period of Romanticism in the 18th and 19th centuries. Sintra became a canvas where the wealthy and artistically-minded built whimsical buildings in bright colors and embellishments that previously only existed in fairy tales. This mix of decorative art, … Continue reading Pena Palace, Sintra Dec 2019
Happy 2020 everyone! The first post of the year will be on one of my favorite places in Portugal 😃 Not far from Sintra Village on the Portuguese Riviera is the 19th century Quinta de Regaleira which its owner Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro transformed into a unique palace with symbols of Masonry, the Knights Templar, … Continue reading Quinta de Regaleira Dec 2019
Bright and early today, I head out to Sintra on the Portuguese Riviera about half an hour west of Lisbon. Sintra is the epitome of Romanticist architecture and I think it really belongs in a fairy tale. I’m not surprised it was once the summer retreat for the Kings and Queens of Portugal. It is … Continue reading National Palace of Sintra Dec 2019
To the west of central Lisbon is Belem, home to the rich seafaring Portuguese heritage. This is where the great voyageurs of the 15th century departed for their journeys to India, Africa, and South America and returned with all kinds of treasures. There are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites here: Torre de Belém (Belém Tower) … Continue reading Belem, Lisbon Dec 2019
It must have been a good 20 years since I was last in Lisbon. To be honest, I didn’t think much of it back then and vaguely remembered the main sightseeing spots. Apparently after years of being overlooked, it has, in recent years, become a very popular destination in Europe. It seems that everyone I … Continue reading Lisbon Dec 2019
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