The Enchanted Castle in Portugal

Portugal is officially my favorite country in Europe, next to France of course. It is nice to go to a place with warm weather, in the high 50’s to low 60’s. Our first night we check out Lisbon’s bar scene at Barrio Alto, a hip part of town that houses the nightlife. We go from bar to bar, sampling various versions of the Caipirinha, a Portugese drink, and listening to their music. This is probably the most chilled out bar scenes I have ever been to, people just hanging out on the streets and in the bars, wandering along.

The next day we hire a car, squeeze 6 people into an Audi and make our way to nearby cities, one being Sintra, highly recommended by friends.  Driving through the winding roads lined with stone walls, we stumble upon Quinta da Regeleira, an old enchanted castle and gardens. This site embodies the romantic and cultural landscape of the city, filled with promenades, underground walkways, caves, towers, fountains and wells. I instantly fall in love with this mythical playground that evokes themes of heaven and hell, akin to Dante’s Inferno. Behind the magical castle, lies the terrace of the Gods, a pathway filled with sculptures. Depending on which path you choose, there are numerous mystic surprises ahead. Seeing a pond filled with ducks, there lays the entrance to an underground cave. We enter, using the light from our cell phones to guide us through. You literally cannot see anything inside, other than water through random openings in the cave. Exploring through, we take a flight of stairs and end up above the pond. The entire garden is sprinkled with such caves, connected underground. I get flashes of the movie, The Descent, about a group of women who get eaten by monsters as they explore caves. 

Making our way to the next level of the gardens, I feel as though we are on the quest for paradise, encountering mysterious abodes along the way. The walls that follow the winding paths are covered in vines and hanging trees. I feel like I am in a fantasy land, waiting to cross paths with a unicorn, a leprechaun or heck even an oompa loompa. Still trying to figure out what fairy tale to place this site in, the closest I can think of is Rapunzel. My friend climbs up one of the towers and looks out of the window, reminding me of the fairytale and I tell her to let down her long hair. Near the top, you can see the famous castle of Sintra in the hills. Making our way down, we check out the castle. One particular room is notable; I like to call it the Library of Illusions, as there is a mirror encircling the edges of the floor, making it feel like you are standing on a thin platform with books extending to the below floors. If this makes no sense, check it out for yourself. This is one of the most amazing sites I have seen, right after Petra in Jordan. In other words, if you are looking for romance, magic, and enchantment, Sintra is the place to go! 

We drive through the forests of Sintra, and along the coast, in search for the western most point of Portugal at Cabo da Roca. The forests are filled with eucalyptus trees and when you do get a glimpse of the water when there is a shortage of trees, it looks as though the sky and the ocean are one. Driving up and down the winding hills makes it feel like a joy ride, though more fun for the driver than those of us stuck in the back seat (it feels much more like a rollercoaster). At Cabo da Roca, the water is light green and blue as it splashes along the cliffs; I definitely want to go back in the summer time and learn to surf (as Portugal is a surfer’s haven).  Next was the city of Cascais, which also lines the coast of Portugal. I like to call it the lost city, the city that can’t be found. We drive from city to city in the region, wondering why it is so elusive and difficult for us to find it. That is an adventure in itself, searching for the place (maybe we just had a really bad GPS). After a nice dinner, we walk along the harbor, admiring this picturesque little town.

The last day we spend exploring Lisbon, finding a monument that is dedicated to the discovery of the seas and tasting the one of the best known pastries, the Pateis de Belem, an egg custard in a flaky shell. The store makes roughly 15,000 a day in order to meet the demand for these sweet treats.  Looks like I will have to come to Portugal again as my time here was not enough to indulge in the wonders of Sintra.