Backroads of Iberia: Spanish Paradores & Portuguese Pousadas
September 30 - October 16, 2018
Part One: Portugal, Page Two - Sintra and farmland
Pena National Palace outside Lisbon above the village of Sintra.
The castle stands on the top of a hill in the Sintra Mountains.
It is a national monument and constitutes one of
the major expressions of 19th-century Romanticism in the world.
The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also used for
state occasions by the President of the Portuguese Republic
and other government officials.
View of the Palace from another angle
Entrance to the Palace
The Palace is a 19th century hilltop castle,
built on the ruins of an ancient monastery.
King Ferdinand transformed the remains of the monastery
into a palace that would serve as a summer residence
for the Portuguese royal family.
Gargoyle
Portuguese father and child touring the Palace
Closeup look at Portuguese tile on one of the palace walls.
View of the Clock Tower
View of the village of Sintra
Back in Lisbon, the modern train station. At this point, we had
finished touring the City and were heading out of town.
From Lisbon we drove through farmland and stopped
at a place
that engages in the art form of azulejos.
We also visited a cheese making farm. One of the owners explained
the cheesemaking.
Some of the tour group "assisting" in cheesemaking. This photo
was taken by our tour leader. Geneva from Arizona, on the left,
has done 29 OAT trips, some more than once!
The cheese farm
Cork factory. Portugal supplies the world with over 50% of the
cork used to make wine and champagne "stoppers."
Link to Part One, Page Three - Evora, Portugal
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