Monday April 22
Our last full day. I think we left again at 9 am on the bus. Have I said that the bus was almost always big enough for double the people we were? So comfortable.
First we went to Cascais, were we had been before but only to have lunch at a beach restaurant.
This time it was different. We visited actually the town. A very cute one.
We viewed the lovely beaches and clear blue water.
And yes, I bought some pashmina shawls for myself.
And then, back onto the bus and towards Sintra.
Ha-ha, we were so on the wrong track. On the itinerary was the Royal Palace in Sintra. Well, we thought we had been there already (in 2015) and were actually a bit sad that we would not go also to the Palácio e Quinta da Regaleira we had liked very much.
Well, there is another Palace in Sintra we had not been too. So we had a totally new experience.
Joana had tickets and on we went right in.
Joana explained on this model the different parts of the palace. The two white peaks on the right are the kitchen chimneys.
James and I decided to walk through this opening very fast. We didn't trust the stone arch on the top left.
This is the Swans Hall because of the crowned swans painted on the ceiling. It is assumed that they were painted in the 14th century when Sintra was directly administered by Queen Philippa of Lancaster. Her brother was Henry IV of England.
There were so many "nooks and crannies" all from different centuries.
I am always fascinated by potential lace or quilt ideas. These tiles....
Another painted ceiling. This one with ships.
The walls in this room were totally covered with large scenes painted on tiles.
It was impossible to take a photo to show what the kitchen was like. I can't even imagine how they would cook here. Two huge rooms.
This terrace was my favorite. Covered and with a beautiful view.
From the National Royal Palace we went straight across the street to have lunch.
The tables were very posh set up. The food was not so impressive. But by now we were really never hungry.
We had a little bit of free time to wander. We went to the Info and I had the strong feeling to have been there before. We got a map which explained the many palaces.
Next door was this church ... with some lace.
Back in the bus we had a view again of the palace we had just visited and we also saw the train station were we had arrived 2015.
But now it is time to pack the suitcases. Tomorrow morning we have to leave. Time has gone so fast.
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