Sintra, Portugal

I heard about a magical place a few hours outside of Lisbon. Naturally, I had to check it out!

Two hours after leaving Lisbon, by trains, I started an uphill ascent that took nearly an hour. These are some photos along the way. What kind of plant is this? I used it quite a bit as a child because it grows wild in Hawaii.

These next photos are some of my favorites, and some of the best I've ever taken. Nothing's been retouched or 'worked-on'. Gorgeous!

Cloudy days, cloudy days.

The Moorish influence runs deep in Portugal. This was a way stop going up the mountain. I could have waited for a bus to take me to the top, but that was nearly four Euros, and I wanted to really soak everything in.

Ideally, this would have been the way to travel!

A common sight on the way up? A castle in the foothills. The lush vegetation and stiking differences in the buildings buried in the hills made sights like this that much more intense.

The sun started shining the higher up I went. What a place to try and attack!

Nice little Rook, too bad the moat wasn't in full effect.

When you make it to a far away castle in Portugal, I highly suggest bringing along a bottle of Vinho de Porto. It's a little sweet, but combined with cheeses and dried meats, it's a great way to unwind, unfocus, and absorb.

Still standing, after all this time. The wind was most impressive, rushing up the mountain side and whipping about violently. I wonder how often they replace the flag?

Crawling along the battlements, looking back, and realizing that this place was so big that to run downstairs for a sandwich was a half day affair, at best! That's it for now, more to come later.

Posted by Liam on January 7, 2006 09:01 PM | Permalink