Up and out early yesterday for a small group tour. Group touring never was my cup of tea but......since I have aged and had a whole lot of cups of teas, I have grown accustomed to the notion of tours, guides, rides in cars and allowing someone, anyone with the license to do it, do it. So, Gustavo picked us up before eight in the morning and we picked up six other lovely American people for our journey to first, the cold and windswept Cabo da Roca which is the most northeast point one can step on. Following our beautiful time there, we traveled on to the heart-stoppingly beautiful town of Sintra where we picked up the local pastry and Lucy visited the local Starbucks just to make sure they had it right. Our next stop.....the Pena Palace.
The Pena Palace and Park was the creative project of and home to King Fernando II and his wife. It was at her begging that he, following the earthquake of 1755, added and added and added onto what was left of their home (a chapel) and, mixing Moorish and Manueline (after King Emanuel) architecture, he built what can only be described as a fairy-tale in the Sintra Mountains. It's way up there. In fact, it is miles up there, past lush and incredibly beautiful gardens and forestry. Probably would take four whole hours to walk up there if you were crazy enough to try. Lots of people wait in long lines for literally hours to enter the Palace but we zipped right on by the lines and entered with time to gaze at the opulent rooms and take in the commanding views.
After our time at the Pena Palace, Gustavo drove us to the to-die-for town of Cascais. Think San Tropez or Beverly Hills by the beach. High priced homes line the coast of aqua-colored sea and it's all about the beach and the good life in Portugal. Lunch was at a locals-frequented cafe. Piri-Piri Chicken for me (it's coated with that spicy oil) and octopus for Lucy. Okay, here's the thing.....I haven't really had any outstanding meals here, much to my surprise and easy on my diet. I'm still looking. Last night, we had amazing sushi, local fish was involved in the meal and it was wonderful but....I'm not going to oogle and oggle over the food here.
This, being the big holiday of Santo Antonio, there are lots of people in Lisbon. Everyone is happy. Life is good. Today,we play catch up. Lucy is tired. It isn't easy keeping up with a hyperactive grandmother.
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