Another great breakfast to start the day. Every place we’ve been has a pot of hot milk and a pot of coffee and the preferred ratio seems to be 1 to 1. The coffee is great, but it is really more like a big pot of espresso. Considering we’re not much of breakfast eaters, we’ve been eating like pigs! The kids are now really spoiled (they better eat up now because they’re not getting any of it next week!) We went to the National Palace of Sintra today which happens to be steps away from our hotel. It doesn’t really look like a palace which made it all the more interesting. We then headed way up above the city to visit the Pena Palace which was last occupied as recently as 1910. 
The most bizarre looking castle we’ve ever seen. It looks like the byproduct of some crazy childish dream. Pastel colors, gargoyles, seashells, turrets…nothing matches, really weird. We were able to walk around the parapets of the castle, really neat because we were actually in a low hanging cloud. CJ was amazed at being “in” a cloud. The inside was also fascinating. The last Portuguese queen fled in 1910 and she literally just up and left, so the interior is a very accurate look at what royal life was like at that time. All the furnishings, pictures, personal stuff, is still there. Really enjoyable to see and learn about. We gave the kids the choice of taking a tram back down or hiking back through the park and they chose the hike; until they realized how far it was. We decided to try a short-cut and it worked out great until we realized we were still inside the castle walls. Another “this would give my mom a heart attack” situation. We just found the “lowest” part of the wall and Chris jumped down and I passed him the kids. I can’t believe these walls repelled invaders for 500 years, they didn’t contain a single American family for an hour!
We then drove to Cascais on the coast and had a nice lunch before hitting Boca de Inferno. This translates to “Mouth of Hell” and it is a cauldron in the rocks where the surf crashes in at high tide. It is surrounded by freaky looking rockscape that has folds big enough to swallow the kids.
Once we explained the tide to CJ he decided he wanted to wait until high tide came in…even if it was “hours away.” We settled for ice cream instead and decided to head to Cabo de Roca which is the most western point in Europe. Along the way (it was only 20km away) we stopped at a really cool deserted beach. We parked up on a little promontory and walked down to the beach. The kids collected MORE shells (to add to the bagful we already have!) and played on the dunes for awhile before they realized they were FREEZING. We hoped to watch the sunset at Cabo de Roca but there was no sunset; just clouds and lots of wind. We took some picture to prove we were actually there and then headed back to Sintra (about 20 min.)
Once we explained the tide to CJ he decided he wanted to wait until high tide came in…even if it was “hours away.” We settled for ice cream instead and decided to head to Cabo de Roca which is the most western point in Europe. Along the way (it was only 20km away) we stopped at a really cool deserted beach. We parked up on a little promontory and walked down to the beach. The kids collected MORE shells (to add to the bagful we already have!) and played on the dunes for awhile before they realized they were FREEZING. We hoped to watch the sunset at Cabo de Roca but there was no sunset; just clouds and lots of wind. We took some picture to prove we were actually there and then headed back to Sintra (about 20 min.)
~
We are now enjoying a beer and watching the Benfica game while typing this. It’s about 9:00 and we’re debating if we really need dinner…or just another drink!
7 comments:
Awsome pictures,awsome trip.Y0u really would not have had as many super experiences if moi was with you. I would be freaking out over some places. But the food, there I would have been just fine.Bring on the squid and octipie or whatever. can't wait to see all ofthe pics. Boy guess our trip to the HolyLand in Orlando pales in comparison. Love M&D
You have made me proud!! Of course those walls couldn't contain you, you guys are AMERICAN!!! Those Porto-dudes are lucky we were busy building USA into #! when they were really using that wall. Because you know, if we had needed extra building material, we would have just gone to that town and taken their wall. BTW, We had our own trip today, we toured the Basilica in Baltimore (just celebrated its 200 year birthday this past fall), stopped in at St. Alphonse's, a quick side trip to the Enoch Pratt Free Library, then to the Inner Harbor for lunch, the MD Science Museum (complete with IMAX movie of the Nile: Note to Annie, thanks to IMAX, I can now cross Ethiopa, Sudan and Egpyt of my list, I have "been" there now, and way better than you can do in real life, and without threat of Malarie, insurgent guerillas, and most other things that make travelling outside the United States a ridiculous endeavor) and then a quick dinner in Little Italy. Oh, did I mention I didn't even need to leave the state to see all these great sites! On the way out, we drove through little Havana, which is pretty much like Portugal, except it is on this side of the Atlantic. Oh, and four blocks later it is Greek Town, and four blocks later it is something else and so on. Baltimore is essentially a blue collar version of EPCOT. Love RJ>
Great pictures. You must've felt like true illegal immigrants jumping over the castle wall! I like CJ's haircut and his photography skills. Has Abby come out of the corner yet? I guess she liked the octopi.
RJ - A trip up to VT right now and you can cross off Antartica.
Love - Simo
Hi Guys - Eileen here. What a great vacation - sure beats yet ANOTHER snowstorm (On the other hand I do work for the gas company...)
I've had difficulty posting to this blog - I've typed several messages only to lose them - I'm sure its user error.
So what is the difference between squid and octupus? I've always thought squid was just an octupus version of a forceps baby, you know the squeezed head look.
Can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip.
Love - Eileen
Nice Eileen. "Forceps Baby-Squeezed Head"? Yeah, you should go to Europe with Annie and Chris. I can see you going with them to China. You would get to Mongolia and say "So, where are all your retards? Oh, I guess it's all of you!!" HAHAHAHA RJ.
Eileen, you made me think (when you mentioned yourself and gas in the same sentence). You know how when you join a fraternity you have to do certain things to get "in" the club? Before they made you vice-president whatever at Vermont Gas, did they ask you to "produce" a blue flame? If I were the President of your company, that is what I would do, FOR EVERY EMPLOYEE. If they could not produce a blue flame, they would not work for me. As my Dad says, "There is nothing as funny as a fart" and a blue flame is a fart with an exclamation point! A deep blue, highly flammable point, but an exclamation point just the same. I myself have produced more blue flames than all the gas lit stoves in your neighborhood combined. Usually without prodding. Sometimes, I am ashamed of this. And then Michelle will tell me that when I do that, it is one of the proudest moments of her life as a wife. And then I feel better about myself. RJ.
There is great potential for excellent Christmas card material.You may be in competition with your mom and dad for the best narrative this year, Annie! Mmmmmm, the food looks scrumptious. CJ and Abby will definately return being more discriminate food critics. How are you going to replicate the squid???
I hope you were relaxed and obviously, had an adventurous time. What great memories you've created. How's the driving, Chris? I'm sure you've been loving that aspect.Take care and safe journey.
Oh yeah, the Indians had to play their opener in Milwaukee due to all the snow on the field. Go figure.
Love,
shelley
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