Lisboa 3: Sintra

My research on Sintra was inadequate.

I knew the train ran from Rossio and that my navigante occasional card would zap me there. I would find a stellar collection of historic sites and walking trails to explore. Buses run from the center of Sintra to distant palaces. But the geography? And distances?

Yeah. Bombed on that homework assignment

The Depot

Walked past Rossio train station after my pequeno-almoço of gooey, fresh-from-the-oven pastéis de nata, and a cappuccino, at Castro on Rua Aurea. I had noticed the Art Nouveau flavored façade of the station, just didn’t recognize it as portal to transportation. Turned around when I realized I’d wandered beyond 1̊   de Dezembro up Avenida da República.

I love trains. I love all forms of public transportation. Lisbon makes getting about convenient and inexpensive that way. The forty-five minute ride to Sintra cost something like $2.35.

Orientation

As I dodged the horde flogging brochures and tours to us day-trippers, I wondered where exactly the Palácio Nacional de Sintra was. GPS claimed it was a seventeen-minute walk. Deciding to conserve my strength, I popped €13.50 for the “Hop-on Hop-off” bus that went to “all palaces and castles.”

Should have taken the time to read the map. Of course, it wasn’t really a map, just a diagram, a couple of circles with drawings of the palaces on the tours. Nor did I sort out what direction the buses starting their tours were headed. If I had, I would have taken the Green Line 435 not the Yellow Line 434. Green 435 would have started in the historic center of Sintra at the National Palace. Yellow 434 went the opposite direction and followed a terrifying route of hairpin turns and scant side clearance before arriving at the Moorish Castle, the first stop.

Palácio Nacional de Pena

Pena seemed interesting. It’s quite the gaudy residence, but a tour of the interior must be guided and requires a timed ticket. The next available ticket was about three hours off.

I could explore the gardens, I thought. Maybe take a look from the outside. Yeah. “Gardens.” Should’ve focused on the comment in the DK book that said, “On the highest peak of the Serra de Sintra stands…”

Started trudging upward and quickly got winded. Paused. Breathed. Kept going. Then there were steps to the building. How the heck did those aristocrats make it up without a good pair of sneakers?

Didn’t encounter a ticket-taker until several levels up the walkway. After a brief visit to the toilet and a glance around the shop, I started down. Cautiously. Very cautiously. I was relieved when the driver of the Hop-on Hop-off announced that the next stop was the Sintra palace.

Palácio Nacional de Sintra

The historic center of the town has a certain charm and the Palace, formerly the heart and muscle of the Portuguese kingdom, sprawls magnificently midmost. A pair of kitchen chimneys, twin phalluses, are visible from just about anywhere and now constitute the logo of the town.

The interpretive approach is to address the building thematically rather than only chronologically. Colorful panels address topics like Power, History, Religion, Women, and Kitchen. In addition to well-crafted labels, there are wonderful videos in which actors cosplay various historical and imagined characters, offering a brief and entrancing suggestion of what a such a life might have been like.

Background

The edifice was raised on Moorish foundations. The oldest rooms date to the 13^th century, and most to the 16^th and 17^th century, with parts rebuilt after the earthquake of 1755. The structure was much remodeled with the shift to a constitutional monarchy in 1822 and underwent some dubious “restoration” in the 20^th century during the Estado Novo  or “New State.”

I faintly remembered that Portugal was an authoritarian state during my youth. António de Oliveira Salazar (1889-1930) envisioned Portugal as a corporate structure headed by himself as Dictator. Sounds like someone Donald Trump would have admired. The Estado Novo ended with the “Carnation Revolution,” a military coup that restored constitutional democracy. In fact, there was a presidential election in Portugal while I was there. No one received more than 50% of the votes cast, so next month there will be a run-off between a Trumpian Rightist and a fairly traditional liberal inclined toward Socialist policies.

Back to Home Base

I made it. The room was a bit cold. Doesn’t tend to warm up until about six hours after the heater has been ratcheted up. My feet and knees testified to the day’s exertions and my Fitbit claimed I logged 12,103 steps. Early to bed.