Our first stop was the Moorish castle (Castelo dos Mouros), the reconstructed 1,000-year-old ruin of one of a series of fortresses that allowed the Muslims to reign over the Iberian peninsula. The wall and the view are spectacular, and in the distance, one can see Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in Europe. But all that remains inside the castle is the fancy cafe.
After getting a bit lost on the way back down from the castle, we finally found our way back to the bus stop for another trip, slightly down then up hill again, to Pena Palace. This odd and quirky collection of Moorish and Medieval Christian architecture (and some just plain Disney fantasy concepts) was built as a summer palace by King Ferdinand I back in the early- to mid-1800s. Ferdinand was a cousin to "Mad King Ludwig" whose Neuschwanstein Castle we visited near Munich in 2012 -- also part of a recent Hollywood movie about art stolen by Nazis. Clearly the "madness" ran in the family.
After exploring the Pena, we took the bus back down into Sintra to tour the National Palace. Because of extensive renovations in the 1930s, this one looks as if it would be the most modern of the lot. Actually, the core of this palice dates back to the 15th century and the begining of Portugese nationhood. But there are layers of history here.
We walked around the village a bit, tasted some local pasteries and shopped in a few stores, then borded the train back to Lisbon. Since our hostel is actually located right in one of the central rail stations, it was nice of the national railway to deliver us right to our door! After some R&R involving a bottle of local wine that sells for less than "Three Buck Chuck" but tastes even better, we set out for dinner at a local restaurant.
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