Sintra

The highlight of my visit to Lisboa was the few hours I spent in Sintra and at Palácio e Quinta da Regaleira. 

Stepping into a dream world, the hoards of tourists didn’t bother me. Couples in love—at least here, for a while, in this fairytale town—were everywhere, sitting on each other knees, holding hands, hugging, kissing. Two long-haired guitarists sat on the steps in the town square playing and singing songs that reminded me of hippy times—Jerry Garcia or Jimi Hendrix—surrounded by several friends (or maybe visitors just passing by). Children sat around playing cards without an adult in sight to supervise.

I walked up Rua da Padarias, a narrow and cobbled passageway and could hear music coming out of a speaker sitting on a first floor window ledge of the Loja do Arco music store. The majority of stores in the surrounding area sold souvenirs.      

For a late lunch I stopped at Hockey Caffee for a bacon, cheese and tomato crepe, and then had one hour (not enough) for a quick walk around Quinta da Regaleira.

Palácio e Quinta da Regaleira was built between 1904 and 1910. Originally owned by Viscountess of Regaleira, many of the intricate design and architectural changes were introduced by its second owner, doctor Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro (1848-1920), with the help of Italian architect Luigi Manini (1848-1936).

As soon as I stepped through the main gate of this mythological paradise, seemingly cut off from the rest of the world, I felt like Mary Lennox, the protagonist from The Secret Garden, written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I practically ran up and down labarynth-like pathways, sometimes difficult to identify, and wanted to find the door. At every step another footpath appeared—there were too many to choose from—and I wanted them all. I constantly found another hidden passageway and grotto to explore. So many twists and turns and maze-like pathways, some barely noticeable, I didn’t know which way to go.    

I found some stepping stones across a small pond, with a bridge over the top. The rocks surrounding this magical area had strange holes in them, like the rock had been taken out using a melon ball scoop. Moss-covered walls marked the boundary of the property and I could hear echoes from below as visitors explored the caves throughout the grounds.

Not me. They were too dark and small for my claustrophobic tendencies. Squeezing up the narrow spiral staircases of the various mini castle turrets in order to see amazing views and play out my Rapunzel fantasies was enough for me.

Wisteria hung overhead, its scent descending on visitors as they took self-guided tours of the grounds, accompanied by constant birdsong and the sound of water flowing from one of the numerous fountains and streams. Church bells from the town chimed at 1800 hours to remind me I had just 30 minutes left to complete my visit.

Inside the house, or palace, were original parquet floor tiles and ornately carved wooden ceilings with ceramic tiled walls. The music room had hand-painted murals on all walls, and the dining room had tiny mosaic tiles covering the entire floor, with a grand fireplace that looked to be marble.

As I left the building, I noticed the air had turned cool and realized I should’ve brought another layer of clothing.

How to get to Sintra and Palácio e Quinta da Regaleira:

Catch the Metro to Zooalogica station and change to the above-ground train system. Trains run to and from Sintra frequently (every 15 minutes) and the journey takes approximately 30 minutes. The fairytale town is located north west of Lisbon. Last train back to Lisboa is at 1:00 a.m.

Palácio e Quinta da Regaleira can be reached easily by foot. From the station, walk south west through the historic center of the town and continue out along Rua Barbosa du Bocage.

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