PORTUGAL PART 2 - PALACES AND CASTLES

SINTRA IS A MAGICAL FAIRY LAND. IT HAS A LONG HISTORY FROM THE CELTS, VARIOUS BARBARIAN HORDES BEFORE THE ROMANS, BUT MOST OF THE VISIBLE REMAINS ARE 7-9TH CENT. MOORISH, THE SUBSEQUENT OCCUPATIONS, 10-18TH CENT. BY THE FRENCH FROM BURGUNDY, THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR AND THE SPANISH, HELPING THE PORTUGUESE EVICT THE ISLAMIC 'INFIDELS'. IT IS A MAJOR STRATEGIC POINT BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH AND WAS ALSO THE REFUGE OF THE ARISTOCRACY AND ROYAL FAMILIES ESCAPING THE HEAT AND PLAGUE OUTBREAKS IN LISBON IN THE 1300'S. HERE ARE SOME OF THE INCREDIBLE BUILDINGS AND LANDSCAPES OF SINTRA, THE MOORISH CASTLE ATOP THE HIGHEST POINT IN SINTRA WITH UP TO 12 EXTANT TOWERS; OF THE MULTICOLOURED 19TH CENTURY PALACE DE PENA BUILT BY A GERMAN FOR THE KING OF PORTUGAL THAT REMINDS OF SOME CRAZY CINDERELLA FAIRY TALE; AND A TWENTIETH CENTURY ITALIAN ROCOCO-RENAISSANCE REVIVAL HOME, THE QUINTA [meaning 'farm'] DE REGALEIRA BUILT IN ORNATE STONE AND TIMBER CARVED STYLE OVER SIX FLOORS AND PLACED IN THE CORNER OF A 3-4 ACRE PROPERTY COVERED IN GARDENS, MAZES, SCULPTURE

PHOTOS CAN HARDLY DO ANY JUSTICE TO THE SENSE OF AWE THAT THESE OUTLANDISH AND MONUMENTAL STRUCTURES INSPIRE IN THE VIEWER. IF YOU GET A CHANCE, GO!