First Stop, Pena Palace

Lisbon Day 2
This morning we caught a train, through the outskirts of Lisbon to Sintra, a town in the hills, where we met Miguel, our guide for the day.

First stop was to Pena Palace on the outskirts of Sintra. It was a really misty day and the woods leading up to the palace (extra) had a very different feel than I would expect in the 30 degree summer heat, full of tourists. Pena palace itself was magical even though the mist slightly dampened the normal vivid yellows and reds that I would imagine to look spectacular in the sunshine.

Our next stop was Quinta da Regaleira, a lavish, gothic house and gardens full of quirky turrets and castle like follies and a slightly bonkers upside down tower that went down into the ground and as you walked down into the darkness you came out through a series of tunnels, through a waterfall and stepping stones into a grotto made to look like it was made of coral and shells...a perfect place for exploring.

Miguel then took us for a drive through the countryside and along the Atlantic coast and dropped us off in the seaside town of Cascais in perfect time for a glass of wine before we caught the train back into Lisbon.