Sintra with a Local

Ok, this is backtracking a little since we are in Valencia and Sintra is in Portugal. To be fair, we took the trip to Sintra two days before we flew here and I haven’t been disciplined enough to get this written up and published. Then again, while I tend to be a heavily linear person, there are no blogging rules other than those self imposed about when I post what. Part of my goal with this blog is to document our trip for us, too, as well as share the info with family and friends. So I’m breaking that linear rule. Sintra is worth circling back for.

When planning this European trip back in the States, I started thinking it would be good to have a chance to see Portugal outside of Lisbon. A little bit of research and studying the maps and it was clear Sintra or another town, Cascais [pronounced Cash-Caysh], would be good options. But oh my goodness, visiting them is a big deal. They have become such tourist attractions that it is recommended you don’t try to go by yourself in a rental car. Too congested and parking is a nightmare.

Our First AirBNB Experience

We were considering just passing on trying to go until a friend (Cheers, R) said we would regret not going. So I started looking into tours and, well, they just seemed so commercialized. That’s when we remembered there is an AirBNB experience we are considering in Edinburgh. Sure enough, it didn’t take much to find an AirBNB experience that sounded good – “Get Lost in Sintra with a local“. Bingo.

I’ll just say now, it was wonderful, amazing, perfect, special, and the best way to bring our time in Portugal to a close. Alexandra was our guide and while we expected it to be a small group in maybe 2 cars, it turned out to be her with us and one young woman from Azerbaijan. We had a pick up and drop off in Lisbon, so we just had to walk there and walk home. Otherwise, Alex was our guide. And good lord, what a trip. She set the bar high for future experiences.

Looking back, it is staggering the number of places we covered. Alex was a fountain of knowledge on the history of the area. We also had lively conversations in the car between destinations about everything from parenting, racism, equality, global warming, and food. It was a spectacular day as much for the personal and intimate exchange among our small group of four as the jaw-dropping beauty of the sites we visited.

Palaces

Much like Newport, Rhode Island, or Bar Harbor, Maine, were escapes out of the city for wealthy New Yorkers, Sintra was that kind of escape from Lisbon for the wealthy and privileged. The Portuguese royal family began construction of a palace in the 15th century where a Moorish structure existed. It seems the king enjoyed the hunting and fresh, cool climate. The elite class followed suit and began to build palaces. That ostentatious popularization of Sintra went against the spiritual nature of the place that attracted ancient Celts and others since, appreciating it for something deeper. It was that connection to place that Alex wanted to convey with our tour.

While we were able to see the Pena Palace, which gets tons of fanfare, from a great vantage point, the only palace we toured and fought the crowds for was the Quinta de Regaleira. Quinta – meaning country estate – seems a bit of a tongue-in-cheek description in the vein of calling Newport mansions “cottages”. The reason Alex includes a tour of this palace on her tour is due to the idiosyncratic and mystical interests of the very wealthy António Monteiro. He was from a Brazilian-Portuguese family who was a naturalist with interests in alchemy, freemasonry, and the knights templar.

Touring this location is more about the gardens he constructed, and all the symbolism present, than the actual palace which isn’t huge, really. I could never do justice here and get right any of the details of what we saw and learned. If any of these photos, including the incredible well into the ground, peak your interest, I highly recommend you read up on it on your own. It is fascinating.

Beach

From there, she took us to a stunning beach on a perfect weather and wave day for a too-short 15-minute walk on our own. We would have loved to linger but there was more to see, and that was ok. We drove up onto cliffs above that beach to get a view of the most southwestern point of the European continent, the lighthouse at Cape St. Vincent. Each stop just kept getting better. There, we got to talking about her partner who spearfishes and will climb down the cliffs with a rope (we saw it anchored to the rock, and no other equipment) to essentially the secret beach below.

Forest and Village

Next, we drove up into a forest to have some reflective time at a place widely revered by locals for its spiritual energy. Trev and I aren’t new-agey or touchy-feely about this kind of stuff, but that place honestly did seem to vibrate in a quiet way. And the last stop was to a remarkably untouched historical village. Not the kind of village where people walk around in costumes, demonstrate local crafts and have gift shops everywhere. People live here, they worship here, they garden here. We strolled around the old walled core of the village with sweeping views and then popped into a little cafe for a bathroom break and espressos. I can never remember the name of that town and that is probably best to keep it a secret. I do promise, though, it exists.

I have to admit, writing this took me right back to all those places and in the car for all that great conversation. Sometimes, when you travel, you have these moments you hope will be perfect and turn out to be so much more than that for reasons you could never have foreseen and will never be able to repeat. And as our dear, wise friend Bill would say “And that’s ok” in his calm, steady, supportive, loving voice that I will always hear in my heart. And it is.