※02/01-02/02

※02/01
http://www.latimes.com/sns-travel-sintra-portugal-travel-tips,0,1253709.story

Eccentric millionaire Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro would have gotten a good laugh.
We're exploring the mystical grounds of his romantic Quinta da Regaleira mansion, inching through pitch-black tunnels, climbing medieval-like turrets, and traipsing along serpentine paths.
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Carvalho Monteiro definitely captured the spirit of this magical town only 19 miles northwest of Lisbon, where Portugal's kings and aristocrats once spent their summers and tourists now flock on holiday. ……**…接下一段The Romans called Sintra "The Mountain of the Moon," and we recognize we're in another world as we take the scenic 20-minute walk from the train station to town. Pieces of modern art lining a park greet us, and we glimpse two towering white cones peeking through the trees. ……**…
They are the distinctive chimneys of the National Palace, which dominates the historic town center.

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……**…We have the National Palace to ourselves as we wander through the 16 rooms, chapel, patios, and squares built mostly in the 15th and 16th centuries. ……**…

Interior walls are decorated with various styles of tiles and mosaics, including what is said to be the most extensive collection of Mudejar azulejos, or Spanish colored and glazed tiles, in the country. We marvel at the breathtaking ceilings, which also tell some of the palace's most colorful tales.
……**…The dome in the Coat-of-Arms Room displays the emblems of all of Portugal's royal families, except for the one that had planned a revolt.
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After touring the palace and circling the town on the tram, we settle at a bistro table for a late-afternoon drink and snack. The crowds are thinning, but the shops are still selling souvenirs, antiques and wine, a street performer is dancing on a corner, and the palace is reflecting the waning sunlight.

http://www.latimes.com/sns-travel-sintra-portugal-travel-tips,0,1253709.story?page=2
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As we walk back to our apartment, the fresh late-night air feels the same comfortable 68 degrees it's been all day and would be the next day, perfect for exploring the hills of Sintra.
※02/02
http://www.latimes.com/sns-travel-sintra-portugal-travel-tips,0,1253709.story?page=2
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At the imposing Moorish Castle, an invigorating walk up the long trail takes us past granaries, a guard's house, and the shell of the first parish church, built in the 12th century. Stairs lead to the top of the ramparts and a series of lookout spots.

Standing at the highest point, the Castle Keep, I can see the hazy Atlantic and the town as clouds drift by. No wonder the Moors fortified this position in the ninth century to monitor the coastline, and Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, took control of it in 1147.
The mix of medieval and more modern stonework reminds us that most of today's castle was rebuilt in the mid-1800s by Fernando II, a German-born prince. ……**…
Fernando built his fantasyland on the site of a 12th-century chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Pena and a 16th-century monastery, which he restored. His German architect designed the sprawling complex at the height of Portuguese romanticism, mixing Moorish, Gothic, Renaissance, and Manueline features — with a touch of Bavarian castle on the Rhine.
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From this vantage point nearly 1,500 feet above sea level, Lisbon can be seen on a clear day.
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The 403 bus quickly leaves the town behind, winding through the rolling countryside on its 35-minute drive to Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of Europe.
Along the way, we pass a few clusters of white- and cream-colored houses and produce stands. Squat Old World windmills contrast with cell towers and satellite dishes.
At the point, a short cream-and-red lighthouse and a stone marker topped with a cross stand as sentries . ……**…The view of endless blue-green ocean is surprisingly dramatic, dotted by islands of sunlight formed by breaks in the clouds.
It's the clouds that enhance Sintra's mystique and magic, teasing us with its charms. And when they part, we find a beautiful, romantic, timeless land — as Lord Byron called it, "this glorious Eden."