Day 15 We go to Sintra!

We debated about taking the train or driving, and I thank dh for agreeing to drive. It's the little bits...like actually getting ON the A5 that have us wondering where in the h*ll that left turn was supposed to be. Once we got on our road, it was pretty straightforward. We planned to go to Sintra, Cascais and Cabo da Roca - at least that was our plan.

When we arrived in Sintra, we just stopped and parked the car (easier said than done on a hilly, hilly street) and walked about.

It was so so beautiful that if we hadn't seen much more, the day would have been worth it.

We behaved and didn't pick anyones lemons tho it was tempting.

The houses and gardens were exquisite with the blend of formality and tropical plants.

I would have loved to see the grounds and house of this estate but alas...we just looked at the driveway which I seriously regret not photographing.

After enjoying this little section, we decided to find either old Sintra or new Sintra and so drove off. This looked like new Sintra but there was a parking space so...

We scanned some menus and decided to eat when we saw gambas on the menu. Shrimp! We kept this 'couvert'

and while I would have loved to have had some of the cheese, I knew I would be too full. (You pay for each item you choose to eat. I had the fish pate.)

Dh had a bowl of vegetable soup

and then came our entrees. His curried shrimp

and my Shrimp Bread Pudding. I wish I had taken a shot of the dish as it arrived with the raw egg yolk in the center. I think I would have freaked our waitress out if I had photographed her mixing the egg into the dish. (Shades of rice in Iran.) It was creamy, rich and delicious.

From our table we could see life go on and note the conical towers of the cathedral. Ah that must be old town. While we didn't have dessert there was the requisite galao.

Back to walk lunch off.




A true fixer upper, with windows bricked up from the inside. We were beginning to realize if we went to old town, we would not make the coast at all this day. Seeing the Atlantic again was high on my wishlist so we only looked from here and said..another vacation, another day. But sooo lovely.


Our parking was running out and the clouds were getting big again, so it was back in the car.

Dh spotted this and as we didn't seem to be on the road we wanted, he turned around and I quick-clicked.



To the ocean! We thought we were on the road to Cascais, and eventually found ourselves heading to Guincho. That seemeed ok, go with the flow, and eventually we had our Aha! Those are surfers, not sharks.


Time for a coffee and there was a Relais & Chateaux..Fortaleza do Guincho, and as I had never been in a Relais, I asked to splurge. Coffee and tea is a reasonable price to see luxury.

A whole pot of tea..my only one in Portugal. And some amazing chairs?!?

While we never found Cabo de Roca ( we saw one sign but never another and saw later it may have been a dirt path?? down to the Westernmost Point in Europe) but this gave us an idea of what the view might be like thru the mist.

Back in the car, head home past Estoril ...maybe another time and a desire to return to Sintra and this part of the coast. Yawn...