One of your best values for your tourist dollar in Western Europe is Portugal with its Mediterranean climate which makes even the winters pleasant, add to that all its wonderful cultural treasures and you have a win/win situation. So because of this I am in Lisbon ( which by the way is the second oldest capital city behind ???? you guessed it...Athens) with a population of just over 500,000 its an urban area small enough that you can walk or take public transit most everywhere to to view all its marvels. But my main focus here was to visit Sintra (KeyTip....30+ min drive without traffic issues, but there will be some as its the busiest highway in Europe. Also there is a lack of parking once you arrive in Sintra so take the train at Rossio Station to get there.) The place is magical with its Villas, Castles, Estates & Royal Retreats that even the Romans were so enamoured with the area they named it after Cynthia ( who was the Goddess of the Moon.) There is so much to see here but my picks would be....A) The Castle of the Moors, it was built in the 8th & 9th centuries and throughout the years has been brought back for all to enjoy. B) Pena National Palace, which on a clear day can been seen from Lisbon as it sits on top a hill overlooking Sintra and its a UNESCO World Heritage Site. C) Monserrate Palace, it was a villa built in the 1800s D) Seteais Palace constructed in the 1700s and now a upscale Hotel/Restaurant and another World Heritage Site. But whatever you so decide to explore people, you will not be disappointed that you made the trek to Sintra!
One of your best values for your tourist dollar in Western Europe is Portugal with its Mediterranean climate which makes even the winters pleasant, add to that all its wonderful cultural treasures and you have a win/win situation. So because of this I am in Lisbon ( which by the way is the second oldest capital city behind ???? you guessed it...Athens) with a population of just over 500,000 its an urban area small enough that you can walk or take public transit most everywhere to to view all its marvels. But my main focus here was to visit 
Sintra (KeyTip....30+ min drive without traffic issues, but there will be some as its the busiest highway in Europe. Also there is a lack of parking once you arrive in Sintra so take the train at Rossio Station to get there.) The place is magical with its Villas, Castles, Estates & Royal Retreats that even the Romans were so enamoured with the area they named it after Cynthia ( who was the Goddess of the Moon.) There is so much to see here but my picks would be....A) The Castle of the Moors, it was built in the 8th & 9th centuries and throughout the years has been brought back for all to enjoy. B) Pena National Palace, which on a clear day can been seen from Lisbon as it sits on top a hill overlooking Sintra and its a UNESCO World Heritage Site. C) Monserrate Palace, it was a villa built in the 1800s D) Seteais Palace constructed in the 1700s and now a upscale Hotel/Restaurant and another World Heritage Site. But whatever you so decide to explore people, you will not be disappointed that you made the trek to Sintra!.JPG)
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