Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon
Portugal is home to centuries of medieval history with many signs of it today by means of well preserved castles and manors. The city of Lisbon and nearby towns of Sintra and Obidos provided plenty to explore, experience, and eat during the trip. In addition to crossing off the must see attractions, there are many opportunities to get a local experience like dining in the Alfama neighborhood and then listening to Fado music during the evening hours. Sunrises and sunsets viewed from Alfama can provide amazing views that are well worth the early wakeup call to beat the tourist rush.
The city itself has an old charm to it with all the architecture and building styles, especially in the historical city center district. Buildings, all uniformly roofed with faded red stone tiles, make everything appealing to the eyes everywhere you look. Taking a ride on the iconic yellow Tram #28 throughout the winding roads of Lisbon is an attraction in itself.
One of the cooler attractions I’ve ever visited is this open-air church that sits on a hill overlooking Lisbon, the Convento Do Carmo. An earthquake back in the 18th century destroyed parts of the church, providing the current unique outdoor setup, drastically different from the many other European churches.
Cervejaria Ramiro, one the best seafood restaurants in Lisbon. Don’t be surprised if the line is quite long but the wait is worth it for seafood lovers. Prices are not cheap but quality, variety, and freshness is second to none. Seafood is a staple in Portuguese cuisine so one can’t come to Portugal and not eat plenty of it.
Sintra
Just about 30km northwest of Lisbon is the town of Sintra. It is a must visit for anyone going to Portugal as two of the major attractions there are Pena Palace and Castle of the Moors. The Pena Palace is a colorful castle on a hilltop overlooking the surrounding region. The castle’s colors and style make it look like it came from a toy set.
Just down the street from Pena Palace is the Castle of the Moors. This castle is quite the opposite as most of its remnants consist of a walled compound perched up on another hill overlooking the town Sintra. Castle of the Moors is much older as having been completed all the way back in the 9th century. Take a walk along the castle walls and you can see Pena Palace from the distance!
While there, they had some re-enactment of medieval castle guards and I participated, complete with full chainmail, masks and shield. Re-enactments such as trying to break down a castle door while avoiding arrows being fired at you from above in full chainmail was quite the experience, not something one experiences when visiting these tourist sites.
Lisbon, Sintra, Cabo Da Roca and Obidos Photos
