What a day in Sintra

Urban train trip this morning.  About 50 minutes and needed an urban stored value card rather than the Metro one we have.  Apparently there is a way to interchange them, but I am yet to discover it.  Disappointinhly, the Sintra line is one that features extensive graffiti along its route - but the train itself was very clean and graffiti free.

Sintra is UNESCO listed for its parks, palaces and castle. A carefully planned and researched day, however, was pretty much turned on its head by the numbers who had the same plan.  Bus up to Pena Palace and into ticket queue (why is it that so many in queue have done no research and take up so much time?). Very pleasant young man in ticket box tells me that the queue for Palace at the top of the hill was 2 hours long and recommends gardens only, so we take shuttle to the top and confirm the queue length. Pena sits hilltop as an ornate medley of domes and towers of many colours.  It was built in the 1840's by German Baron von Eschwege on the site of a former monastery. We wander around outside the Palace and through the gardens back down to the gates.

What we find is logjam, with public buses, tour buses, taxis, rental cars, private cars and tuk tuks unable to move and simply "vacated" on the one way road. No one moves as we walk down the road to Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors) - 600m, and still as far as we can see the logjam continues.

The Castle was built in the 9th century and was taken from the Moors in 1147 (with some recent excavations evidencing human presence from the 5th century). Wander through the Castle grounds and climb a couple of sections of its wall (not the highest points).  At this stage my emergency walking stick is required (its first appearance ever despite being with me in 11 countries).

What to do?? Go back to the logjammed one way road and hope that we can eventually catch a bus down, or tackle the very steep and winding cobbled steps and path all the way down to Sintra - about 3km, with only the last km being anything like flat.  The decision is made, walk the track and stairs - and it proves to be very tough. Eventually we reach a viewpoint with a Bar, so it's a refreshing sangria and building of the will to get all the way to the station.

Back on a different train route, but a bit of investigation identifies a one transfer trip all the way to Terreiro do Paco Metro station just 200m from our apartment.  Feet up time, then a clean up for dinner.  In our condition, it has to be very close, and so we head to D'alfandanga, the restaurant of our Insight Welcome Dinner.  On that occasion tapas (and plenty of it), tonight a medium sized braised octopus - beautiful!!

The revised and advised plan for Sintra, for anyone who might need it in the future - get to Pena Palace when the gates open!!!!