Saturday 22 June 2019

In and around Sintra


CABO DA ROCA
Our Visit today started at Cabo da Roca http://www.cascais-portugal.com/Attractions/Cabo-da-Roca.html, which is the most western point of Continental Europe.
It’s 38º 47’ latitude and 9º 30’W coordinate is important for navigators along the coast.
From a height of about 150 meters above the sea one can have a comprehensive view of the Serra de Sintra and the coast.  There is a coffee shop/restaurant and very clean toilets.  Oh and don’t forget to go and get your certificate to keep as a memory.

















MONSERRATE RESTAURANT
From here we went into Sintra for a delicious lunch at Restaurante Monserrate





AZENHAS DO MAR
Azenhas do Mar, https://www.azenhasdomar.com/#/home is a seaside town in the municipality of Sintra and the sea makes gorgeous natural pools.  There are a number of excellent restaurants to try out too.















PALÁCIO DE MONSERRATE
Next we headed off to this breathe taking Palace of Moneserrate, https://www.parquesdesintra.pt/parques-jardins-e-monumentos/parque-e-palacio-de-monserrate/!  This Palace together with Quinta da Regaleira is one of the most beautiful and visually striking mansions of Sintra.  Monserrate Palace blends Arabic, gothic and Indian architectural styles to create a wonderful summer house that is surrounded by absolutely beautiful gardens.  The actual palace was imagined by an Englishman, Sir Francis Cook, who decided to build a summer residence from the ruins of a pre-existent neo-gothic palace around 1860.  The tickets are very accessible costing 8€ per adult and 6,5€ for children up to 17.  Believe me the money spent is well worth it!  On the premises the is a shop, toilets and a coffee bar, this will come in very handy to cool off before leaving J  

























































Sunday 16 June 2019

Solar dos Zagallos

Today our visit takes us to Solar dos Zagallos in Sobreda, Costa da Caparica.

It's like taking a journey back in time, from the palatial house of the XVIII century, recovered by the City Hall and transformed into a Cultural Centre dedicated to the local cultures.

It invites us to visit its romantic gardens, the three chapels and the various spaces of the house built by the Zagallo family. 
 The family arrived in this region during the reign of King João II.  At the time, Sobreda belonged to the "noble" lands of Caparica.

Two noble halls that distinguished this palace were constructed to receive King João VI.
The spaces are open to visitors and are the stage of pleasant concerts of classical music.  The stucco, tile and frescos alone are worth a visit.  

Solar dos Zagallos seeks to preserve the local identity through regular cultural activity, where the highlights are exhibitions, concerts, recitals and iniciatives for the youngsters.
Oh and it's free of change aha































Wednesday 15 May 2019

Useful information

For all those that love to travel just as much as we do, this site has very useful information about airports around the world.... https://www.sleepinginairports.net

Sleeping in Airports