Scintillating Sintra (part 1)

Our day trip to Sintra began at 9 AM at the Lisboa railway station. We were pleasantly surprised by the animated employee behind the counter, who was very eager to sell us train tickets! After taking the 'Linha de Sintra' from Lisboa, we reached on a favourably rainy day. Rain has never been welcome, especially when spending the day outdoors. But, apart from providing a mystical touch to Sintra, our pleas for propitious weather were answered, and heavy rain was contained to times spent at bus stops or cafes.

Sintra, a town located at the foot of the Sintra mountain range (Serra de Sintra in Portuguese), is around 30 kilometres away from Lisboa. For the sheer number of monuments, gardens and parks, that together provide a potpourri of multifarious historical elements amidst natural beauty, the landscape of Sintra was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995.

After getting to Sintra, we caught bus 434 that departs from right outside the railway station. It takes a circular route past the parks of Sintra. My friend and I decided that our visit would begin at the Park and Palace of Pena. The first time I came across a picture of this colourful palace was on my Windows desktop background two years back. It is one of the palaces in the 'Castles of Europe' theme. What struck me was how it stood out in the surrounding greenery, like a reckless dash of colour left on a hopeless canvas. Ever since I set foot in Portugal, a visit to the Pena palace was on my checklist.

View of the Pena palace

The original chapel

As we approached the palace, I noticed how drastically different it is on either side. The history of the palace provides an enlightening account of how it came to be, and helps merge a variety of elements into a single, albeit intricate, architectural entity. Beginning as a chapel (the northern most, red portion of the palace) in the 12th century, an earthquake in the 18th century left the monastery in pieces. King Don Fernando II acquired what remained of the monastery in 1838, and while reconstructing it, also constructed a larger wing in ochre, called 'New Palace'.

We spent a long time walking around the large palace, discovering and taking in its various towers, turrets, tiles and ornate designs. The most intricate of them all seemed to be the vicious looking Triton, a half-man half-fish structure, at an archway. The walls of the arches and facades were covered with very pretty tiles, some extremely exquisite. We also paid a quick visit to the museum, whose extravagant interior has been well preserved.

Since it is located on one of the highest peaks in Sintra, the palace provides for panoramas in all directions. Walking along its perimeter, the Moorish castle (another of Sintra's gems, that we didn't have the time to visit) can be seen in close proximity, while a view of the Atlantic looms in the distance. An intangible horizon leaves you wondering where exactly blue sky meets bluer ocean.

I have always thought there is something special about horizons. They hold a charm that I can't quite put a finger on. Platform for some of nature's best gifts, they stand steadfast in an ever-changing time. Whether you're hoping a fleeting sunset would last longer, or aspiring for endless possibilities, a horizon can signify anything you want it to.

Clockwise from left: Triton, the turret's dome, archway's tiles 

Apart from housing the Pena palace, the park is a remarkable landscape of beauty. Even from the map provided at the entrance, it is evident that it is teeming with treasures to be discovered. Amidst walking circuits, and recommended view points, exotically named spots provided an enchanting touch that only fuelled further my existing excitement. Very keen on viewing the palace from different vantage positions, we headed in the direction of the 'Cruz Alta', the highest point of the hills in Sintra. A Cross carved in stone stands at the apex. Along the way, we crossed the 'statue of the warrior', a bronze statue of the King, also visible from the palace. The Cruz Alta provides the best view of the landscape of the palace and its surroundings. When we reached the top, passing clouds concealed the palace from sunlight. So we hung around for a while, impatiently waiting for the taunting shadow games to end and allow for some rays of light to fall on the palace. Oh, it shone like a jewel when they finally did!

Other elements in the park that are worth a visit include the 'fountain of the small birds', an Islamic style monument with an Arabic inscription on its dome, 'Saint Catherine's heights', the favourite viewpoint of the Queen, with yet another magnificent view of the palace, and the 'Valley of the lakes', one lake after another, with little duck-houses right in the middle, making the spot more scenic. One of the things that I missed visiting was the 'Chalet of the Countess of Edla', which is a house built by the king for his second-wife Edla, who apparently shared the same love for nature as he did. The house is said to have been built to blend in with the surroundings.

By the time we got out of the park and made our way to the centre of Sintra, it was 4 PM. Even though the palace left me feeling extremely pleased, little did I know that the best part of the day was yet to come. Entitled to its own separate post, an account of the rest of our day shall soon follow.