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June 17, 2010

Sintra Day 1

After leaving Lisbon we got on a train taking us to the small town of Sintra. Lord Byron called it "glorious eden" and I can see why! The town is set on a hillside with lush vegetation everywhere. It is simply beautiful.

We arrived at our hotel, Palacio de Seteais - built by a Dutch Gildemeester in the late 18th century. Our room was absolutely lovely and we didn't want to leave!

We did venture out for lunch and ended up stopping to explore the Quinta de Regalia. It was built at the turn of the 20th century in the middle of a dense forest. The owner, Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro hired scenographer-archetict Luigi Manini to help him build this magical place.

Here we are in one of the towers. I have to admit I was a little scared to climb up. The steps were so tiny!

Then we went down 9 stories into a dark, wet well.

After going VERY slowly down the stairs we followed a path until we could see the light from outside. Then we walked across the water on stone rocks. Thankfully all this was done with a very experienced guide!


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