I traveled by train to Sintra on the Monday. There were huge crowds partly because museums in Lisbon are closed on mondays. When you get to Sintra you have to take an official public bus transport. There are many separate places to visit in Sintra. I chose just to go to the Pena Palace and gardens.
Piña Palace. This magical hilltop palace sits high above Sintra above the Moorish Castle ruins. In the 19th century, Portugal had a very romantic prince, German born prince Ferdinand. A contemporary of cousin of Bavaria’s “mad” King Ludwick , he was also a cousin of England’s Prince Albert (Queen Victoria‘s husband). Flamboyant Ferdinand hired a German architect to build a fantasy castle, mixing elements of German and Portuguese style. He ended up with a crazy Neo fortified castle of Gothic Towers, Renaissance domes, Moorish minarets, Manueline carvings, Disneyland playfulness, and an azulejo (tile) toilet for his wife.
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