The train was filled with locals celebrating Freedom Day as we headed an hour outside Lisbon. Most of them looked forward to the beach in Cascais, but we were stopping off in Belem to check out a couple of monuments. I believe you can learn a lot about a culture from the monuments they choose to celebrate and honour. My favourite is the Monument to the Discoveries. Recently erected (1960) it shows 32 characters that were significant in an age when the Portuguese held a reputation as worldwide explorers. I wonder what monuments we have around Perth County that demonstrate what we value.
Another thing Belem is famous for is Belém Pastries. These are the original egg tarts first made in 1837. Ray sweetly walked me to the train station to head off in search of the famous tarts. He left me with only my metro card—no money, no phone and no idea that the trains were about to go on strike. I had a moment of panic when I realized that I also didn’t know his European phone number! Then I thought—this is my Amazing Race moment. It is surprising how many people will help you when you tell them your husband has abandoned you with just a metro card to search out pastries. Seven people, several buses and two subway lines later, I was safely back in our guesthouse with a renewed belief in human kindness. Ray found his pastries, but after an adventure of his own only four of the half dozen tarts arrived uneaten😄 You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom Note: Freedom Day (25 April) is a national holiday, with state-sponsored and spontaneous commemorations of the civil liberties and political freedoms achieved after the revolution. It commemorates the 25 April 1974 revolution and Portugal's first free elections on that date the following year.
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A day of castles in a city of castles. It depends on who you ask, but there are at least five castles in Sintra. Ray got a Fitbit Skyscraper badge for 100 floors even with us taking an UBER up to the Moorish Castle (I CLAIMED I would die if I had to walk both ways😄)
Quinta Regalia, built in the late 1600s, is more of an estate than a typical castle. It is designed with all kinds of knights Templar and Masonic symbols and intrigue. One of its highlights is a well, called the initiation well, that is more like a tower that goes underground than upwards. I’m not sure who they were initiating, and maybe I don’t want to know, but of course, we had to climb down into the passages. Imagine if Elon Musk was designing a compound for his buddies. It feels like it would be a lot like this—intelligent, quirky, and a little bit creepy. The Moorish Castle is much older (1147). Although parts of it have been destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries, the ruins are 100% what I imagine they would be—towers, stairs and walls. A real fortress! The views of the other castles and Sintra are fabulous from the top. Of the two, this was my favourite. Although, the grounds of Quinta Regalia are stunning. If you could only visit one, which would you choose? Super warm weather here. You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom. Apparently, giant Jesus statues are a BIG Deal—pun intended. Most of us have heard of Christ the Redeemer in Brazil. However, at 30 m, it is only tied for the third largest statue in the world. Cristo Rei, looking out over Lisbon, is only a measly 28 m tall. However, if you include its base it is almost 92 m tall, making it one of the largest looming Jesus’. Regardless, it was a winner of an afternoon hanging out in the olive gardens and checking out Lisbon from the observation tower at the feet of Jesus. We are nicely settled into our guest house for the next three days. When we visited there were quite a few questions around stretching your travel dollars. Guest houses with kitchens are one of the ways we get more for our $. What does your family do when they travel? Stay with family? Airbnb? Camping? We would love to hear from you. Now that you have seen a European guest house, do you think it would be something you would try? Off to more adventures tomorrow after a good long sleep. You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom. |
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