Sintra Mountains, Lisbon, Portugal
This morning I packed and left my guesthouse shortly after 9 a.m. I walked five minutes downhill to the Sao Bento station (the pretty one), where I was told that I could get on any train, and the next stop would be the CAMPAHNA station, where I needed to depart for Lisbon. If you have a ticket for either station, you can take the train for free to the one you need. So, this likely saved me about an 8 euro Uber ride or using the metro.
The next train left at 9:20, so I got on and then got off at CAMPAHNA. I still had about an hour, so I went outside to a cafe for my morning cappuccino. I grabbed a sandwich for the train. The Lisbon train was full and people had A LOT of luggage. I met a young woman from Brazil, and she was admiring my small carry-on bag. I knew this trip would involve some train travel, and packing light is always recommended. It’s so much easier.
The ride to Lisbon was scenic and quiet, and it took about three hours. Once I arrived in Lisbon, I had to buy a regional ticket to Sintra, where I will stay the next two nights.
I bought my ticket from a machine, and it was fairly easy to navigate because I could choose instructions in English. This ride was about 40 minutes and my hotel is right next to the Sintra station. Sintra is a major tourist town, and many people visit for the day by train or bus from Lisbon. I was glad to be spending some significant time here.
I got settled in at my beautiful guest house and then walked to the Quinta de Regaleira, built in the 1800s. This was a bit of a hike and mostly uphill. I was glad the weather was cloudy and a bit cool. This palace and grounds were stunning!
Sintra is beautiful, and smaller than Porto.
Tomorrow I have tickets to the Moors Castle and Pena Palace, two major sites here.
Off to sleep, and thanks for
Reading,
Jamie
2023-11-30