Sintra

Fairytales do exist...at least in Sintra, Portugal.

We took an hour train ride from Lisbon to a little town called Sintra. Pulling into the station, we spotted a stone castle on top of the tallest mountain. We journeyed up to another castle on the opposite hilltop that was colored with pastels and tiled walls. We saw where the King and Queen slept, and where their servants made their meals.

We ate cinnamon and cheese pastries in town, danced with the animals, looked at the local art, and ate lunch overlooking the village below.



In all seriousness, it was unbelievable.

We were blown away by Quinta de Regaliera, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The land was owned by this rich guy who seemed to be really bored, so he built all of these crazy things on his land. His house alone is enough to make jaws drop. The architect, Luigi Manini, spent 12 years meticulously planning, drawing, and building the mansion.

There was also an inside-out, underground tower that we walked down. The more steps we went down, the wetter the floor got and the darker it became. I kept flashing to scenes of Silence of the Lambs. Nevertheless, it was really cool.