Pena Palace

Remember that if you wish to see larger versions of the pictures, double click on the photo

In our lass post we explored a castle near the city center of Lisbon.  This latest installment is primarily about our tour of the Pena Palace in the nearby small and quaint town of Sintra.  

I’m sure you all know the difference between a castle and a palace.  Just in case you need a refresher, the main difference between a castle and a palace is the purpose of the building. While castles were built for defensive purposes, palaces were built to show off wealth. Castles have moats, peep-holes and cannons, while palaces have several rooms, priceless artwork and beautiful gardens. 

The Pena Palace is on a hilltop surrounded by forest land.  Access to it is a winding single lane road best accessed by bus as there is no parking at the palace.  We didn’t view the palace until we were within 100 yards of it.

We seemed to be climbing almost constantly, and no two views were alike which made you look forward to something new as we climbed.

We were lucky and had Ricardo as our guide.  He told us his regular job is actor and singer.  His acting talents showed in guiding us, and he treated us to his excellent singing voice on our bus.

The palace was originally a monastery.  After the earthquake of 1755, the royals rebuilt it as a summer palace.  Based on the appearance of the kitchen, they likely ate well.

One of the more amazing things Ricardo brought to our attention was the size of the beds in the 18th century.  They were not very long because the people of the day slept sitting up.  

Back in that time, most people were taught to believe ‘bad air’ was heavier than fresh air, thus the reason to elevate your head.  Some physicians recommended sleeping in an upright position to safely keep food in the pit of one’s stomach, the best location for digestion.

The several dozen rooms in the palace were often connected to each other, and certain rooms connected to ‘hallways’ that faced the inner courtyard.  The views from the hallways were to the inner courtyard and were eye catching.

There were multiple floors and multiple views.

After the tour of the palace, those over the age of 70 were given the chance to ride back down to our big greyhound-type bus.  We happily took advantage and enjoyed the short but quick ride with fellow travelers.  We were all smiles.

There was another notable event on the tour.  I would guess many of you think Wales or Ireland would be the westernmost point of the continent of Europe.  Actually, it is Cabo da Roca (Cape Rock).  It is located at the same latitude as New York City.  This is our closest point to home while we are across the pond.