Joining Stevenson's Timeless Thursdays.
Friday is my day off work, and as sat down to breakfast and checked my phone, I was reminded that exactly 3 years ago I was in Sintra (Portugal) and a few photos of our visit to this beautiful town popped up. I really felt nostalgic thinking about that trip and how I'm missing family and travelling.
This was the only time in about 20 years that we had managed to get together the whole immediate family from my side and from Jose's side for a double event - our daughter's engagement and grandson's Christening at the end of August.
I call it my United Nations Family, as they are spread around the world and in 2017 they came to Portugal from South Africa, Angola, The United States, Netherlands, Azores and Australia for the celebrations.
In the second week of September, two of the Doctors from the Clinic where I work, and the husband of the female Doctor, arrived on their first visit to Portugal, and I took them around Lisbon, Cascais and Sintra. They loved Portugal, the food, the friendly people and vowed to visit again.
And here are some photos of the day spent in Sintra with the Doctors and my daughter Karina - exactly on the 11th of September.
We started by visiting Sintra's National Palace, or Town Palace, as it is located in the village of Sintra, a very well preserved medieval royal residence, which was inhabited from the 15th to the 19th century by the various Portuguese royal families.
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| The Drs and I (on left) at the National Palace |
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| View of Sintra from the entrance to the Palace - Moorish castle atop the hill |
The palace has exquisite themed ceilings and tiled walls.
After this visit we drove up the Sintra mountain to the Pena Palace , one of Portugal's most visited monuments, with it's distinctive red and yellow walls.
It's a fairytale palace and certainly worth a visit. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens, but we didn't have much time to visit those.
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| Pena Palace seen from the road below |
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| Part of the Palace gardens seen when we walked from the car-park to the palace |
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You can read more about them by clicking on the links highlighted in pink.
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| Castle of the Moors |
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| Pena Palace, Sintra - in tiles |
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| Aerial view of the Pena Palace from above - taken from a photo |
I think that for those of us who love to travel, these restrictions are wearing on us. I have not been out of Ontario at all this year, and since April have been unable to do so. My last trip outside the country was to Panama in April 2019, and my trip to NSW and Victoria in July was cancelled due to COVID. I have rescheduled it for July 2021, but I am starting ti have misgivings as to whether restrictions will have been lifted even by then. It is a new world indeed, and perhaps not a brave one.
ReplyDeleteComplicated times David, nobody knows when travel will become normal again.
DeleteRight now we are only allowed to travel within our State (Western Australia) as our Premier has closed our borders with all the other states.
Sintra é um lugar mágico.
ReplyDeleteUm abraço e bom fim-de-semana.
Andarilhar
Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
O prazer dos livros
Realmente e um lugar maravilhoso. Bom fim de semana Francisco
DeleteI was there, also in 2017, early spring, april. I loved everything there and in Portugal!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLovely Bertie. Just a few months apart or we could have met :)
DeleteI have visited the place a few times. It is gorgeous. When I was living in Lisbon going to Sintra was a "Sunday outing" : ))
ReplyDeleteThanks Catarina, yes Sintra is very popular for Sunday outings :)
DeleteBelo cartão postal de um dos locais que mais gostamos de visitar. Há uns largos anos atrás fui a pé da estação, com uns amigos, até ao Palácio da Pena e voltámos da mesma forma. Também vale a pena, embora as bermas não sejam muito seguras.
ReplyDeleteBom fim de semana
Uma boa caminhada Paula. Sim aquelas estradas sao bem estreitinhas.
DeleteBom fim de semana :)
Sintra é sempre um bom lugar para visitar... nunca desilude.
ReplyDeleteBeijos e abraços.
Sandra C.
Bluestrass
Verdade Sandra, um local fabuloso. Bom fim de semana.
DeleteColorfully Displayed - Way Cool - Also, Fantastic Ice Cream Post
ReplyDeleteCheers
Thanks Padre, enjoy the weekend.
DeleteBeautiful shots.
ReplyDeleteThanks William.
DeleteTambién yo he visitado en Sintra, pero en distintas fechas. La última vez que estuve fue en 2015.
ReplyDeleteSon preciosas las fotos que has hecho y los palacios que tiene esta ciudad.
Besos
Gracias, Sintra es muy bonita. Ten un bueno fin de semana.
Delete...beautiful, colorful and exciting! I love the bright colors of the buildings.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tom, quite pretty indeed.
DeleteIt's hard to believe it was three years ago. What a fine time you had.
ReplyDeleteTime is going by, far too fast Andrew!
DeleteDearest Sami,
ReplyDeleteSintra was a memorable place for you to take your colleagues along on their first Portuguese encounter. No wonder they were impressed!
Sintra was the company that transported all our goods from Rotterdam harbor, so it has memories for us as well.
Hugs,
Mariette
What a coincidence Mariette, I had never heard of Sintra transport, I just looked them up and they are based in the Netherlands.
DeleteHave a lovely weekend.
🌞
DeleteWonderful post, Sami, glad to hear something positive happened on this date.
ReplyDeleteOh, I bought two spoons I have to take a pic of, they look "Portugese" to me. They have a hole...
The castle sure is... wow. Reminds me of Neuschwanstein (not that I have ever been there).
Hope you all can have a family-meeting soon again. Complicated as it sounds even in "normal" times!
Have a nice weekend - we might even get 23C today!
Thanks Iris. Send me the picture of those spoons.
DeleteI wonder when the whole family will get together again...
Our temperatures are in the high 20's already.
Thank you for the remembrance. We have been there several years ago.
ReplyDeleteThat's nice Traudel,hope you enjoyed your trip.
DeleteAt least we have the memories of the better times. Things have changed to fast in our lives...
ReplyDeleteThanks Marianne, always good to remember the good times. Have a lovely weekend
DeleteWhat fantastic memories of a wonderful trip. I've never been to Portugal and I would love to go one day. Your family is certainly spread out all over the world. How wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sharon. I'm sure you would enjoy a trip to Portugal, for a tiny country there's plenty to see and wonderful food.
DeleteStunning photos of the palace Sami, what an amazing piece of architecture. How fantastic to get the whole family in the same place at the same time, not easy when they are spread around the world as your family are. Hopefully before too long you will be off on your travels again 💜
ReplyDeleteThanks Grace, the palace is very pretty indeed.
DeleteWho knows when we will all come together again...
My dearest Sami, thank you so much for joining Timeless Thurdays this week and I am more that ecstatic to see these photos that you shared! Oh I am a big lover of Moorish/Andalusian Design and architecture and you brought so much of it on this beautiful trip for us! I love the arches, the domes, the reliefs - oh I felt like I was looking at pictures from real life Aladdin!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed getting to know these beautiful monuments, Sintra is really a magical place. Thanks for hosting Stevenson :)
DeleteAll my pleasure dear Sami :) I hope I can also visit Portugal someday :)
DeleteMore and more we are finding photographs and memories are so special.
ReplyDeleteLovely seeing your photographs here.
All the best Jan
Thank you Jan. It's great to remember good times.
DeleteWould love to go there one day. Amazed by the colour of the place. Thanks for sharing, Sami.
ReplyDeleteThanks Teresa, I'm sure you would love it.
DeleteWhat a gorgeous place! I love, love, love that bright yellow palace and some of the interior shots -- that blue wall, especially. Oh, to die for!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jeanie. The palaces are certainly beautiful, with plenty of exquisite tiles. Sadly my photos of the interiors are a bit dark and also full of people.
Delete