Another day full of beauty

Before breakfast, I took the dogs for a really nice walk. The sky was overcast and rain was threatening, but we managed to stay dry. I fed the dogs, then went up for breakfast. By then, I needed my raincoat. A Canadian couple sat next to me at breakfast, and we had a very nice chat. They have been to Portugal several times and love it. Tomorrow they are also going to Morocco for a few days. Is this a "Canadian fad"? :o)

After breakfast, I sorted through my photos, downloaded them, and saved them. Then, around noon, the rain stopped, and I walked the dogs to the park of Pena Castle (the castle in red, yellow, and blue) on a steep hill not far from us. It's beautiful, too, with lots of cala lilies blooming right now.

There were many visitors, and the weather was perfect for visiting and discovering something new. The dogs behaved very well.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, I visited Regaleira Castle. I didn't take the dogs with me this time. This castle also has a wonderful park! And there is always something in bloom. The castle itself looks medieval, but this is deceptive: it was built between 1904 and 1910. The Italian architect and the Brazilian-Portuguese owner were both very fond of Gothic architecture. The castle is very interesting from the outside. Inside—only the ground floor is open to visitors—they used a lot of wood, and the floor creaks soothingly. The wallpaper looks like Christmas wrapping paper—pine branches, holly.

There is a spiral well with no water in it, and it was never intended to have any. It leads to an underground cave system. This is also very interesting. I ordered my ticket online and I also got an audio guide. I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, by the time I finished, it was already dusk, but I think the pictures are still enjoyable.

On the way home, I bought a Portuguese delicacy at the Piriquita bakery: Travesseiro do Sintra = an oblong pastry filled with almond cream. It's very tasty, you can get used to it.

Tomorrow morning we will leave Sintra and continue on to Nazaré. Before that, we will visit the Baleal Peninsula and island.