After a lecture on the history of Portugal, we took a bus ride up the coast to the picturesque town of Sintra. Sintra is nestled into a hillside. Unfortunately it was very touristy. After lunch, we went to the palace of Queluz which is situated outside of Lisbon. The palace was the official residency of the Portuguese royal family throughout the 18 century. The architectural design is an eclectic mix of baroque, rococo and neo classical, while the gardens are inspired by the French styles of that period. There is also some murals and other things that had a definite Chinese influence. After returning to the hotel, Reggie and I had a delightful swim in the pool and then a very nice hot shower. Dinner was an appetizer of lox with pickled onions, sea bream on asparagus risotto and a wonderful lemon tart.

Pictures taken along the coast.

Pictures of Sintra

Pictures of the Queluz palace.