We stayed in Lisbon Portugal for two nights but on the second day we went out exploring a few attractions and towns in the surrounding area.
Our fist stop in the morning was to the town of Sintra, a pretty little village located approximately 30 minutes away from Lisbon by car.
We took public transit that day, which took a little longer but was quite easy nonetheless. It was just a short metro ride followed by a train - easy peasy.
We ate breakfast at Cafe Saudade when we arrived and then headed into town to explore a little.
Sintra is surrounded by forests and is sort of tucked away among the trees.
It's situated at the base of an old castle (see photos above and below) that is now in ruins and it's also very close to the city's main attraction, the Palacio Nacional da Pena.
The buildings in town are painted in bright colors, which gives it a whimsical sort of feel. The inner streets of the old town are narrow and lined with many gift and artisinal shops - worthy of exploration.
While walking around we saw a bunch of vintage Volkswagen van's parked along the side of the road.
I don't know if they were there to be rented for the day or if they were trendy tour busses or just a collection of enthusiasts all gathered in the same place.
Regardless, I thought they were pretty cool. I like their classic paint jobs.
Other common forms of transportation in the town were Portugese tuk-tuks and even a horse-drawn carriage or two, for those who want that old timey experience.
The tuk-tuks were mostly transporting people up the hill to the palace and the other attractions located in the area.
The village itself is quite small and certainly very walkable, despite being a little crowded at times.
Not all the time mind you.
There are several museums in the village, as well as the Sintra National Palace. It's a quaint building painted stark white. I didn't realize that it was a palace due to it modest exterior, otherwise we might have went inside.
The City Hall building was nice from the outside as well, with its tall tower and painted tile roof.
We didn't spend a great deal of time in Sintra itself, maybe just an hour or so, not including the time we spent eating breakfast. We were there mainly to see the Palacio Nacional da Pena, which I keep alluding to. It's the main draw to the area and the reason most people go to Sintra. It's located at the top of the small mountain above the ruined castle mentioned previously. You can take a bus to the top or a tuk-tuk, or if you like hiking you can spend an hour and just walk it. Which do you think that we did? I'll let you know in my next travel post...