terça-feira, outubro 27, 2009

Sintra is freaking awesome

Yesterday I went to Sintra with a friend. I hadn't been there for years and, to tell the truth, I thought of going there. But Sintra is not a place to be enjoyed by myself!

Sintra is a world heritage site and, let me tell you, it deserves every little bit of that title! It's an amazing place! Plus, we got lucky: the day was perfect!

Our first stop was an old convent, the Convento dos Capuchos. A very simple place in the middle of nowhere! After all, the convent was a place of contemplation, not sex, drugs and rock n'roll!


The place is truly magical. The moss everywhere. Even small flowers on the stairs leading up to the building itself.








The entrance of the convent itself.


Interestingly enough, most of the wood in the convent is covered in cork. This is a detail of the roof of the main entrance. Amazing!




The view from one of the tiny cells.


The room where the monks ate.


And the kitchen where they cooked. I guess they couldn't order in...



The toilet.



The penitence room.


And the infirmaries.



The view from a nearby hill top.




The dew.


We headed down to town for lunch. How beautiful it is!



And notice the castle up in the mountain!


We had lunch through the door on the left.







The Palácio da Vila, with its unique chimneys.


View from the belvedere in front on the palace.





I took this picture of the old town and the castle next to a group of old Japanese people. Of the typical kind. And I understood what the guide was telling them!


Our next stop was yet another superb location: Monserrate. Another palace.

The garden is full of nice stuff. And a lot of oriental trees and bushes, as the palace is inspired in the Orient.






And old chapel. In the middle of the forest. Literally!









Here's a small bambu forest! Straight from Japan.


A glimpse of the palace, up the hill.
And a first plan of the first planted grass in Portugal!



The tallest tree in the garden.


And the view of this amazing palace.






We went in, but no pictures can be taken. It's as beautiful inside, believe. Despite de construction going on.




This trip had come an end. Sintra is freaking awesome!

3 comentários:

Anónimo disse...

Lindo e mágico!!
:)
Beijocas
Inês

João Roque disse...

Mágica é realmente o adjectivo apropriado para esta terra que me encanta sempre.

Sofia Feliz disse...

E a outra tipa teve a lata de resumir a "vilazinha" de Sintra a um número isotérico :S

Sintra é a minha paixão!!!