Secret Safe With Me: Sintra, Portugal!

So, 'Get Your Guide' tried to play with my time but I wasn't about to let that tour company scupper my 'Sintra' plans! The heavens decided open good and proper, those sunshine spells had made me forget what cloud and mist both looked like! 'Quinta da Regaleria' served mystical wonderland through the rain and princess vibes were felt at 'Palácio da Pena/Pena Palace!' Oh!

Sintra had looked like a fairytale through those travel websites, I wanted to enhance my Lisbon experience by leaving the city for a third time before I headed to Porto! I needed to realise pretty quick that this European tour would see me take things independently, Sintra really saw me being my own tour guide! The train from Lisbon was fine, although the return journey saw me jumping off that Lisbon bound train due to a reverse of route! Facing up to facts, I booked a double ticket package with 'Get Your Guide' but their third party ticket provider didn't come through until the last moment, talk about professionalism? No! That adventure of a day would all be worth it because certain bumps would crop up during that day out! The taxi from Sintra station saw me counting my cash money because I wanted my apps back, the ones I use in China! 'Quinta da Regaleira' was about to get testy, the gates had not yet opened but the staff guarding the 'UNESCO' site had a stank ass attitude! There would be extreme highs and lows! 

I wanted to look down the 'Initiation Well', I got my wish and it was worth the rain pelting down on me! That was a high point, I had no words in that moment but ensured that my photos taken were up to scratch. The amount of tourists was a bit much but the grounds were spaced out and the time slot helped, I kept my cool! I felt like in I was in a fairytale, 'Quinta da Regaleira' served a rather mysterious feel to it, I had made the right first stop! It was easy enough for me to walk into the historic town centre, it was another picture postcard view with steep hills revealing a labyrinth of shops, cafe and cobblestones. I stopped by a cosy cafe to where I warmed up with a bite to eat and a coffee, the cod pie and Madeira cake both tasted lovely with that smooth 'Galão!' Now, I had no interest buying any touristic products other than my dinner and tea! Hatching my 'pre-palace plan', I headed down to the bottom of the hill for a cheeky 'Caipirinha!' I was living my best life in Sintra! With hindsight applied, it was showing a lot about myself! Go!

I wanted to get a grip of that Sintra weather because it was depressing and I felt cheated because I had a short of amount of time there! I kept on moving even though the rain kept on falling, it was not a mood at all but you know, I hoped for some afternoon sunshine! I had clocked on my map that a walking path existed from the town centre to the palace's entrance, I blindly started the ascent. Turning back was not an option, I had to push through and find some physicality to make those widening steps as the rock formation grew steeper and slippery! I really had lost my senses, it was a taste of my own medicine because I had been used to cushioned private tours with no need to trek one single step! Sintra wasn't playing, she was humbling me but in that moment I wasn't appreciating that serving of tough love! Those staggered signs were making me mad because the calculation of that distance didn't make sense whatsoever! Yes, I had not dressed well for that expedition-like-walk and those shoes did not give me the support I needed!

Another stinking hill? Yes, I had only scratched the surface of that climb because after scanning my online ticket into the palace grounds, I needed to scale another considerably steep hill! I was not fazed by the height because the cloud had still not disappeared, I still had hope because something higher than that castle was about to take that blanket of mess away! I couldn't believe how busy the palace was but it looked absolutely stunning, making me feel like the true princess that I am! I managed to grab a beer or two from the cafe, they were very much needed! Out of nowhere, the winds all of a sudden gave me a clear view of the palace! That snatched moment of colour allowed me to see everything as how it was supposed to have looked like! The palace looked amazing with those details paid to the highest of attention, the climb and the rain had been worth it! The sunshine had finally showed up, I left the palace with something of a positive mindset because the end result was spectacular! The walk down? That was an experience also! 

It was like Sintra had cat-fished me at the beginning of the day, those misty conditions had put a blanket of nonsense over that picturesque town! I decided that walking down back from the palace to the town would be best, I was able to take in the small-town charm of Sintra from every possible angle! I loved those cute houses with all of my heart, they all were exuding the charm I had longed to see in Portugal! I did have to dodge some coaches but the roads were mine the closer I neared the town! Sintra served hills for miles, those greener pastures were stunning and all sour emotions from before had melted away, completely! I was getting hungry but knew that I wanted something Portuguese and that I would need to be mindful of my budget! They say the walk down from a steep place is all worth it, that saying was bang on the money because I loved every single one of those delicious country views! Those experiences had humbled me and the reason for Sintra testing me was meant to be! I deserved a glass of red wine, on the double Sin! 

Backtracking those rainy town centre steps, I walked up the final hill of the day to find my main meal of the day! I was choosy with my choosing because those European prices were not friendly to my East Asian normality, it was a lot to consider! Finding a quiet and predictable looking restaurant, I was able to order one course of 'Bacalhau Com Natas'. Fulfilling that craving for a glass of Portuguese red wine, I made that one glass last because I wasn't about to blow the last of my money on those restaurant demands! I wanted to see how Sintra's serving of 'Bacalhau Com Natas' would taste because I had last enjoyed a serving in Macau SAR, China! Money well spent, I loved my creamy and hot serving of that codfish dish and the wine didn't last all that long either! Making those payments, I headed back to the train station for the journey back to Lisboa Rossio! I knew that being my last night in Lisbon, one last night out would be the best way to celebrate that trying day in Sintra! Porto wasn't ready, thing was I also wasn't ready for myself! 

Sintra Was A Moment! 

Desperately Seeking Adventure