Just a bit above the village, in our view, there is a mansion called Chalet Biester. Its black roof with turquoise trimming causes a lot of questions and awakes the curiosity of many Sintra visitors. No, it cannot be visited; yes, it is a private house. No, I don’t know who lives there
Looking up from the pool, and almost everywhere from the grounds, you see Serra de Sintra, the Sintra Mountain. On the top of it, a colourful palace is erected. What now is one of the most visited monuments in Sintra and in Portugal, used to be a chapel, constructed in the middle ages
Looking up from our pool toward the mountain, next to Pena Palace, the Castle of the Moors is erected. Well, it looks like it’s right next to it but in fact it is not. They are both up the mountain, anyway, and the Castle of the Moors winds over two ridges of the mountain, and is one of my
One of the most visited places of Sintra is right there, opposite our pool, on the other side of the valley. Quinta da Regaleira is probably the best ranked monument to visit in Sintra by our visitors. It never was a royal anything. A private house, used as a summer residence, of Carvalho
Inspired by the recent new publication of Sintra Tourism Office, entitled Sintra Beaches, I write this blog entry. Sintra is not primarily a beach destination, but it does have some great beaches. Golden sand, beautiful round stones and magnificient cliffs. Surfing, tanning, walking. Great
As I have mentioned before, I frequently walk in the mornings with my dog; up and down the hills, into the forest and mountain roads. Recently there has been an extra burden on my walks. It is lent, the 40 days between Carnival and Easter. Tradition says you give up something for those 40 days that
The feeling of freedom. The mixed sensation of slight panic and incredible happiness. Last week the winds were finally perfect and my desire to experiment paragliding came through. My thirty minute flight was tandem, so my harness was attached to that of Luís, my instructor. No need for me to do
