Sintra is a short drive from Lisbon. Sintra also introduces a theme that will run throughout the trip: romanticism.
Romanticism was a movement in Europe that emphasized an idealistic version of the past, the individual, and nature. It used emotions to create nature - in that there were places specifically designed for you to be awed, to be terrified, to be spontaneous. Think along the lines of stumbling upon a mysterious bridge in the middle of the forest.
Couldn't you just imagine spotting a troll under this bridge? Or a mysterious knight walking across? Or a forlorn woman wandering and lost, needing your help? What Big Emotions on this Ancient Bridge! How authentic and natural!
Except it is not. This is called a folly. This is a bridge with no actual, practical purpose other than it looks good. There's no creek or river or gap it crosses. It's just a bridge on a path.
A sun dappled bend in the path where you can hear nothing and everything? The silence of the absence of people for miles around but the cacophony of the forest teeming with life? The groan of the trees bending and swaying in the wind, the leaves rustling from the breeze, the birdsong echoing through the ills and into infinity? Nope. A folly.
Our guide welcomes us to romanticism as a kind way of saying "walking through the forest and up hill at the same time." She says, "we are going to experience a bit of romanticism," before we climb up again. It's all good fun and experience a bit of romanticism becomes a running joke for the rest of the tour.
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A palm tree?! In Portugal?! Yes! Also a folly. James is not a folly.
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Sintra was initially created as a royal getaway. It hosted generations of the Portuguese Royal Family - right up to and including when it became a Republic. The Royal Family stayed here until the last of them died out. One of the many royals it hosted was King Consort Ferdinand, of the House of Saxe-Cobourg-Gotha. This was a European royal dynasty from 1826 to present to 1917. If you're asking yourself why Saxe-Cobourg-Gotha sounds familiar, I will take this moment to remind you that we pronounce it "Windsor" in English.
Ahem. As I was saying, Sintra.
The Pena National Palace was the summer residence for countless Portuguese royals and their families over centuries. It is has many architectural styles, based on who the biggest trading partners/builders/most influential people were at the time. Primarily, the influences are neo-Gothic (romanticism again), neo-Manualine (romantic, no?), neo-Renessance (do I have to say it?), and neo-Islamic (or Moorish).
There are so many styles because each generation that lived here had a different opinion on what it should look like.
The palace was built on a monestary and few original parts remain. The influence of the monastery remain strong, with many chapels and prayer rooms, each with beautiful stained glass.
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| Virgin Mary, St. Michael, King Ferdinant II holding Pena Palace in his hand, Prince Henry the Navigator |
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Pena Palace (and the Romanticism Theme Park surrounding it) was also very advanced for its time. The engineers were very smart and figured out pretty quickly that the people living there would need water. Fortunately, this place isn't all that far from the Atlantic Ocean! But you can't drink ocean water. So they figured out a way to collect rain water and other run off.
Fortunately for you, you can sit by the fountains and basins and sigh wistfully as you long and hope for the love you may have lost or are yet to find. This isn't a folly because it has an actual functional purpose.
The tiles on this fountain were done in the Moorish style. That is to say, they were made of individual pieces of coloured tile, as opposed to one tile painted many colours.
Next: I'm surrounded by these walls.
