MikePadgett.com

Sintra

— Romantic architecture and the stuff of pure whimsy: welcome to Sintra and its castles in the sky!”

Palácio da Pena, Sintra

The train out of Lisbon’s Rossio station heads through a succession of dormitory towns and tower block estates before finally the broad plain opens up and the greenery thickens. The only grey clouds we’ve seen so far on our trip now hover in a heavy sky. Finally the train halts at the end of the line and out on the platform we don another layer: it’s much cooler here than in Lisbon.

Palácio da Pena

The bus grinds improbably up through the switchbacks towards a misty summit. I’m feeling a bit queasy as the enormous, flabby arm of a Frenchwoman reaches across me and grabs the handrail to steady herself. Later, after we’ve climbed the rest of the way to the castle on foot, after we’ve negotiated all the stairwells and narrow passageways, we’ll see this same Frenchwoman again, only just arriving at the entrance.

The bright palette of colours and the architectural whimsy for which the Palácio da Pena is justly famous are rather lost in the grey mist. There was a small monastery here until the 1755 earthquake, which did so much damage to the city of Lisbon, all but rased it from the rocky outcrop on which it stood. The monastery chapel survived and was incorporated into new buildings erected by Ferdinand II in 1848, who bought the estate.

Ferdinand engaged a German amateur architect called Eschwege who brought from his home country the sensibilities of Rhinish castle architecture. To the construction Ferdinand himself added Moorish and Islamic elements.

In contrast to the fantastical façades, the interiors are generally less exciting. With the exception of a couple of spaces including the lavishly restored chapel, my general impression was one of rather sober utility. Moreover, probably due to the limitations of the mountaintop site, the palace feels almost cramped with its low ceilings and surprisingly small rooms. Entering the palace after a stroll around the walls and courtyards feels like entering a tent!

Castelo dos Mouros

From the battlements of the Castelo dos Mouros, one can normally see the Palácio da Pena across the ridge but today it was invisible in the mist. Though it may have spoiled the view of the distance, the same mist lent considerable atmosphere to the Castelo itself.

Moorish in origin as its modern title suggests, the Castelo was occupied by Afonso I whose forces gained control of Lisbon in 1147. In peace, its military importance was diminished and it fell into ruin, only to be substantially restored by Ferdinand II at the same time as the Palácio da Pena was being built.

It is difficult to say today how much of the restoration matches the original plan, though the towers are apparently quite authentic. We also noted recent excavations, in which were unearthed Moorish water cisterns and a cemetery postdating the Moorish occupation.

Unfortunately we had neither the time nor adequate weather conditions to acquaint ourselves with Monserrate or Quinta da Regaleira.

At a (vegetarian-friendly) café called Casa Bernardo (Rua Gomes Fernandes), we met a couple of British folks who were running the place. They described their gladness at escaping from Britain and living a different sort of life. They could hardly have chosen a more fascinating alternative than Sintra!