One 1️⃣ last day of Portugal

 The last day in Portugal did not disappoint. Drove out of the city and headed for Sintra and the Pena National Castle; a marvelous fairytale palace from the 19th century.  We parked down the hill in the Pena Park and walked 🆙 to the 🔝!  It had my heart pumping as it was very steep! The pictures from the park are some of my favorites!

In the middle of nowhere is an espresso machine.  Of course, it was a must stop!

Warning: ⛔️ I was obsessed with the ceilings in this palace; each one was different, ornate, and visually pleasing!

That is not smoke, it’s ☁️ clouds!

Our guide wanted to show us an authentic Portuguese lunchtime meal.  He said we’d need to hurry to make it there before noon otherwise we’ll need to “wait in the queue” for a very long time.  We arrive at an unassuming home with a huge dining room that was virtually empty.  

We were literally in someone’s home.  Very quaint. Carlo’s ordered the food and we chatted constantly.  Over the two days, we tried to solve the problems of the world. 🌎 

All I can say is WOW. Char-grilled chicken with homemade hot sauce, chips (fries), tomato salad and house wine.   You should’ve seen the apps-olives in fresh oregano and oil, and the most moist bread ever.  15 min after arriving, the entire dining room was filled.  Carlo’s was right and he was right to say I’d be the ONLY tourist in the room.   There was an older couple seated next to us and the woman could.not.stop staring at me. I Think she was fascinated by my hair, eyes, and outfit all matching 😝 . She literally never stopped looking at me.  

Following lunch we made a brief stop in Cais Cais (pronounced cash cash)

Portugal and its surrounding towns did not disappoint.  Off to the hotel to pack for our first leg back; flight from Lisbon to Madrid.