Sintra, Portugal
January 15, 2013
This was a very serendipitous day! Years ago, when we first set up this website, we wrote a little paragraph on our home page about why we decided to trek the world. In our description, we used the Portuguese word "saudade" which means desire, longing, and incompleteness all in one. It seemed to sum up in a word the reason for our journey. Jump forward 4 years later, and here we are in Portugal! Even more strange, we coincidentally found a cafe called "Saudade" in the town of Sintra only 30 minutes by train and decided this sounded like the perfect day trip for Deb's birthday. As it turned out, we met the owner of the cafe and told her our story and enjoyed getting to know her and her story as well. We enjoyed an outstanding coffee and desert and then explored the rest of Sintra which we found unbelievably magical and mystical!
Train to Sintra
The Village of Sintra is only 30 minutes away by train and is a Unesco World Heritage Town.
Saudade Cafe
The very Portuguese word we used to describe our journey 4 years earlier is also this lovely cafe in Sintra!
Not only was it a serendipity moment, but it was also a fabulous Cafe with outstanding food and coffee's.
Photo's of Sintra
The village was a very cute and charming place complete with dewy forests, castles and palaces.
Felt like it was right out of a fairytale.
Quinta da Regaleira
We toured the mansion and gardens called Quinta da Regaleira. Built 1892.
Consists of a palace, church, luxurious gardens with lakes, grottoes, wells, fountains, and a vast array of exquisite constructions.
Video of Secret Well Insie the Mansion
Within the gardens, were various "grottoes" which led down secret underground passages to hidden wells.
Ericeira, Portugal
January, 2013
Near to Lisbon is a cute little coastal town called Ericeira. Though it was a rainy day, we hopped on a bus and went to check it out anyway. It had a charming main square with lots of side streets leading to various shops and restaurants.