Quinta da Regaleira and Seteais Palace

Oh boy, I was not really prepared to see all the grandeur and fantasy fairy-tale like parks in Sintra. I thought I will be seeing castles, palaces, stately mansions and that’s it, but little did I know that these estates have amazing out-of-this-world gardens—no that would be too modest—they have parks, HUGE parks! Sintra has a potpourri of nature and man-made parks that is so startlingly familiar—in my dreams, lol. It’s like those parks in Alice in Wonderland or Wizard of Oz but the stage pushed back to the medieval ages and with the abundance of nature, that’s what the parks are like in Sintra.

It really felt like I was in a different world; peeking into fantasy world. I guess when you are filthy rich you can afford to let your imagination run wild and make it come true. Like Michael Jackson (not a fan of his music though), he had Neverland.

Quinta da Regaleira

Just a ten-minute walk from Sintra town center, this luxurious four-hectare medieval-like estate is like a child’s fantasy dream come true.


The Quinta da Regaleira is an achievement of mythical dreams of the owner, António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro and his Italian architect, Luigi Manini.


Left is the 'Threshold of the Gods' and this is seen from the street. On the right is a small bridge in a closed lagoon with waterfalls (not seen on foto and there was no water too). Check out the kid below skipping on the paths of stone leading to the underground grotto.


Beautiful fountains with chimerical creatures in the lavish park. The left fountain with the blue wall background is a favorite. If I am not mistaken this is the 'Ibis Fountain'.


Here is a lake with a grotto and a stone bridge, forgot the name but this is near the threshold of the gods.

The romantic palace is a remarkable concoction of Gothic, Renaissance, Roman and Manueline architecture styles and the ultra extravagant nature park includes a lagoon, caves, wells, grottos, bridges, a waterfall, mini-parks, hidden winding paths, a chapel, several towers, mini-castles, a tea house and a collection of exquisite Manueline inspired park accessories such as benches, fountains, gates and other constructions.

I would not be surprised if António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro, the millionaire who built this romantic, utopian and magical estate 100 years ago was probably under the influence of his bizarre mythological cultic fantasies. It’s said that he was into alchemy, masonry, the occult and the templar knights. Right, so that figures.


A royal bench in Manueline-Renaissance style beside the cave (see entrance to the cave on the right foto), and the colourful flower tile work detail on it.


I think this is the 'Terrace of the Celestial Worlds and Reservoir' and on the right is one of those surprising ornate constructions found in the corners of the park.


On the left foto is the 'Regaleira Tower', a favourite spot by tourists to climb up and take fotos. Mid foto is the 'Regaleira Chapel' and on the right is a little kid throwing pebbles at a small grotto.

More fotos can be found here: Quinta da Regaleira, Sintra - Portugal

Really—and this is not an exaggeration, Quinta da Regaleira, the palace and the park is simply astounding. My mouth fell open upon realizing that it’s a real residence with a four-hectare fantasy fairy-tale park. Someone used to live (whisically) here before!

Seteais Palace

An example of Neo-Classical architecture in Sintra is the Seteais Palace built during the late 1700’s for the Dutch consul Daniel Gildemeester. Seteais Palace is less than a five-minute walk from Quinta de Regaleira.


The Seteais Palace was built by a Dutch man in the 1700's. It is now a luxury hotel.


The neo-classical arch is the focal point of the palace has the effigies of Prince John VI and Princes Carlota. A well trimmed labyrinth garden.

More fotos can be found here: Seteais Palace, Sintra - Portugal

The monumental arch in the middle of the palace really stands out. It has the imperial crown perched on it with an effigy of the monarchs, Prince John VI and Princes Carlota and a Latin inscription below it, exclusively made for the royal couple as a tribute when they visited the estate sometime in the early 1800’s.

The palace is now a luxury hotel and a restaurant under Tivoli Hotels (I stayed with the sister hotel in the center of Sintra).
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Introducing: the first European President

When the news came out that Belgian Prime Minister, Herman van Rompuy was elected by EU leaders during a closed dinner session tonight as the first European Union President, it didn't came as a surprise.

Herman van Rompuy reminds me of Merlin in the Arthurian legend. In this foto he looks like he has a sinister plan in mind, hehe. He actually has a sense of humor, very poetic and an avid blogger as well! Check out his haikus and his blog, but they are all in Dutch. Isn't it cool to have a president who is a real blogger?

Van Rompuy has been the front runner candidate for the EU Presidency, with the charming Tony Blair from the UK, Harry "Balkenende" Potter of the Netherlands and VVF iron lady of Latvia as other favoured candidates.

Obviously, van Rompuy coming from a "centre-right" political party in a centre-right filled EU parliament, with France and Germany backing him up (hint: both countries swearing against Turkey joining the EU) what else can we expect for a vote turnout? Left party leader Tony Blair wouldn't stand a chance in a right wing crowd, although Harry "Balkenende" Potter would probably have, being also centre-right.

During the press conference, it was cool to see President Herman van Rompuy address the public in a truly European fashion, in three languages, fluently: French, English and in his native tongue, Dutch.

Now the question is... who is going to lead (divided) Belgium now?

Here is an interesting comparison chart of the differences between an EU President and an American President, made by the BBC: EU and US President roles compared

On other news, it is so bloody warm for the season.
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What I am reading and My running therapy

I’ll post the rest of the travel entries later as I’m thrilled to share what I’m reading right now: Conde Nast's Traveller Magazine December issue and Royal Dutch KLM’s 6th issue of the iFly Magazine!

The Traveller Magazine has no online version but click on KLM’s iFly Magazine foto below featuring Jan des Bouvrie, Dutch designer who popularized affordable real living spaces in his interior designs to open the magazine and start reading!


Places featured that I so want to visit, it's making me want to pack now and go: St. Petersburg, next year would be it! Gotta get that Russian visa ready. Mexico is on it but I'm off to Cancun in January. Surprisingly, there’s a feature on Munich so I’m a bit ambivalent now on whether I should do Munich this December or save it for spring. Jan des Bouvrie (a very inspiring figure, from Dyslexia to popular Designer in the country) talks about glamour hideaway St. Tropez but I’m eyeing a more historical spot further south, Carcasonne...

Anyway, I am not done reading. I’m saving the rest of the stories for next week's evening reading time.

Today, I went running again. It’s been my weekly schedule now to run more than an hour every Sunday. Thirty-five minutes non-stop running, then a five-minute break in between and another thirty-five minutes run. Then I finish it with stretching exercises at home.

The run felt really good today even if it rained. The morning started with some harmless drizzles then it steadily picked up turning to real pelting rain. Luckily it was nothing like a torrential downpour, I didn’t have to seek shelter. But strangely enough, the rain didn’t bother me a bit. I was so lost in my own world, focusing on my running tempo and the music blasting on my ears. I don’t know—but—there's some sort of spiritual encounter, like a coming together with yourself when you run, when you've conquered your own threshold of running. Everything around you doesn’t matter. It’s just you; your running and of course your music.

I’ve become a die hard I think, a running health nut—but I saw other die-hards running under the rain too. So I guess that’s okay.
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The National Palace of Sintra

Sintra for the locals is popularly known as a quick getaway from the rising temperatures of Lisbon on a blistering summer day. No wonder it is the summer residence of Portugal’s royalty, the House of Braganca. Kings and Queens lived in Sintra up until 1910 when the Portuguese revolution took place extraditing the royal dynasty out of the country.

The day started cold and foggy. Outside the balcony of my hotel room I can see the ruins of Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle) on top of the mountain, sitting pensively, and covered in white sheath. There was light rain outside too so I dismissed the thought of going up the mountains for the day. I’m visiting the two palaces nearby for my day’s itinerary, the National Palace of Sintra which is just a stone’s throw away from my hotel, and the Quinta de Regaleira, which is a 10-minute walk from the center of Sintra. After which I’ll spend the rest of the day in this charismatic village, and hopefully the next day would be better weather so I can go up the mountains and enjoy the two other glorious castles.


The National Palace of Sintra from the main square of the village (taken on a different sunny day). The building is not very impressive outside, but inside yes! Next foto is the pretty chapel of the palace, Chapel Tribune.


View from the palace to the village. The weather wasn't great at all but the mist gave the already romantic location a very dreamy (and lazy) setting. A simple Manueline style window in the middle foto. On the right is the palace's Central Patio and Bath Grotto.

When arriving in Sintra and taking the 10-minute winding walk along the lush valley (with interesting sculptures placed on the roadside) from the train station to the historical center, you could see the National Palace standing out the horizon with its two white bottle-shaped chimneys distinctively dominating the mountain village skyline. The chimneys are quite a design, they house the kitchen of the palace, and inside the hollowed room you could hear your voice vibrate and echo through due to the concave ceiling.

Anywho, it looks like the entrance to the National Palace of Sintra is free. The lady behind the desk in the tourist office quickly checked me out and then gave me a ticket and told me – it’s free. I wonder if she randomly checks out tourists and decide who she gives free tickets?


This is King Sebatiao's Room that I really liked and the decorative ceramic tiles of relief vine leaves on its walls in blue and green color scheme.


Another room I like is the Magpies Room (Stag Room). History said that the king kissed one of the queen's ladies-in-waiting and gossip throttled after that. Obviously the king was not pleased. To put the gossip to rest, he created this room with Magpies on the ceiling to remind the women of their gossipping. Magpies are noisy! Next is the grand dome ceiling of the Coat of Arms Room.


This is the Magpies Room on the left foto and check out the period furniture set, the fireplace and the striking tiled walls in Moorish Mudejar fashion. Middle foto is the beautiful Coat of Arms Room, a gold domed room with azulejos on its walls, polychromed ceramic tin-glazed tiles. This period chair, looks Chippendale ala Queen Anne style, is huge and can fit in two male adults easily.

Now for some tidbits of history, but promising that I will not drown you readers with details of information as you can find them all online anyway. The first resident of this palace was King Dinis in the 13th century, then King Joao, King Duarte, King Manuel I who did major renovations and additions, and in the 19th century, King Carlos I and Queen Amelia as the last occupants before Portugal became a republic.

The palace is quite unique as it shows different architectural styles, Gothic Renaissance, Moorish Mudejar and Manueline. I find the Moorish and Manueline styles interesting mainly because of its geometrical and intricate patterns. I am also partial to the blue and green color scheme when mixed. Fact is, I’m thinking of making a huge painting at home for the living room (a project I have been putting off for years) in bright blue and green hues.


The palace's kitchen was quite remarkable, it was different than most noble kitchens I have seen. Middle foto is the Swan Room (the ceiling have swan paintings), the biggest room of the palace. And last foto is a cute little nook I discovered. I can sit in here and read a book over a cup of tea during a rainy afternoon.

More fotos can be found here: National Palace of Sintra - Sintra, Portugal

I think my favorite rooms are, firstly, King Sebatiao’s bedchamber with the relief ceramic tile patterns of climbing vines on the walls. Then there’s the Magpies Room with its sturdy period dining set, think they are renaissance or could be tudor. The ambience of this room is really nice, I can see myself spending my days here if I am a resident of this palace. Lastly but not the least, the Coat of Arms Room that has a dramatic dome ceiling showing the Portuguese coat-of-arms surmounted by a winged dragon at the peak of the eight-sided vault, flanked in each segment by King Manuel I’s children and, at the lower level, by the arms of seventy-two families from the Portuguese nobility. This room is amazing.

It’s said that the National Palace of Sintra is the best preserved palace or castle in Portugal. I am quite glad to have visited the palace. She doesn’t look very impressive from the outside, but from the inside, she definitely is.

The big plus is it was OK to take fotos inside!
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Waking up at 3 in the morning

Is not a good sign when the first thing you think about is WORK.

I know that I am very passionate about my job, my career and my superiors always say I am very dedicated and I am good with what I do, but it’s strange to just suddenly wake up at 3 in the morning and think about work. Think about the clients I have to get back to, what is the freaking strategy of my top accounts, how am I going to convert them to additional business ergo euros, how can I be more efficient in my sales process, how much more to go for the target, oh the pending items... etcetera and etcetera. Am I stressed? Umm, I think -- NOT YET. I am just hyper like how I am.

This morning I had a chat with my colleague and told him how lucid I was at early dawn going through the list of “action items” I have for work when during the day I must have forgotten them due to other priorities and just pretty much an overload of things to do.

My other colleague said, “Well you are not the only one waking up at odd hours and thinking about work!”

OK, I hope this is not the norm?

I am juggling things left and right, right now – something I am good at admittedly. I am forever the multi-tasking queen. But this waking up at 3 in the morning and randomly thinking about work is alarming. This has got to stop. Pronto.

Anyway, I should be scheduling an appointment with my doctor for immunity against the H1N1 virus aka the Mexican flu. I’m off to that part of the globe after the holidays. For work.

I also initially wanted to fly over to Munchen for a short weekend in December before the holidays but thinking now of just hopping over near the border. Maybe Bonn, Cologne or Aachen. Even Xanten. Munich is much better during the warmer months and I want to hike all the way up to the Neuschwanstein Castle too.

I’ll post more stories about Sintra, Oslo and Bantayan next.
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My beautiful quaint Sintra

The long weekend in Sintra was a blast for me. I love, love pretty antiquated little villages and I never tire of them, ever. I’m always looking for new charming villages to add to my list of places to visit, so there is more to come!

The bucolic village of Sintra is not very far from Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Just 45 minutes by train from Rossio train station. It is the last stop of the Sintra line. Public transport in Portugal is dirt cheap but I took a cab from Sintra going to the airport because I didn’t want to miss my early morning flight back to the Netherlands. Total flight time Lisbon to Amsterdam is 2 hours and 35 minutes, and Portugal is 1 hour behind.


My view from my hotel room balcony, the verdant valley and the old center of Sintra. Check out that rose pink villa on the lower right hand side, she intrigues me.


Me in my hotel room balcony and next foto is the view again to the old center. On top of the mountain sits the ruins of Castelo dos Mouros (Moors Castle) enveloped in a fog, built during the 9th century by the Moors/Muslims of North Africa (now Morocco and Algeria).


Scenic views of charming Sintra mountain village from the National Palace of Sintra taken during a rainy Sunday.


More fotos of Sintra old center. I think it was on this restaurant - Alcobaca Restaurante that I had my last dinner. The gambas on cream sauce which was a house specialty was superb and highly recommended. On the right foto is the main cobbled street that leads to the Sintra old village from Placa da Republica.


Here is a quaint side street of Sintra devoid of tourists. November is clearly out of tourist season in Portugal which is quite nice because you don't have to compete with the hordes that trek to Sintra daily in the warmer months. On the next foto is the National Palace of Sintra taken from the winding road across the valley.

Sintra is situated high up on the Sintra hills on the western part of the country overlooking the Atlantic coast to the west and Lisboa to the east. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and renowned for its 19th century Romantic architecture. Lord Byron, the English poet and politician wrote to his friend, “I must just observe that the village of Cintra in Estremadura is the most beautiful in the world.” I do not agree with Lord Byron on the most beautiful in the world statement but my hotel room view in Sintra, I must say, was gorgeous. The balcony is facing the lush green valley and the historical part of the village with rustic pastel colored buildings.

The old center of Sintra is quite small and hilly. The alleyways are narrow and like most touristy chocolate villages, the main street is flanked with inviting café restaurants, gourmet shops, handicraft stores, souvenir shops and sub alleyways leading to yet another narrow welcoming street.

I did a lot of walking in the village and have visited 5 castles – palaces (Castelo dos Mouros, Palacio de Pena, National Palace of Sintra, Quinta de Regaleira and Seteais Palace). The palaces were simply breathtaking! Magical in one word. And the gardens and parks surrounding the estates were enchanting, poetic and fairytale-like. Stories and fotos of these will be posted later.

The winding walk from the train station to the old village is also nice. I took the cab when I arrived in Sintra as it was late and I was utterly exhausted from carrying my luggage all afternoon in Lisbon. My shoulders were dead beat from the carry on, they were protesting and hurt like hell. So the next day I back tracked and walked from the old center to the train station. It was a beautiful fresh nature walk, the scent of magnolias blossoming were wafting in the air and the view of Sintra from the winding road across the green valley and the National Palace jutting majestically up to the skies was exquisite. I take enjoyment in these little things.


I just love, love the colourful laundry hanging out in the open air! The Fonte da Pipa (Fountain of Casks, a public fountain) in decorated classic blue tile work is located in the historical zone of Sintra and dates back to the late 17th century.


Here is the Moorish Fountain on the roadside on the way to Sintra old village; a typical devout Catholic blue classic tile artwork on the wall of a house in the old center, and a narrow steep staircased alley leading to a pretty and inviting little shop.

One evening I had dinner in a fine dining restaurant right by the Placa da Republica. I chatted up the waiter asking for some advice what’s best on the menu, and later on how to get to the palace up in the mountains. As typical as my conversations with waiters end up, he asked me where I am from. He can’t seem to figure out where I am from and when I told him I am from Holland, his reply was a raised eyebrow, lol. I know; I am not blonde, OK! Anywho, it turns out that one of the cooks is a Filipino, so he excitedly asked the other waiter to go to the kitchen and fetch him for me.

Also in the same place, in Placa da Republica, I discovered a cool wine bar serving €250 Portuguese port and sausages lighted in fire. I didn’t cave in to the €250 port but tasted a cheaper €50 version, for free. The woman was subtly trying to get me to buy but I can’t finish a bottle in 2 days and I don’t want to check in my luggage on my flight back to Amsterdam. The sausage was good though except for the blood sausage that tasted strange, and the Quiejo de Nisa goat’s cheese was yummy with my red wine and port!


The smell of burned chestnuts filled the air and I can't resist the temptation! This is what you get for €2. Of course I could not resist the Presunto ham too (Portuguese traditional ham of Chaves which is similar to the Spanish Jamon).


My long and late lunch - Portuguese house red wine (later I had Port), Quiejo de Nisa goat's cheese, thin slices of Presunto ham and 2 types of Portuguese sausages (the dark one is blood sausage which wasn't to my liking) lightly grilled on open fire on a ceramic plate.


The wine bar lady preparing my sausages on a ceramic plate - she adds some oil underneath the ceramic grill plate, then she lighted it with fire. Lord Byron, the English poet and politician is quite famous in Sintra, a guest who fell in love with the place so I heard. Ginja is a Portuguese alcoholic drink made from Morello cherries and tastes like rum. It's best drank with the little chocolate cups but I abhor alcohol with chocolates so I prefer to drink them straight.

More fotos can be found here: Sintra - Portugal

I also met a Dutch couple in the same wine bar and we talked for the rest of the afternoon as they told me about their life in Portugal. They sold their business in Limburg 7 years ago when they were 56 and bought a house in Portugal, a bit up north in Quimbra. For 6 months they live in Portugal and traveling around the south of Europe and for the rest of the months they spend it in the Netherlands. It was nice chatting with the older couple. I later found out they were staying at the same hotel.

In another restaurant in Sintra, which was on my last evening, I finished a glass of Moscatel, a Portuguese aperitif suggested to me by the waiter, and a half liter of Colares red wine. Then back at my hotel, the Ginja was waiting for me. I slept like a baby until the alcohol control died down and I woke up at 2am, lol.

When traveling, I tend to be a lone wolf minding my own business and being content in doing things alone. A lesson I learned from this trip is to take things slowly, one at a time. To be more aware of my surroundings, listen to the heaves and sighs around me. To be more open to meet people along the way. To smile at people. (alright I am really getting old)
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In Sintra, Portugal now

Hello people, I am in Sintra, Portugal right now, a UNESCO world heritage village having a short relaxing weekend holiday. Away from the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam, and also from Lisbon. Lisbon was nice but for this trip I prefer the village-y feel, the nature and the tranquil surroundings around me.

Me in Rossio square in Lisbon, Portugal. Not the best foto I got but I didn't have many fotos taken with me on it in Lisbon.

My hotel in Sintra is really nice. It is facing the valley and the historical center with the old buildings and houses, and the castle ruins on top of the mountain as my view (sometimes I only see a blanket of mist hovering above the tip of the mountain). I think I have chosen a perfect place to unwind. I really need this from time to time.

See below a video during KLM touchdown in Lisbon. The pilot went too fast with the landing and the plane was swaying sideways, we bumped hard on the runway.

Tomorrow will be a long day... will be visiting the castles, the little historical center of Sintra which is just a stone's throw away from my hotel (actually my view from the balcony is the old center), take a walk in the lush valley, enjoy Portuguese seafood cuisine and many, many more.

I'll have more tales later when I am back in the Netherlands.

Alright, till then!
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Itchy feet but can't decide

Since its Q4, the most stressful time for every sales and business professional, I am grounding myself from traveling long distance. My friend, Blondine is dying to take a week holiday in NYC or Cuba as originally planned. I’d love to really. I mean I would have booked the ticket now, pronto!, but I’m a responsible corporate slave so I have changed plans and have been looking at nearby destinations for a nice long weekend instead.

The problem right now is I can’t make a decision, and I want to fly out next weekend already.

I’ve checked Cotswolds in the UK, Carcassonne in the south of France, Valencia in Spain, Venice in Italy, Andorra, even Paris. All except Paris I’d love to spend more days than just a long weekend.

I have a luxurious problem okay but I need to make a decision this weekend. I want some culture, some nature and some relaxation. Sigh...

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