Where We Be
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| Pena Palace -- Sintra, Portugal |
Pena Palace is a colorful confection of turrets
and watchtowers and walls. It looks like a fairy
tale castle -- and it was more or less built with
that romantic notion in mind. A monastery
stood here since 1511, but it wasn't until King
Fernando II bought it in 1838, extensively
renovating and expanding it, that it became
what it is today -- a homage to Romanticism
akin to Mad King Ludwig's castle in Bavaria.
The setting atop a high hill is extraordinary to
start with -- then you add bright colors and
whimsical adornments and you’re left feeling
like you've walked into a Disneyland of the late
1800s; except Portuguese royalty actually did
summer here, so it’s not just a fairy tale castle
but a real one. The rooms within feel regal
enough, what with their fine furniture and
porcelain and such, but it’s the exterior that
really captures the imagination. The fun mix of
red, yellow, and white paint with blue tiles
makes it a photogenic favorite for travelers
from around the world.
and watchtowers and walls. It looks like a fairy
tale castle -- and it was more or less built with
that romantic notion in mind. A monastery
stood here since 1511, but it wasn't until King
Fernando II bought it in 1838, extensively
renovating and expanding it, that it became
what it is today -- a homage to Romanticism
akin to Mad King Ludwig's castle in Bavaria.
The setting atop a high hill is extraordinary to
start with -- then you add bright colors and
whimsical adornments and you’re left feeling
like you've walked into a Disneyland of the late
1800s; except Portuguese royalty actually did
summer here, so it’s not just a fairy tale castle
but a real one. The rooms within feel regal
enough, what with their fine furniture and
porcelain and such, but it’s the exterior that
really captures the imagination. The fun mix of
red, yellow, and white paint with blue tiles
makes it a photogenic favorite for travelers
from around the world.
| Pena Palace never served a real day in its life as a medieval stronghold, but it's a visual delight -- and Portuguese royalty really did live here |
| This was our first clear view of the palace from below |
| The intentional mixing of eclectic styles was very much in the spirit of Romanticism. In this one picture you can see an onion dome, a Moorish keyhole gate, and crenellated towers. |
| High walls help keep the riff raff out! |
| The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal |
| Here we are at the main entrance, elaborately decorated in a style that might today be termed "Disneyesque" |
| A plumed helmet adorns the top of the main entrance |
| Serpents smile toothily just above your head as you enter |
| Yikes! This is the elaborate Arch of the Triton. The Triton is half-man and half-fish and looks pretty ticked-off about it too. |
| This photo gives a good idea of how wonderfully situated Pena Palace is at the top of a high hill |
| That's the Atlantic Ocean in the distance. All around the palace are green forested hills. Closer in you can see a patio for dining. |
| The interior is lavishly decorated, befitting the summer residence of a royal family |
| Little touches make the interior special, like this lovely detail work above one of the doorways |
| This painted ceramic plate bears the image of King Ferdinand II -- who made Pena Palace what you see today |
| The Great Hall of Pena Palace looks like a lovely place to sit and relax, if only they would let you |
| The statues holding golden lamps are wonderfully kitschy |
| Stained glass was a passion of King Ferdinand II. After many years in storage, his collection from the 15th to the 18th centuries is once again on display. |
| Banquets were prepared in this enormous kitchen. We read that all the pots are marked with PP. |
| Arches Terrace offers a fine view of the surrounding countryside |
| As we walked over to Castle of the Moors, we caught this splendid view of PP high above us |
| You also get a terrific view of the palace from the Castle of the Moors itself |
| This final image from Castle of the Moors shows just how spectacularly situated Pena Palace is |
| We were interested to learn that King Ferdinand originally had the palace painted as we see it now, but over time the vibrant red and yellow colors faded away and for years it was mostly gray. It wasn't until the end of the 20th century that the palace was repainted and the original colors restored. |
| This is our favorite shot: Pena Palace in all its exuberant glory, with Robin celebrating atop one of the turrets |
| Our day began with a steep 45-minute hike from the town of Sintra. We pushed up a long series of stairs and switchbacks, passing this guard tower on the way up to Pena Palace. We never saw another soul during the hike -- tourist bus #434 being a much more popular way to get there! |
| And this rabid guard dog looks ready to bite |
