SINTRA

About an hour south of where we are staying is a beautiful hilltop town called Sintra.  Lord Byron called this hilltop town a "glorious Eden" and I can see why.  The highlight being Pena National Palace, a palace straight out of a fairy tale.  It was if Sleeping Beauty and Jonathan Adler got together to make their dream home.  The amount of detail in tile work, sculpture, and architecture astounded me, as did the color palate of reds, yellows and blues.  It encompasses the perfect mix of mod appeal with Romanticism.  The surrounding gardens and the hike up to the palace are equally remarkable.  I wish that my parents had a few more days with us in Portugal to see it - I think they would have loved it.  Next time, perhaps?