Saturday, April 27: Day 5 – Head West

We started our day early by having breakfast with other hostelers – a Moroccan in Lisbon for a Metallica concert who wants to travel Route 66 in the USA and a Brazilian working at the hostel whose dream place is Ohio. He wants to lie in a field??? It is fun to meet interesting people with the backdrop of an interesting place.

Rob and I signed up for a day tour to Sintra that was offered through our hostel. We were a group of 6 with 2 guides. Joining us were a Brazilian couple, Joao and Estelle who did not speak English, Reese, a Canadian who is a professional hockey player in Allentown and Filippo, an Italian with an innate ability to read a map.

After a quick stroll through the winding gardens, stopping for a delicious pastry

and an introduction to Manwellian architecture, we were deposited at the entrance of Quinta da Regaleira, given a map and told that we had two hours to get through labyrinths of skeleton-like structures

and walk through dark tunnels with low hanging ceilings.

Rob did not emerge unscathed as he hit his head and was bleeding.

Quinta da Regaleira was AMAZING. So many photos opps. Can you find me in this picture?

We lost the Brazilians early on, but it was just as well since Estelle was addicted to her selfie stick and had numerous pictures of different poses of the same place.

Quinta da Regaleira has an inverted tower. The only one of its kind in Europe.

Here is a picture looking up from the bottom.

Our group was starving. We had been promised a seaside picnic. What a view!!

Next on to the westernmost point of the contiguous continent of Europe along with the rest of the tourists. I had to fight for my place in line for this coveted spot.

The wind was strong and it was chilly but our guide insisted on a photo shoot.

Later in the evening, we went to listen to Fado, which consists of a vocalist accompanied by a regular guitarist and also a Portuguese guitarist only found in Lisbon. The songs are strong and passionate, so much so that they say you don’t have to know the words. You can feel what is being sung. True that!