Driving Vacation to Sintra

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The next day we set out early because we have about three and a half hour drive to Porto, the second largest city in Portugal after Lisbon, with a stopover at Sintra, located just 40 km northwest of Lisbon. Sintra is famous for its fairytale 19th century Pena Palace and Park located in uneven terrain of Sintra mountain range. After passing the quaint little town of Sintra, the road becomes narrow and twisty. The vegetation in this vast forest is extremely lush and tree branches create a continuous natural canopy. The temperature outside is dropping slowly as we gain elevation. After we park our car at a designated parking lot, we hike up towards the Pena Palace and Park entrance.

Perching majestically in one of the highest points, Pena palace exhibits a profusion of architectural styles from many centuries and cultures. A drawbridge, turrets, ramparts, domes, and gargoyles are all awash in an array of pastel shades, giving the exotic taste of Romanticism. The extravagant interior is decorated in late Victorian and Edwardian furnishings complete with intricate ornaments, paintings, and priceless porcelains. Surrounding the palace is the mystical Pena Park. The trees and exotic plants here were brought in from distant parts of the world during the Portuguese maritime glorious days. Those include North American Sequoia, Chinese Gingko, Australian ferns, Cypress, Magnolia, and Japanese Cedar. To make it even more interesting, a labyrinth is constructed from sculpted trees and it is connecting the palace to many secret places throughout the park...@driving-vacation

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Comments

[Female Driving Instructors Birmingham]

www.justladiesdriving.co.uk
Great insight - very valuable....keep it on