We went to the National Palace of Pena, located in Sintra. To get there, we took a 45-minute train ride and then a taxi to the palace. Remember in yesterday's post when I said that people didn't seem very friendly? Well, our taxi driver was great! He didn't speak English, and obviously we don't speak Portuguese, but through gestures and names, we were able to understand one another and we all laughed as we were waving our arms and pointing and nodding when we understood. One of those little moments in life that I will cherish!
When we arrived at the palace, we first wandered around outside, and then did the self-guided tour through the interior. The views were incredible and the details at every turn were beyond impressive. The weather was chilly and windy, but pretty sunny, so it was really a wonderful day!
When it was time to return to the train station, we faced a bit of a dilemma because there were no available taxis in sight. But you know what were available? Tuk tuks, which are motorized rickshaws, so we decided to take one and just hope we made it down the steep, winding road alive!
When the driver asked us where we were from, we said "Washington, D.C.," because that's what we always say when we're in a different country, and he immediately said, "So...Virginia!" We told that that actually, yes, we are from Virginia, and he said he had visited there because he's a musician! So both our taxi driver and tuk tuk driver were absolute delights today! I wish I'd gotten a pic of the tuk tuk, but I only thought about after he dropped us off at the train station.
After we took the train back to Lisbon, we went back to a Ginjinha stand, which is really like a tiny hole-in-the-wall dive bar where we'd gone last night. The only thing they serve is Ginjinha, which is a sour cherry liqueur, and it is so good! We originally went for the name and toasted to Ginny last night, but the drink is seriously amazing, so we went back again today!
Such a super fun day!
Happy Tails to you!
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