Although I was reluctant to leave Lisbon, whose charms I was still uncovering, the allure of a train ride to visit the romantic, Medieval city of Sintra was enough for me to pack up my walking shoes and head to the Estação Rossio train station for the 45 minute trip.

A summer residence for kings and a favorite of 19th-century English writers and poets, Sintra inspired poet Afonso Lopes Vieira to write, "In all the land of Portugal, the whole expanse of Europe, Sintra stands out as one of the loveliest, rarest places that Nature's prodigious hand has created." Lord Byron called it simply, "a glorious Eden."

Of course there is a castle. After winding our way up the hill of the tree-lined narrow road, where we saw not a few panting individuals who thought it looked walkable, we came to The Park and Palace of Pena. Pena Palace was begun in 1840, built from an old convent. From below the castle looked pink, but as we approached I noticed it actually is several different colors.

Our introduction to the palace was through an archway over which towered a particularly scary stone statue that marks the guests' entrance. Our guide cleared up the mystery of the various colors. The red part of the castle was from the old convent, which was abandoned after the 1755 earthquake and the part that was added after that is yellow.

You've got to love a culture that adapts rather than destroys. Another unique feature of the palace was the use of different tiles throughout, many taken from other buildings that were destroyed during the earthquake. The Romanticists liked variety as well.

We toured the castle, which is also remarkable in that apparently the occupants suffered from a fear of empty spaces. Every spare inch of space was so filled, it is amazing that ladies in their voluminous skirts could even pass through.

After our visit we strolled through some of the narrow streets of Sintra and bought some hot roasted chestnuts from a vendor, served up fresh in a paper cone. They only sell these inviting treats during the months of September and October.

From Sintra, we took the short drive to Cabo da Roca, noteworthy primarily for being the westernmost point of Europe. The lighthouse, set high up on a cliff overlooking the sea, is a popular tourist spot and you can get a certificate confirming your visit.

On the way back to Sintra, we stopped at the coastal town of Cascais for lunch at the elegant Farol-Design Hotel. This former fishing village is now known as the Portuguese Riviera and Cascais also lays claim to Estoril, one of the largest casinos in Europe.

The Farol Design Hotel is in a former mansion, built right on the cliffs. When an extension was built in 2002, each room was done by a different designer. The hotel is an impossibly chic blend of black, white and silver and our seafood-based meal at The Mix restaurant was delicious.

Less than a day away and we'd traveled from Medievel Portugal to cutting-edge Cascais. And we did it all by train, my favorite way to travel

 

Sintra
www.cm-sintra.pt

Farol Design Hotel
www.farol.com.pt/

Eurail
 www.eurail.com, www.cp.pt for trains in Portugal