Moor to Do than there is Time

Portugal September - October 2013
Sintra, Portugal

"Our weather is like our economy, up one day and down the next."

Yesterday, the temperature was blazing hot. This morning, it was back to September average - beautiful and mild. A perfect day for hiking around castles and palaces.

Making a High School Teacher Proud

My first knowledge of the Moors came during the study of Othello in high school. To this day, the two are firmly linked. I would like to think Mrs. Pritchett would be pleased. 

We jumped on the bus right outside the hotel for a tremendous drive up Sintra Mountain to Castelo Mouros (Moorish Castle). There are hiking trails and we are known for taking long hikes, but this time we rode. This castle was built by the Moors in the 10th Century and commands a view across to the Atlantic. It was occupied by Muslims until the mid-12th century following the conquest of Lisbon.

During the 19th century, King Ferdinand II began an excavation and restoration of the castle.  Not surprisingly, he discovered many human remains.  These were buried together in the tomb below.

You can just make out the skull and crossbones in the middle. Above that was both a crescent moon and a cross as the remains could have been either Muslim or Christian.

Castle Hiking

Trekking around the castle put my vertigo to the test. Many of the walls are not particularly high and the walkways are uneven.  John and I often wonder what people are thinking with the shoes they choose to wear. Sometimes you want to do things like this and leather soled sandals are a recipe for disaster.
John mastered it safely, although he said it was a nerve-shattering experience. For all the times he has told me, "Back up just a LITTLE bit more," I was glad it was me taking the picture.
I, on the other hand, posed in safe locations.

When children draw castles, they almost always look like this.

The castle has a commanding view of the Atlantic, providing excellent defenses against any attackers.

As Long as you're Excavating a Castle

While Ferdinand was excavating what the Moors had built, he was building a palace for his wife, Queen Maria. Palácio da Pena sits even higher than Castelo Mouros and is Disneyesque, almost garish in style.
John said he preferred the castle to the palace. He's always been a bit of a minimalist.
Ferdinand incorporated a multitude of tiles throughout. Entire façades are tiled in a variety of styles, all of them beautiful and some rather violent.
However, the most stunning architectural feature is probably the giant relief carving of Triton over the gateway to a courtyard.
And, that was just on the outside! The upstairs bed chambers had vaulted ceilings, each with a unique design. It was almost too much to take in.

As Always, Food and Drink

If you are not adventurous with food, nor willing to eat something unrecognizable, then international travel, aside from England, is probably not for you.

It starts at breakfast. I am never quite certain I know what things are, especially the meats. John thinks he had goose liver this morning and he doesn't like pâté very much. But, what we really want is some protein to start the day.

After our castle and palace excursion, we stopped in a cafe for a light, late lunch. I had what ended up being essentially a hotdog sandwich. John said they tasted more like high end Vienna Sausages. That brought back strong childhood memories of ranch trips with dad where he would break out the can of Vienna Sausages and a box of saltine crackers. I never wanted the first one because, like pie, it never comes out whole.

It's Not Even St. Patrick's Day

The waiter suggested a local wine, vinho verde. Yes, you read that correctly. Green wine. It looks like this, is not sparkling although served in a flute, and tastes somewhat like a Savignon Blanc. Who knew.
And, if you're at least sixteen years old, you can order some.
Finally, for my feline friendly friends, the Castle Kitty.

"You didn't pet it, did you? It might have something."