Day 7 Sintra and Caiscais

This was my second favorite day....Oh I wanted to live in this town. Its so small and so quaint and there are castles on the tops of both of the hills. This one we got to tour called the Sintra National Palace. It's the oldest palace in Portugal with 1000 years of history. Norberto was my most favorite guide. I can still remember how his voice sounded and his cool accent. He was humorous and knowledgeable and grew up in a small town next to this. 

See the other castle on the other mountain?

Model for the blind to touch and feel. 

All the rooms were so regal and decorated as if it was a palace today. 
This room had swans all over the ceiling. 

This was the "function" room.  A room where the king and queen would "meet up" to perform the function to create a prince! HAHA! Really, I'd be ok with a function room in my house. 

The decor was so neat to look at. Everything hand made. 

The kitchen was huge and had 2 huge smoke stack looking things that went up and when they were cooking over a flame, thats where the smoke escaped. They had it set up to look like a real palace kitchen. 

That little room back there was the shower room. No doors, no one undressed, but there are small holes in the tile that water would spray out of when someone wanted to freshen up...all together. 

Then we were turned loose and told to go find the 2 best pastries in Sintra. Queijada (small round pastry made with eggs, cheese cinnamon and sugar) and Travesseiro pillow like pastry filled with almond creme. We did try the travesserio and it was quite great, but this heavenly chocolate carmel pastry with a chocolate sign on top of it that I could eat was EXTRA amazing! Oh it was so good. My favorite dessert of my life!

 

Steph and Brecken got a different kind too. 

Cutest little shop. 

Then we were off to the Boca de Inferno - Mouth of the Devil. They say when the waves come in and crash here it sounds like the Devil himself is calling for you. 

This is what it looks like when you're a fisherman bringing in your haul. Swarmed by seagulls! 

Better shot of the opening. 

Ice cream to keep this kid going...

Then off to another beach! This one was a little different. If felt like a lake. We swam in a little inlet and there were no waves. But when you were walking in it you could really feel a current pulling at you. 

This was the day I'll forever be grateful for. Carter decided (it only took a week) that some of the kids weren't too bad and that he was going to be social! He ran around and jumped off the bridge a bunch of times and played games with all the kids for hours in the water. Oh, I was so glad. He just hadn't clicked with anyone and the beach and water just made him right at home I guess. 

 I sat on the beach with my mom friends and did a little shell digging and wading in the water. It was a cooler temp so I never got fully in. These Utah boys got an education on this beach about Portugal women and the lack of clothing they wear to the beach. I also got chewed out here by a lady for trash that was flying around that the seagulls were getting into. I tried to stop them a few times and hid the bag of McDonalds food even but those seagulls kept getting into it. It wasn't my trash so I turned my back and ignored it. Next thing I knew a lady tapped me on the shoulder and said my trash is blowing all over her beach and that I needed to take care of it. I explained that it wasn't mine and she said that it was our groups and I should take care of it....ok... I guess I will. 

I found shells of colors I've never seen before! One was a deep purple. 

We were south enough we were really feeling the heat and humidity! We were warned to wear and apply sunscreen multiple times. I never got burnt, but I really did feel like the sun went deeper into my skin and would burn hotter if I didn't. 

We were left to explore the town and find lunch and we actually landed at Pizza Hut and I was totally ok with that! We ran into this random man who started dancing (i think) in the streets. I think he wanted money, but one group of kids who weren't with us hopped in and started doing what he was doing....it was like really slow movements over and over....ok??? Then our group hopped in and added to the large group dancing in the street! Carter even joined in and I was tickled pink! He offered a photo opp when the song was over. 

It was here that Fernanda finally cornered Carter and told him he was going to be #10 in their group of 9 kids, that he didn't have a choice. I'm so thankful for this girl and her bubbly personality and for her including Carter. 

The town was all decorate for a festival and Bea thought it would be fun to walk us through the streets to see all the decorations. It was really cool to see but I'm pretty sure that I walked 100 flights of stairs. Wow, have I mentioned this country is on a mountain? There is no flat ground. How they built all this infrastructure on a hill is impressive in itself. 

I've talked a little about how crazy the driving and streets are..for reference, this is how close our large bus was to these cars, Roads are TINY! 

Beautiful City!

Gelato before we go one last time. It was the best of the whole trip. 

And we ended the night back in the ocean watching the sunset. 

These cute girls were so fun to get to know. Some of them, we go way back to elementary school. I wish Mol could have been there and met these kids and had the same experience!

What a fun day!