Backpacks and Flipflops

..... Prologue..

Travel can be and should be like getting into a good read or a new book....it's the cover that attracts us.... the title intrigues us....we begin not really knowing anything about the characters or plot.

If the author does their job....they've hooked us and away we go...page by page...and on through the chapters...until the end.

For us...the best travel is like that good book....the journey takes us to unexpected moments, throws curves on the road and we land in different locations....we travel on...knowing little of the end....but it's the ride, the read....the journey....that keeps us spellbound, moving and marveling ....Enjoy our blog! SK

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Portugal holds some magical cities....the Walt Disney fairy tale castle landscape of Sintra.. ...and the headquarters and fortress of the ever mysterious Templar Knights in the languid town of Tomar.

Both are easy train hops to get to...and make it fairly painless to go north or south.

We've decided to avoid the coastal section of Portugal other than our visit to the Algarve and beach town of Lagos. Heading inland to some historico and culturally significant Portuguese towns has taken us into some pretty interesting destinations.

SINTRA

What can you say about a town that has a yellow coloured palace, a Moorish Castle, uniquely designed architecture and home to kings, poets and writers. And, just an easy day trip west of Lisboa or a quiet spot to spend a night or two.

The Pena Palace (Palacio National de Pena) sits at the highest point 30 minutes by bus from downtown.

...and, has a beautiful interior if you choose to go on a tour

A short walk away from the Pena is the 10th Century Castelo dos Moros. Not being easy to climb these steep stairs meant it was less crowded for us and provided wonderful vistas...

Sintra was a getaway for the aristocratic of centuries past, a place to escape the heat of Lisboa, a setting that inspired writers and poets and a strategic defensive position for conquering armies. Not to mention...the mountain greenery held a certain magic and mystical power for many that were drawn to the mountains west of Lisbon.

Today....it is a must stop for tours and tour buses. The historico Centro fills up quickly every morning with hordes of tourists in from Lisbon, 45 minutes by train way. They wander the streets, tour some of the attractions and are gone by later afternoon.

To handle the crowds coming to this UNESCO Heritage site ...Sintra has made a one way traffic pattern from the railway station....through the village and past most of the sites. It makes sense as the narrow roads afford barely enough room for single lane traffic.

We spend several nights in Sintra....and avoid the crowds to most sites.....enjoy the quiet evenings eating superb traditional meals...drinking wine and sampling port.

Sampling Ginja, a cherry liquor served in white or dark chocolate cups. Of course we tried both, many times!!

A traditional meal of the area...stewed pork with clams and potatoes.

The Quinta da Regaleira heritage estate is set in a luxurious 4 hectare densely treed forest containing wells, fountains a chapel and more interesting architecture.

The 27 m deep Initiation Well is a unique feature of this park. It was never used as a water well but is more like an underground tower with stairs once used in Tarot initiation rites... caves must be used to exit the well...

In late October, the buzz still feels busy in the village, but the locals assure us it is very slow.

TOMAR

After the hectic feel of Sintra, we train back to Lisbon to catch one heading north to Tomar.

This small, quiet village nestled on the Nabão River is the location for the magnificent castle/fortress of the Templar Knights, Convento do Cristo. With a history dating back to the Crusades...the Templar Knights story is both biblical and mysterious.

From protectors on the Crusade roads to forming the beginnings of a banking institution to amassing land holdings and guarding the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant....the stories, myths, legends and facts have been overlaid, blurred and disputed for ages. Books have been written and movies made....all makes for interesting conjecture ....

The charola or round church, at the Templar Castle is one of the most beautiful we have ever seen. "The church is a 16-side polygonal structure, ...has a central, octagonal structure, connected by arches to a surrounding gallery (ambulatory). The general shape of the church is modelled after similar round structures in Jerusalem: the Mosque of Omar and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre"

. Click on the pictures for a larger image..

The rest of the castle that was previously a convent has remarkable architecture as well..

The castle can be seen from every area of town dominating the landscape above.

Tomar has some decent places to stay, some great local eateries and tavernas. For us ...traveling the slow way....we can afford the time to linger here to enjoy the local flair.

We stay in a converted Petro station ..... seriously....it was a gas!!! (Bad pun, we know)....and have wonderful tapas in a tiny, medieval feel bar.

Like everywhere we've visited in Portugal, magnificent tile work (azulejo) is evident on streets, sides of buildings, in hotels and even train stations...all usually depicting a story of the area or an historical event. One must look in awe at these creations.