Portugal, what a place! For some reason visiting Portugal never made it to my travel wish list. Maybe because it’s not the most popular stop on the classic western Europe pub/bar crawl many Canadians take in their 20’s. Or maybe because when I is take my very first backpacking trip in Europe I wasn’t surfing back then. In any case, it is now a location that I cannot wait to return to!
Nature, history, architecture, culture and incredible food are just the shortlist of why Portugal is awesome. In one day you can surf in the morning then visit castles and palaces with pause for espresso and custard pastries. Afterward, stroll through perfectly kept gardens and have a wine and cheese aperitif. You can cap off the night by listening to traditional melancholic music, called Fado, live, while sipping cherry liquor out of chocolate cups in a spot that is just off of a cobblestone street and most likely the converted estate of a nobleman.
I was blown away.
I arrived in Lisbon to a warm welcome from my hosts, Marina and Reyes, founders of Yoga Fool. Super jetlagged and totally out of it, I decided to stroll through the neighborhood of Belem. Marina told me I had to try the famous Portugese pastries called Pasteis de Nata and that the spot to get them was called Pasteis de Belem. The spot was packed. I was a little overwhelmed.
In front of me a girl walked in and asked a table. Hearing her speak English, I asked if I could join her. As karma would have it, she was a bright down-to-earth yoga teacher from Ireland. We sipped our coffees and shared stories into the evening. By nightfall we visited the Monastery a few meters away. I liked Portugal already.
The weekend started and it was a busy one of yoga workshops. The location that Marina and Reyes chose was an historic building and climbing to the studio area we passed tiled walls with the history of the structure painted right on them. The yoga community who attended were warm, welcoming and full of life. Of course, after the workshops we had some wine and dinner at a local restaurant. It looked like an old wine cellar from the baroque era and adorning the walls were eclectic portraits of random men. It was such a gem!
The workshop weekend ended and as per usual I had no plan. I google image searched “Portugal” and a photo of some kind of medieval round structure came up. That was inspiration enough and I decided to follow the photo. It led me to the town of Sintra and the Quinta da Regaleira. The photo I had seen was of the intrinsic well designed to represent an assent to heaven. I explored the well and the whole of Quinta da Regaleira. The place was absolutely magical. Underground tunnels to get lost in, green lakes, frescos, grottos, gardens, palaces and structures the likes of which I had never seen.
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Sintra is a historic town with a microclimate that makes it a touch more humid than the rest of the country and a whole lot more magical. Moss and vines grow everywhere. When the sunlight hits a building or tree, golden sparkles glisten in it’s moisture. In Sintra I had the pleasure of staying at Quinta das Murtas. Originally a wedding present to a young couple of nobility, it was acquired from the great great grandchildren of that same couple and converted into a family run bed & breakfast years later. The family members who tend the home are kind and passionate about the place. It is clear that they care deeply for the town of Sintra and the bed & breakfast they up keep. Speaking of breakfast, the Portuguese love their sweets, so Quinta das Murtas did not disappoint. Along with fruit, cereal and cheeses, there was fresh baked cakes every day starting from 8am.
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Sintra was all my little girl fairy tale dreams come true. I visited the Quinta de Peña, my first castle visit ever! I watched the sunset from the turrets and fall to the ocean in the distance. My favorite place of all though was the Monserrate palace. For almost an entire day I had all of the grounds to myself. Gardens featuring flora from all over the world, an old chapel in ruins reminiscent of a gothic Angor Wat, and an inspiring palace with a view. I expected tiny pixie peoples to buzz around me at any moment. The energy of Monserrate was really special. There was a joyful energy in the air. It was so obvious that the whole estate was built simply for enjoyment and to encourage relaxation, happiness and inspiration. For me, it did just that.
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What’s more to love about Portugal? It was so safe. As a woman who has traveled to over 40 countries alone, I don’t often feel as easy and free as I did in Portugal. It was freeing to walk alone at night through lamp lit alleyways and not have any weird scenarios running through my head that might make a good episode of Law & Order. The people are friendly, kind, polite, welcoming and harmless in the best ways possible. The food was fabulous, the climate was comfortable. I am so grateful to have gotten the opportunity to explore such an enchanted land. I will definitely be heading back before too long!
Yoga workshops hosted by: Yoga Fool
Stay in Sintra provided by: Quinta das Murtas
