OFF TO SEE ERICA DAY #3 “That’s Sintra not Sinatra”

Today we ventured out of town to a nearby town called Sintra.  This is the home of a gorgeous castle built in the 16th century that was destroyed by a massive earthquake in 1755 (apparently they haven’t had any earthquakes since) and then rebuilt in the early 19th century. Based on today’s journey I am led to believe that any time I visit a landmark in a Portuguese speaking country it is fogged in.  You might recall we got to see Christ the Redeemer in Rio from the mid chest down (see below).

Today we essentially saw the Pena Palace from the chest down (also see below).  We did get to view the inside and received a course in Portuguese History 101 from the one of the security guards.  Unfortunately the outside beauty (see below) was not available to us today.

Also notice the arch in the picture above.  This demonstrates the Moorish influence upon the architecture.  It is interesting to me (most likely not to anyone else) that the Moors were driven out of the Iberian peninsula at the end of the 15th century but their influence on the culture of this area continued long after they left the region.

We are off to dinner and a concert now.  Moor, oops More about that later.