I was visiting my friends, Brad & Tracey, for a Christmas celebration last night and on my way home this afternoon I decided to stop at a shack I discovered awhile ago. It’s my new favourite ruin up here in Grey County since the old house on highway 10 collapsed in a big storm.
Old Shack
Abandoned sheds/homes/buildings have so much more character than newer ones. It has a history to it and figuring out its story is what makes it fun to revisit time and time again.
Old Road
Before leaving Grey County I made one last stop at this old road. I don’t know where it leads.. Where do you think the road will take you?
There is a place in Lisbon called Pink Street. It is quite literally a pink street. It’s a place where the late-night party goers party the night away. I decided to forego the party and see what it’s like early in the morning. It was quiet when I arrived with only 2 people shuffling down the street during my hour here. The street, a little on the sticky side, had the remnants of last night’s big party littered here and there.
After the Party Goers Leave
Pink Street is very short so after taking a few photos from different angles I made my way back to the apartment for some breakfast. Since it was still early morning I had to wait for the next place to open up before I could visit. My final stop for this trip was to the Igreja do Carmo. One of my first adventures in LIsbon was the light show at the Carmo. Check out the light show in the Carmo here.
Carmo Convent
The Carmo is imposing during the day with its tall columns reaching up to the roof that is long gone, although a little less mystical in appearance than my visit Here at night. Opposite the entrance into the Carmo is the entrance to the Museu Arqueologico do Carmo or the Carmo Archaeological Museum.
Museu do Carmo
Inside the museum exhibits from pre-historic through to the Middle ages of Lisbon’s history are kept in a few small rooms. There is a beautiful light coming in through the tall windows giving the rooms a peaceful feeling as I walked the small rooms.
The Library
The next room over featured a library with some models in the centre to the room. The library windows went so far up I could barely fit them in so I had to take a few shots to stitch them together so you could see them all. It was a very imposing room.
Carvings on Sarcophagus
In one of the last rooms I found a few more sarcophagi. This one, pictured above, drew my attention with its intricate carvings of people holding objects. Not sure what they all have but I love their facial expressions, At the ones that still have their heads…lol
And with this final stop on my trip here to Lisbon I am sad to leave but I know that one day I will be back to visit her again one day soon to discover more of her treasures.
My final destination in Sintra was Quinta da Regaliera, a very interesting estate just outside the historic center of Sintra. As you walk uphill (yup that’s right, uphill – again) to the entrance you pass the grand 5-story gothic palace, giving a glimpse of what might lie in the grounds themselves.
Quinta da Regaleira
Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monterio, an eccentric millionaire, was the brainchild behind this particular estate. The grounds are riddled with secret passage and tunnels along with occult symbols and religious references.
I started slow with this water fountain. The strange fish acts as the spout for the water to flow into the two-tiered bowls.
Water Fountain
The grounds themselves are a challenge to navigate as they twist and turn and head off into unexpected directions or dead ends. Needless to say, I definitely walked the same paths a couple of times if not more.
The one place I was looking most forward to was the Initiatic Well. My friend, Jason told me all about it, which is why I choose Quinta da Regaleira as my final destination of the day. The well did not disappoint. Entering from the top I walked down the ten stories to the bottom where it opens up to the tunnels. There is a second smaller well on the property. The wells were used for ceremonial purposes that included Tarot initiation rites. The tunnels connect the wells to one another, in addition to various caves and other monuments located around the park.
Initiatic Well
Part of the cave system on the property is the Laybrinthic Grotto. For these tunnels, you will need a light source in order to get around because once you leave the cave opening there are no lights to guide you as there are in the tunnels near the Initiatic Well.
Labyrinthic Grotto
There is so much here in Quinta da Regaliera to see that you should plan to spend a few hours here if you can. I spent most of my time here at this estate more than the other two (Pena Palace and Moorish Castle) and I wish I had more time and energy. If I get a chance to get back I will be coming here first.
A short hike (downhill – luckily) from Pena Palace and Park is the Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle). Even though I walked downhill to the castle you’ll notice in the photo below that it definitely looks more uphill than down. And if you look at the final image from the previous post you will notice that technically the castle is downhill from Pena. They just don’t tell you that it sits on another peak so you have to walk down and then back up to get to its entrance. Still its a great view from the trail as you look up at those castle walls. (Hey, I’m storming a castle…lol)
Moorish Castle
I’m convinced that the grounds and walls of the Moorish Castle are a form of torture with all the ups and downs and then ups again. This is not a place for the weak. I’m also lucky that the temps today dipped from 30ºC + to only about 22ºC. I don’t think I would have made it. Or if I did I would have been done for the rest of the day. Below is the view from one side of the castle walls to the other. What did I tell you? Ups and downs. Like a damn roller coaster except you have to walk.
From One Wall to Another
A little history: the castle was built in the 8th and 9th centuries and was conquered in 1147 by Alfonso Henriques. It fell to ruin after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake but eventually it’s restoration, by King Ferdinand II, began in the 19th century and continued into the 20th century. Today It is classified as a National Monument, part of the Sintra Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Stone Walls
The castle walls are quite narrow. You could easily knock someone off. Which would not be so pleasant as you would fall a couple stories down onto hard rock. And that’s the good scenario because falling out of the castle would be a far steeper drop to your death.
When you exit from the castle you have a choice to either go back out to the main road to pick up the bus or if you take a path to the left you can exit the grounds and walk straight back (downhill) into the historical centre of Sintra. I took the path leading straight into town, away from the tourist buses. This also allowed me to see some of the back streets of the town.
HIdden Door
At the bottom of the hill I found this doorway. I have a weird fascination with doors, particularly old ones. It’s like they want to tell a story. I wish I spoke door.
Continuing the walk into town (more downhill btw) I tried to figure out my way to Quinta da Regaleira. In the end I had to stop in at the information centre to ask where the heck I was and how to get to Quinta da Regaleira. (I ended up buying a map.) Seems I would need to walk a little further out of the historic centre and most likely uphill. *sigh
Today I spent some time with my friends and got a little shopping done (way too much actually but hey, I’m on vacation). It wasn’t until early evening that I decided to hike back up the mountain to Castelo Sao Jorge to catch the sunset and take some night shots of the city. I got a little lost on the way – I didn’t know exactly where the entrance was and ended up on the opposite side of where I should have gone. Luckily for me I arrived just in time for the sunset.
Lisbon Sunset
The photo above was taken from the viewing area just inside the castle grounds. While there was still light in the sky I decided to explore more of the castle itself. Inside the castle the glow from the sunset reflected off the walls and made everything pink.
A Small Doorway
Climbing up to walk on the castle walls I found some beautiful archways to photograph.
Arch with a View
As night fully descended and the castle grounds were about to close I was able to get one last shot of Lisbon.
Beyond the Castle Wall
A short adventure today but tomorrow I’ll be getting on a train and heading outside of Lisbon to explore Sintra, the summer playground for the previous kings of Portugal.
