post size belies amount of content in day
On our day off, Matt and I follower our advisor, Peter, along with a bunch of other researchers, to visit Sintra, where the Portuguese royal family evidently kept a palace. Long story short: I wish we had this stuff back in the States. We barely scratched the surface, completely neglecting all the sights sprinkled on the grounds surrounding the palace. After our group disbanded, I had as much fun just exploring the historic portion of the town Sintra, which is no less amazing for being overrun with tourists and shops that cater to them. Despite the great consistency in architectural style, Sintra evokes a wealth of personality by hugging the hilly terrain so closely, adding a dimension absent elsewhere. The views there are simply breathtaking; I can scarcely imagine living there, so that such vistas become commonplace.
I understand better now than I did in my youth the value of traveling and experiencing new cultures, place, life (even if colored by the tourist trade). I also spent some time shopping in non-historic Sintra and Cascais, better examples of Portuguese towns doing their own thing. In Cascais especially, quaint shops stocked with rustic textiles give way to gleaming storefronts flaunting chic styles, and Portuguese pastry shops and cafes are replaced by an abundance of Indian restaurants and sushi joints.