The town of Sintra is divided roughly into two sections, an upper and lower one. The lower section, where the train from Lisbon deposits visitors and daytrippers, consists of the colorful homes of the wealthy, reminiscent of those found in Lisboa with their shuttered windows, balconies, and pastel hues. The cooler elevated climate of the upper region proved a much coveted respite from the scorching heat of the Capital city by royalty and the well-off.
The goal of the morning of our first full day in Portugal was to find breakfast, namely the legendary Travesseiros and Queijadas of Sintra. Luckily for our groaning stomachs, Casa Piriquita was already open for business and fully stocked. Imagine a flaky pillow (“travesseiro” in Portuguese) of puff pastry stuffed with a blend of egg yolks, cinnamon, and almond, sprinkled with a dusting of granulated sugar or a crispy cupcake filled with a small cheesecake made from requeijão, a locally-sourced cow’s milk ricotta.
FUN FACT. In the 13th century, queijadas were so vaunted that they passed as a form currency by the ruling elite.
