The upper section of Sintra, for the less gastronomically-inclined, is perhaps the greatest draw of the town. Highlights include the Pena Palace, Castelo dos Mouros (“Moorish Castle), Palacio de Quinta da Regaleira, Convento dos Capuchos, and numerous scenic walking trails. While in the lower section, the National Palace is also well worth a visit.
TRAVEL TIP: Because of the hilly terrain, the best way to visit the attractions is to take Bus 434 from the center of Sintra. The bus route is one-directional and includes stops at the Moorish Castle, Pena Palace, and the National Palace (in that order). To visit the Palacio de Quinta da Regaleira and Monserrate Palace, hop on Bus 435 from the same central station.
The figurative brush with the exotic charm of Arabia occurred as we approached our final stop of the day: the Monserrate Palace. From a distance, there was something distinctly different from all the structures we had seen so far on our travels in Europe. Whether it was the cylindrical shape of the entrance room, the two lone windows beneath the eaves, the gradations of color, the white finials perched on the umbrella-like roof, the lacy gothic arches, we had to find out what was inside.
The interior was equally mesmerizing. In Islam, the predominant religion in the Arabic world, sentient beings (primarily humans and animals) are prohibited from being depicted; that is the domain of God or Allah, the one who “breathed” life into them. While this prohibition is not specifically mentioned in the Quran, the holy book of the faith, it has provided an interesting limitation for Islamic artists and has become a defining feature of their works.
The intricate filigree designs of the curves in columned hallway baffle the visitor’s mind as to how much effort and precision was involved.
The etchings on the walls almost trick the mind into seeing things that are not there. Hands clasped over head in supplication? An unfurling butterfly? A fish’s tail?
The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon or the “Frequency Illusion”, in layperson terms, occurs when something that has recently come to a person’s attention suddenly seems to appear with improbable frequency.
