Sintra: Pena National Palace Part II

The dramatic entrance

A very scary looking sculpture

I can't believe that this palace exists. It feels like a palace from a fairytale book.

Inside the palace was also exquisite. The dining room table and chairs reminded me of my grandparents furniture.

The kitchen reminds me a little bit of Downton Abbey.

Peeking out to see the view from this tiny window.

Ended the tour by having a hot chocolate outside the cafe!

Sintra: Pena National Palace Part I

Hello! It's me, trying to survive the round 2 of polar vortex. Is it spring yet?? I need to stop wearing 5 layers of clothing every time I go outside. Hope January is being good to you. I still have a couple of more posts from Portugal. I can't believe it's been almost a year since I was there.

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to go to Sintra while I was in Lisbon. It was my last day before my flight to Toronto and I decided to visit the Pena National Palace. I took the train from Lisbon to Sintra and it was about 45 minutes trip. Once there, a bus will take you to the top of the Palace for a couple of euros. The ride up is nauseating. It's full of sharp turns and it feels really scary.

I got dropped off at the gate to purchase my ticket to the palace. This trolley is an option if you don't want to walk up the steep hill to reach the palace. I opted to walk and see the surroundings instead.

A lot of tall trees.

Getting to the top and seeing this view!

Breathtakingly beautiful

This is just the pictures at the bottom of the palace and I was already in love. Wait until you see more..

Lisbon protest

After our road trip adventure in Spain, we went back to Lisbon to return our rental car and to spend a few more days in Lisbon before flying back to Toronto. We got back to Lisbon late and we only managed to grab dinner before heading back to our hotel to sleep. 

The next day, feeling refreshed, we ventured out of our hotel to find the whole street of Avenue de Liberdade empty. The whole street was blocked off without any cars going by. It's usually a very busy street. I didn't know what was going on at first. I thought it was a holiday. 

I took the opportunity and it seems so did everyone else to walk in the middle of the street and take photos.

We walked down the street and to the main square when we started to hear the chanting and the crowd growing. It was a peaceful protest overall but security was everywhere.

Have you experienced a similar situation?

Happy 2014

Happy New Year everyone and I hope you had a great start for 2014! I'm really excited on what this year will bring to my life. I am optimistic about 2014. I'm in a place now where I don't worry so much anymore about what will happen in my life...it must be the getting older part in me. 

Last year, I had some pretty rough times and I thought about quitting traveling. It was hard. I was thinking about sacrifices and I thought that I had to give up that part of me. But I decided that it's not worth giving up as it gives me so much joy. 

I understand now more and more on why I like to travel and why I HAVE to do it. It's not just a vacation or an escape but rather it's how it keeps me going. Traveling is inspiration for me. It fuels me to keep dreaming and achieving my goals. The benefits are endless. It keeps me on my toes and it's a constant learning experience. 

It's how I balance my life. As much as I love working, I also need a break to stimulate my mind. To see, experience, and explore new places. And as much as I can, I want to keep growing.

I hope I get to do this forever (haha).