Did I REALLY Go to Portugal????

It's hard to believe that it's been a year already since Mom and I went to Portugal to take a workshop from the very talented (not to mention smart, kind, intelligent) Michael DeMeng.  AND, I have YET another UFO in the form of my journal from the trip sitting in my studio.  So, last weekend since I was on-call for 4 straight days and unable to leave the hospital I thought it would be a good time to work on it a little.  Unrealistic in my expectations, I believed I could finish it!  (Whatever)  But, I did manage to get a few pages done. 

This particular day (Thursday) was essentially dedicated to sightseeing, shopping, and of course, eating.  We went to the beautiful town of Sintra and visited the most amazing castles.  Each one was "my favorite"!  We started the day with a carriage ride (with a most adorable driver) to see many of the sights and gorgeous homes around town. 

We also visited a toy museum.  I didn't think it would be very interesting, but I was very wrong.  One of the most unusual things was the Nazi toy soldiers from WWII era.  They were displayed in their little parade lines with their little arms up to "Heil Hitler".  Guess I never really thought about what toys little German boys must have played with in the 30's and 40's.

From the ruins of the Moorish castle, or the grandeur of Pena Palace, to the amazing Mad Man's Castle and gardens it was an amazing day.
 
I know we just barely scratched the surface of the many wonders of the area, and I could have spent a week in Sintra alone.  But, as usual, too many things to do and not enough time to do them! 

We finished the day with dinner at an authentic Brazilian restaurant.  The food was only so-so in my opinion, but the atmosphere was fun.  There were statues of hugely pregnant goddesses everywhere and the waitresses wore the prettiest costumes (ours refused a photo op).

I'm surprised at how, even a year later, looking through my bits of ephemera and photos it all seems like yesterday.  These are my journal entries that reflect our day out and about Sintra.  Click on the photos for a more detailed view if you wish.