By Millie Midwinter
As soon as I arrived in Sintra before, I had spotted the Moorish castle, looming high above the town. I really like visiting castles, their layered history gives them a a sense of a place without time, or all times at once. I like to stand in the center of the keep and imagine how the place used to be structured, where the rooms were and who was in them.
The castle was built by the Moors, Muslim inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula, who controlled large parts of Portugal and Spain, some time during the 8th or 9th century. Its strategic position allows it’s inhabitants to oversea the Atlantic Ocean and the surrounding lands. In 1147 it was captured during the Christian Reconquest by King Alfonso I. As the castle began to lose its strategic importance, it fell into decline and had been abandoned , by the 15th century. King Ferdinand II, the”Artist King” restored the castle, integrating it into the landscape of his Pena Palace.
I left for the castle early, after having breakfast in town. I took a tourist bus that runs frequently from Sintra train station. The bus was very crowded and although the distance is not far it took quite a while due to traffic. I bought my tickets at the entrance to the castle, where you will also find tuk tuk drivers offering lifts back and to Pena Palace. I used the audio guide which is free to download (although I prefer to read the transcript). The castle is set within a beautiful forest. A tomb containing remains that were unearthed from Ferdinand II’s work is close to the beginning of the trail . It bears the inscription “What man has assembled only God can set apart” as it was impossible to distinguish if the remains were Christian or Muslim.
I then showed my ticked at the castle entrance, and was able to climb up the castle steps, to the bewitching moss covered turrets and overlook on Lisbon, The view was incredible and stretched for miles. I imagined the archers and soldiers who would have stood guard in the very spot I was standing.
I found walking along the side of the castle walks very scary due to the drop down, however it was worth it for the views. As you reach the highest turret you will be granted with a view of Pena Palace, and you can imagine Ferdinand II would have stood there himself.
After getting a croissant form the vending machine (they appeared to be building a cafe at the side of the castle that was not finished yet) I headed up the hill back to Pena Palace. I had to buy another ticker to enter the grounds to be able to see my next stop, the Chalet of the Countess of Edla.
Images of the sandy yellow Chalet of the Countess of Edla, nestles in the partial wilderness of the gardens, was part of what drew me to Sintra in the first place; somewhere I could live out my dream of being a pixie in the forest.
To reach the Chalet, I was led along the main path through the gardens, down the hill, following the marked symbols for the Chalet. Along the way I spotted stables with horses in. Later I saw a woman in 19th century garb leading a horse and carriage with some visitors. Gorgeous vegetation alone the way included azealia, arboreal ferns and exotic tress.
The Chalet is absolutely stunning, yellow, with arched green doors and windows and creeping plants growing up the side, it looks like something a family of elves would live in. It was built for the second wife of King Ferdinand II.
Elise Hensler (1836-1929), the countess of Edla, was of Swiss-German origin, however emigrated with her parents at the age of two to Boston, USA. She was a highly accomplished opera singer, performing throughout Europe and the United States. Ferdinand II fell in love with her after seeing one of her performances. They build the Chalet and it’s garden within the Places gardens, far enough away from the palace and a place of tranquility, with a view of the sea.
You can use your park ticket to enter the Chalet. Initially there is a small museum room, with images and a timeline of information about the couple. I really liked the kitchen – covered completely in chic blue and white tiles. All of the rooms are stunning, covered in intricate patterns of diamonds and circles and geometric symbols. After wandering though and admiring the designs, I went down a little path to a small pond and admired the Chalet from a distance.
On the walk back though the park I spotted a little gardening area with pots containing an array of species and a perfect rose. I looked inside the prism shaped greenhouses and then discovered a carriage standing alone by the garden and couldn’t resit the temptation to sit inside.
Another day of walking up many hills, tomorrow, I would stay near the town center, to see the National Palace of Sintra, and Quinta da Regaleira,
