Postcard from Sintra, Portugal: Royal Retreat

Only 15 miles from Lisboa but several degrees cooler, Sintra was a popular summer retreat for the royal family for centuries. King Joao I (1385-1433) began layering changes upon the Moorish base, and successive kings continued altering the National Palace to suit current styles.

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Major feasts must have been served, as the conical twin chimneys top enormous stoves and ovens in the palace kitchen. And, as always in Portugal, a multitude of tiles color the walls.