Parthemores in Poland

A couple weeks ago, I headed off to Lisbon for the Olmsted Wives’ Weekend.  On last year’s trip, our group met up in Madrid and had a great time despite the unseasonably cold weather. 

This year we had ten women and it was a great chance to compare notes about the craziness of living in other cultures.  It’s always interesting to see the similarities and differences between countries, which is something you don’t often realize as a tourist. 

While the weather was kind of rainy and a little chilly, it was definitely warmer than in Poland. 

The first day we hiked up to the castle that overlooks the city.  On the way there, we passed a bunch of cute houses with their tile exteriors.  At this point it was a novelty, but we soon realized that there are a lot of buildings with the tile work. 

The castle is a reconstruction of the original, so visitors are free to roam around on the catwalks and into the towers. 

They even had some peacocks guarding the bathroom.  That fence must be pretty sturdy.

My favorite part of the trip was our visit to Sintra the next day.  This castle is about an hour’s train ride from Lisbon, but it was totally worth it.  The whole area is this crazy mismash of decorations and primary colors.  It kind of looks like a cartoon or maybe a kids’ playland.  

Some of the exterior stone work was really impressive.  Too bad we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside, because there were some beautifully decorated rooms, filled with ornate, antique furniture.

By the end of the day, the clouds had rolled in and the whole hilltop was shrouded in fog. 

The next day, the sun finally came out.  (Probably because I was leaving.)  We all headed down to the waterfront, where we visited the Jerónimos Monastery. All the sculptures on the outside were so impressive.

The courtyard of the cloisters was just gorgeous.

While in the area, we took the opportunity to try some of the famous pastries that are sold down the road.  Called pastéis de Belém, they are small pastry shells, filled with an egg custard.  Fortunately, we did not have to wait “hours” for them, as the Wikipedia article suggests. 

Down on the waterfront, there is the Monument to the Discoveries, commemorating Portuguese explorers. 

With all its cute decorative elements, I thought Lisbon was pretty neat. 

Thanks for the great time, ladies!