Belem is a little outside the main part of Lisbon. We went there a couple of days in the afternoons to see the coach museum, and more. This is the square in front of and the cathedral of St. Jeronimos. It was built just after Vasco de Gama came back from successfully sailing around Africa to India.
the tomb of Vasco de Gama
The Maritime museum. The Portuguese did a lot of sailing.
Alianna loved her crackers at the hotel. It was a snack she could find in the box and take out. She loved taking a bite out of one and putting it away in the box before taking it out again for another bite.
We went to Sintra one afternoon. Sintra is about 45 min. away on the train. The royalty used to build their summer homes there because it is cooler than the city. It was cool.
In Sintra there are fountains of drinking water around the city. Just like in Rome.
The National Palace in Sintra. We toured and saw how it was back when it was lived in.
Tiled walls
painted ceilings
tile paintings
From the first palace we decided to hike to another palace not far away, the Palacio de Pena. Alianna was just about to fall asleep and we wanted her to get a good nap in the pram. So, we followed the signs and started to walk. It was all uphill, and up a big hill. When we had first arrived in Sintra we looked up to what looked very high up at some castle ruins. I thought it would be fun to see them. When Mark looked up, he said, we are not hiking up there.
Here are the castle ruins. It turns out the Palacio of Pena is even higher than the castle. We hiked right by.
And finally, after what seemed like forever going around switchbacks and watching cars and a bus pass us by, we made it. Interestingly, on the way we saw some mansions (maybe current summer homes) and a lot of stone walls. In the stone walls were little doorways with tunnel somewhat caved in behind them. I wanted to venture in, but I was tired from hiking, and it just looked pitch black when I tried to see what was inside. So, I stayed on the path. What were the strange doors for? We guessed on the long way up. Maybe a place for people to rest who were climbing to the palace with supplies? Maybe guard posts? Maybe a tunnel leading from the palace to escape??
The palace was cool, in a cold way and cool awesome way. One part was set up just as it was left by the owners. It went from a residence to a museum pretty fast. King Ferdinand built it in the mid 1800s as a summer home for the royal family. He only lived there a short while.
From the palace the family could see Lisbon on a clear day. We had a nice view, but not good enough for our camera. Wikipedia has a good picture of the whole palace.
Our room
Alianna found herself a little seat. Notice the cracker box close by...
The Oceanarium was really cool. A lot of fish from all over the world in 4 sections with a huge middle tank full of huge fish and even sharks. Alianna liked to watch them, although one did swim very close to the glass and startled her.
There were a lot of stairs in Lisbon.
and escalators to the metro
Another snack--a baggie full of cornflakes. We thought she had eaten a lot, she was loving them, until she got out and we found a pile underneath her. We fed them to some geese and ducks.
We found this old church closed when we were walking around a park.
It had beautiful tiles
Cork...Portugal produces a lot of cork from cork oak trees (50% of the cork in the world). We really wanted to go see it being harvested, but that happens in the spring. Instead we saw a lot of things made out of cork. It is said to insulate and be waterproof.
Great for boots and purses
and even belts and more. For a some cool photos of how cork is harvested click
here A cool
article too. After seeing all the cork I started wondering just how cork works.
Alianna continued to enjoy her crackers at the airport on the way home.
the tomb of Vasco de Gama
The Maritime museum. The Portuguese did a lot of sailing.
Alianna loved her crackers at the hotel. It was a snack she could find in the box and take out. She loved taking a bite out of one and putting it away in the box before taking it out again for another bite.
We went to Sintra one afternoon. Sintra is about 45 min. away on the train. The royalty used to build their summer homes there because it is cooler than the city. It was cool.
In Sintra there are fountains of drinking water around the city. Just like in Rome.
The National Palace in Sintra. We toured and saw how it was back when it was lived in.
Tiled walls
painted ceilings
tile paintings
From the first palace we decided to hike to another palace not far away, the Palacio de Pena. Alianna was just about to fall asleep and we wanted her to get a good nap in the pram. So, we followed the signs and started to walk. It was all uphill, and up a big hill. When we had first arrived in Sintra we looked up to what looked very high up at some castle ruins. I thought it would be fun to see them. When Mark looked up, he said, we are not hiking up there. 
Here are the castle ruins. It turns out the Palacio of Pena is even higher than the castle. We hiked right by.
And finally, after what seemed like forever going around switchbacks and watching cars and a bus pass us by, we made it. Interestingly, on the way we saw some mansions (maybe current summer homes) and a lot of stone walls. In the stone walls were little doorways with tunnel somewhat caved in behind them. I wanted to venture in, but I was tired from hiking, and it just looked pitch black when I tried to see what was inside. So, I stayed on the path. What were the strange doors for? We guessed on the long way up. Maybe a place for people to rest who were climbing to the palace with supplies? Maybe guard posts? Maybe a tunnel leading from the palace to escape??
The palace was cool, in a cold way and cool awesome way. One part was set up just as it was left by the owners. It went from a residence to a museum pretty fast. King Ferdinand built it in the mid 1800s as a summer home for the royal family. He only lived there a short while.
From the palace the family could see Lisbon on a clear day. We had a nice view, but not good enough for our camera. Wikipedia has a good picture of the whole palace.
Our room
Alianna found herself a little seat. Notice the cracker box close by...
The Oceanarium was really cool. A lot of fish from all over the world in 4 sections with a huge middle tank full of huge fish and even sharks. Alianna liked to watch them, although one did swim very close to the glass and startled her.
There were a lot of stairs in Lisbon.
and escalators to the metro
Another snack--a baggie full of cornflakes. We thought she had eaten a lot, she was loving them, until she got out and we found a pile underneath her. We fed them to some geese and ducks.
We found this old church closed when we were walking around a park.
It had beautiful tiles
Cork...Portugal produces a lot of cork from cork oak trees (50% of the cork in the world). We really wanted to go see it being harvested, but that happens in the spring. Instead we saw a lot of things made out of cork. It is said to insulate and be waterproof. 
Great for boots and purses
and even belts and more. For a some cool photos of how cork is harvested click here A cool article too. After seeing all the cork I started wondering just how cork works.
Alianna continued to enjoy her crackers at the airport on the way home.
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