Today, we left with the intention of going to the beach but ended up taking a very welcome detour. Taking the bus in Sintra we discovered there was the Mouros Castle and Pena Palace to explore so of course we had to go!
Castelo dos Mouros
Castle of the Moors (Portuguese: Castelo dos Mouros) is a hilltop medieval castle. We couldn't afford to see both Pena Palace and Moros Castle, but we were able to walk a little ways up to the entrance where they collect tickets. The path was paved in dark slick stones and you had to be cautious not to slip. All around it was so lush and green, it was like a scene right out of Lord of the Rings. Moss and ferns covered all the surfaces and the trees shaded us from way up above. A cool breeze swept through giving us respite from the increasingly hot temperatures of the day.
Towards the end I spotted a small lookout point with a skull and crossbones! I thought that was super interesting to find in such an old place. Sometimes with more common motifs, you forget they have been used hundreds of years ago.
Palácio Nacional da Pena
"The Pena National Palace (Portuguese: Palácio Nacional da Pena) is a Romanticist palace in São Pedro de Penaferrim, municipality of Sintra, Portugal. The palace stands on the top of a hill above the town of Sintra, and on a clear day it can be easily seen from Lisbon and much of its metropolitan area. It is a national monument and constitutes one of the major expressions of 19th century Romanticism in the world. The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. It is also used for state occasions by the President of the Portuguese Republic and other government officials." - Wikipedia.com
Pena Palace was hands down amazing! The architecture was so ornate, there was so much to look at, a feast for your eyes! Everything was an excitement to look at, from the wonderful palate of colors, to the menagerie of creatures, to of course the expansive view.
Looking out of the arched windows in a courtyard you could see all the way to, what seemed, the edges of the world.
Inside, the visual feast didn't end. Each room was decorated differently, even the ceilings were unique no single one the same.
Natasha, my Dad, and I were all so thrilled that we ended up seeing the palace. It was fun being able to explore the high lookouts and see the interiors to picture how the well to do lived back in this time. If you're ever in the area I highly recommend taking the metro from Lisbon to Sintra and then a bus up to Pena. You will not be disappointed!
Heading Home
On our way back, we decided to stop at a small market to buy some groceries for spaghetti so that we could make use of the kitchen in our hostel and save some money. Everything was super affordable, the only snag we ran into was trying to find ground beef for meatballs. We didn't see any by the meats nor at the deli counter and when we asked the locals just looked at us like we were nuts!
We tried explaining to them hoping they would recognize a word we were saying while we charaded making meatballs: beef, meatball, spaghetti... Hamburger. This is the word that they finally understood. We were all excited, yay! Until ey led us over to the freezer and pointed at a package of frozen hamburger patties. We all naked the man and then had a little laugh to ourselves, purchased the hamburgers... Close enough! And then headed back to Home.
It is pretty difficult cooking abroad when you're so used to any type of cuisine's ingredients being available to you at the local market in California. We are so lucky in America to be able to enjoy a wide variety of foods from all over the world without needing to leave our city! I also think it's really interesting that Portuguese people, who live closer than I do to Italy had no idea what I was talking about when I asked them about spaghetti!
If you're abroad in Portugal and struggling to concoct a cheap meal for dinner, here is how I made somewhat simple ingredients into something extremely tasty!
Spaghetti and Hamburgers (Dinner in Portugal) - 7,50€
This meal split between 3 people was really affordable at 2,50€ and had enough pasta left over to make another dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 package of spaghetti noodles
- 1 small jar of tomato sauce (this will resemble ketchup or tomato paste, there are no seasonings)
- Pinch sugar*
- 1 Tablespoon garlic*
- 1/2 Tablespoon oregano*
- 1/2 Tablespoon salsa* (I'm assuming this is just the Portuguese way of saying mixed herbs)
- 3 thawed hamburgers
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil*
- Pinch of black pepper*
Ingredients were provided for free by the hostel. Before shopping, check to see if some of the ingredients are available where you are staying before you purchase them. Yay! Saving money!
How to make Spaghetti and Hamburgers in Portugal...
Put the noodles in a large pot with a little bit of olive oil and boil for 7-10 mins.
For sauce: Pour the tomato sauce into a saucepan and simmer mixing in the sugar, garlic, oregano, and salsa. Once heated through remove from heat.
For the Hamburgers: Place the hamburgers on a medium hot frying pan with some olive oil and once softened chop into bite sized pieces with your spatula. Sprinkle with pepper. Cook until all the meat has been browned. 3-5 minutes.
Mix all the ingredients together and voilà! Super easy, cheap, delicious hamburger pasta! Haha!
Budget for the day (in Euros)
Hostel ------------------------ 16,00
Lunch ------------------------- 3,00
Train to Sintra -------------- 4,50
Bus to Pena ------------------ 5,00
Pena Palace ---------------- 13,50
Post Card --------------------- 1,00
Dinner -------------------------- 2,50
Total -------------------------- 45,50
