PORTUGAL – QUELEZ

December 1-7, 2022

I left London for Portugal and stayed at the SwissLisbon Guest House for a few days to finish sorting and writing about my African trip. The hostel wasn’t fancy or altogether that nice, but it was friendly and clean. By the time I finished writing the owner / host and other guests were all asking about my progress. I would have been finished much sooner, but I kept getting interrupted. I found a large grocery store around the corner and was able to buy some basic groceries to prepare at the hostel. There was also a small cafe that served a really good breakfast for only 5 euros. Considering it was close to Christmas, I also found a few Christmas markets; but they mostly sold huge blocks of cheese and hams.

There was a young fellow who told me that he assumed I was a miserable old woman travelling alone. He said he was pleasantly surprised to find that I was neither miserable nor “old” once he started talking to me. He came to understand that my writing was to preserve an adventure to paper. By the time I left, he was calling me sweetheart and said I was young at heart.

Although I had been to Lisbon and Sintra before (September 2017), I wanted to go back to certain spots and explore some places that I had missed.

From this cheap hostel in Lisbon, I moved to a very nice apartment in Quelez, midway between Lisbon and Sintra. The apartment was a very short distance from the metro station that ran between the two cities. It was easy to go in either direction for a mere 0.85 euro.

I had taken a taxi to my new accommodation. Victor, the host, asked me what I paid for it. I told him and he said I overpaid. He showed me 3 different apps to get the best price on transportation. He agreed with my estimation that taxi drivers are crooks. He said some friends, from Brazil, were visiting him. They took a taxi from the airport, usually under $20. Because he friends had no idea what the conversion on money was, they thought they were getting a deal when they were charged what amounted to $100. Always ask your host the estimated cost, then you have bargaining power.

I had just turned 65 years old and was not used to asking for senior’s discounts. Too bad, because in most European countries you can get a discount at 60 years old. (dammit! I missed out on 5 good years!) The seniors discount is typically between 30-50% off! This applies to nearly everything except food and accommodation. Bus, train, metro, and entry tickets are all discounted.

I was now ready to start exploring! The Quelez National Palace was a short walk away. It was an 18th-century (1747-1755) summer retreat home for the Portuguese Royal Family. After a fire in 1934, which gutted a third of the building it was restored and then opened as a tourist attraction.

I am always amazed at the opulence of Royal living. Everything from floor to ceiling was opulent. Each room had different patterned hardwood flooring; some in a herringbone pattern, others in geometric patterns.

The ceilings had paintings of angels, flowers, and fancy doodles. One particular room had pictures of family and friends sitting in a circle looking down like they were in a balcony looking down on the

The walls had ornate gold guild laurels, mirrors to give the optical illusion of a larger space and large windows. The halls were long and wide and appeared to have no reason other than to impress. Gigantic chandeliers hung in the centre of the reception halls.

There were delicate dioramas made of wood and ivory.

Dining room tables had an abundance of crystal glasses, silver cutlery and ornate silver salt and pepper shakers. I can only assume that salt and pepper were considered exotic spices at the time.

The bedrooms are lavish as well. Most beds had large, ornate posts which held up the heavy curtains that kept the heat in and cold out. Many bedrooms had dressers decorated in elaborate patterns made of different coloured wood or even silver or stone inlaid into the face.

Most palaces have private chapels. In this way, the royals could do their praying out of the public eye and without leaving the comforts of home. Although not as opulent as the church itself, they are quite impressive, nonetheless.

The palace itself was impressive, but I was really taken with the gardens. There were maze-like patterns of low shrubs, interlaced with fountains and marble statues. The sun was setting and illuminated the palace in a beautiful glow.

There was a tiled canal that ran through the property. The entire thing was covered in beautifully painted tiles, even the inside walls of the canal. A small bridge crossed to another part of the gardens.

After leaving the Palace I headed across the street to what looked like a blue church. I was intrigued. I had never seen a blue church before. It turns out it was a very expensive hotel that looked like a church.

It was getting late so I started heading back to the apartment when something caught my eye. There was a small contingent of military personnel lowering the flag for the night. No one was around, yet they proceeded with such precision and respect one would think they were in front of the President. Three members stood at ramrod straight attention while another member lowered the flag with meticulous movements. Once lowered, the flag was folded in a precise fashion. The team fell into a uniform march and entered the gates. I was thoroughly impressed at their dedication to protocol. It’s what you do when no one is looking that shows who you really are.

Lisbon was not as warm as I had hoped. I decided if I was going to move on, I was going to MOVE. I talked to Victor, my landlord, and he was fine with me leaving a suitcase with him while I hit the road. He wished me well, tucked my bag in a little closet and off I went, for places yet unknown……