After our harrowing ride in the bus straight up the mountain, we finally reached Pena Palace. At least I thought we did. We entered the gates into a beautiful garden with lots of shade and a cool breeze. Looking around, I could not see the palace anywhere. I saw a path with a sign and a little trolley shuttle. Hmm, we checked out the shuttle and it was 2 euro a person. I started the day with 200 euros cash, but after all the admissions and lunch, (which to our surprise, the restaurant did not take credit cards and I was forced to use cash. Luckily, I had enough) I didn't feel like shelling out the money so we walked. Everyone blazed up the hill, except me. It just about killed me! Seriously. It was steep.
Finally, the Palace/Castle was in sight and what a sight it was. I think when they built this place, the guy could not make up his mind and wanted every style available at the time. A little of this and a little of that. Basically, it had a moorish feel. It was the summer palace for King Ferdinand II and family. It was Delaney's favorite.
It had all kinds of walks, parapets and little secret places to sit and enjoy the breeze.
The kids loved exploring every nook and cranny.
The architectural detail was amazing.
It looked like something out of a story book.
Well, that was then end of our week in Portugal. I wish we had more time to visit more sights but the beach was too inviting to pass up.
We had such a great time and enjoyed being together for the experience.
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