Sintra

Before I left Australia a couple of friends were telling me about the best surf spots in Portugal. While I haven't been to the best yet the Praia Grande rated a mention. But I ate fish instead of going for a surf.

Sintra was another town where the royal family built a palace. All their friends seem to have built palaces here too. The first one below is now a 5 star hotel and I seriously annoyed a couple in a Mercedes by crawling around the driveway so Bry could take photos.
As is typical in Portugal the history, the nice buildings and the beach pale in significance to the presence of a very good pastelaria in the centre of town. The actual town is a tight maze of stairways and small buildings in contrast to the vast estates and beaches which make up the area surrounding it. Unfortunately I can't tell you how good the pastries are as it was so busy on this Sunday we would have had to wait half an hour to just buy one. This is the "waiting on stairs starving" pic. Still didnt get us fed, we weren't too convincing as the size of lunch meant we weren't exactly starving.

L to R reads like the start of a joke - the Australians, the Portuguese and the Chileans.....

The evening mist meant we couldnt see the royal palace through the trees. Thanks to Bry for the sensational photo.