21 | July | 2023 | The Cannon Family's travel blog

Today we bid a fond farewell to Lisbon and start the trek up the coast to Porto. Even though it’s just over 3 hours to drive, we decided to stop overnight in Sintra for a change of pace. We tidied up the flat (highly recommended AirBnb BTW) and headed to the National Palace of Sintra – not to be confused with one of the other 4 (!) palaces there. We originally thought we would head for Pena Palace – the bright yellow one we could see from the plane as we landed – but a little bit of research revealed that it is a relatively new palace (circa 1854) and while spectacular on the outside (UNESCO site blah blah), it doesn’t have the history that the National Palace does – dating back to the 12th century.

So off we went. Again, Google maps provided less than stellar directions but this time it was due to police closing the road but we managed to park on the side of a steep street and hike the 1KM to the palace. And we were not disappointed. The exhibits are extremely well laid out and the flow of the place makes a visit very easy. The history, decorations, and architecture are all amazing.

We wandered around the town for a bit and tried to enjoy a cappuccino in the town square but the crowds were becoming increasingly large and annoying so back to the trusty Toyota to get to tonights accommodations – at the beach!

I would not say we are beachy people. We love the seaside and do spend a fair amount of time in beach towns and wandering up and down the sand. But we are not very good at staying at the beach. Even when we do a beach-focused holiday, we need other distractions because just sitting on the sand in the sun for hours on end is not our vibe. (Note: with a good book, I could manage just fine. Frank however…. ) That said, a little time by the seaside is good for my soul so one night in a swanky beach hotel is just the ticket. We arrived at Praia Grande just around lunchtime. Our room wasn’t quite ready yet so we wandered the short secluded beach to find somewhere to eat. At the exact opposite end of the beach, we found a lovely place where our server spoke little English – nor did any of ther other diners. Nevertheless, we managed to enjoy seafood risotto (Frank is back on track!) and a lovely goat cheese salad, all accompanied by sparkling sangria. We watched the waves crash on the sand – apparently this is a surfing beach – and began an afternoon of doing nothing.

And that’s what we spend the day doing: nothing. Once we got checked in to our room, we hit the unbelievable pool – much warmer than the waters of the Atlantic even though that’s where the salt water came from. We swam and sat in the sun, watching the surf occaisionally crash up over the wall. Then we showered and headed to the hotel restaurant for dinner. The food was delicious and the view of the sunset was outstanding. All in all, it was a great day of doing (nearly) nothing.