Portuguese & Palaces

The last week has been filled with day trips, continued wandering around Lisbon, and focusing on the one goal of my trip that isn't purely enjoy: learning some basic Portuguese. Portuguese is so similar to Spanish that I hoped it wouldn't be too hard to learn a bit of my third language. Portuguese is the 6th most spoken language in the world and would help me a lot in development work since not only do Brazilians speak Portuguese, but Portuguese is also the official language in places like Angola and Mozambique. I knew I wouldn't become fluent in just a month in Portugal, especially without spending thousands of dollars on a rigorous professional program, but I hoped I could start getting a feel for the pronunciation and learn a few key phrases.

To be honest, I've already surpassed my own, perhaps too low, expectations. I've been studying on my own daily and have had one two-hour long meeting with a private tutor-- she's incredible! Not only did she provide me with tea and cookies (how sweet!) but we moved at lightening speed through the basics of the language. We covered 2 different verb tenses, irregular verbs, possessives, and contractions, as well many of the basic greetings and "about me" topics. Now if I can just retain all of that! I'll have 2 more two-hour sessions with my tutor and lots of studying on my own before I leave, but I am already pleased with the progress I have made though I am aware that it would take a much more extended period to come anywhere close to fluent in this language! The fact that I can purchase groceries and train tickets and ask for directions without relying on English or Spanish is a big improvement considering about the only thing I could say when I got off the plane was "thank you!" 

Besides studying Portuguese, I've taken a couple of fun day trips to places near Lisbon. Belém was my first, and a couple of days later I headed to beautiful Sintra. Sintra is a hilly area a little bit inland and is full of palaces and castles! Right off the train, I was able to see the National Palace of Sintra, which looks a bit like a Madonna-style cone bra with its two strange turrets. I then hiked quite a long way up to the stunning Pena Palace. It was built in the late 1800s and was only ever used as a residence, not a fortress, so it is very fantastical and fairytale-esque. It was hard to take a bad picture in a place painted in vivid colors and covered in delicately detailed tiles! 

After Pena Palace, I continued my hike over to the Moorish Castle, built in the 900s A.D. by the Moors on one of the tallest hills in the area for the best defensive location. The castle was stunning in a completely different way than Pena-- it reminded me of the Great Wall of China actually! I tromped around the castle to soak in the incredible views of the surrounding countryside-- all the way to the Atlantic Coast-- and then hiked back into Sintra for lunch and an inexpensive glass of wine before taking the train back to Lisbon.

On Saturday, I headed to coastal Cascais, getaway for the rich and famous. Rich I am not, but luckily Cascais turned out to be a wonderful daytrip even for the budget backpacker. Right outside the train station I found a bike rental kiosk and was able to take a bike out for several hours at no charge! I biked along the beautiful coastline to the nearby resort town of Estoril and then back out of Cascais the other way, taking in gorgeous views the entire time. I was able to stop and see the "Mouth of Hell," an opening in the cliffs where the waves crash in. It was pretty tame the day I was there, but apparently can get quite wild when the sea is a little choppier. I stopped along the coast for a lunch of presunto (Portuguese smoked ham) and another cheap glass of wine, then biked back in to Cascais. After leaving my bike at the kiosk, I ended my day sitting on the beach, reading, and watching the sun sink lower. It was one of my favorite days in Portugal so far and there's a chance I may have to head back to Cascais before I leave to soak in a few more sights of the ocean and coast! 

It was a great week, filled with castles, Cascais, and learning a new language! Now I'm planning out my adventures for my third week in Portugal. It will be my last full week in this country, as I'll be spending four and a half days in Madrid, Spain next week, so I'm trying to make the most of it! While I will by no means see all the sights or learn all of the language, I'm so happy with the taste of Portugal and Portuguese that I am lucky enough to have this November!