The train ride was efficient but after arriving at the station, things got a little slow. We had difficulty figuring out which bus to take to get to the Palace of Pena and after about a half hour, finally got in the correct line. It took about a half hour to get on the bus and when we did, progress was very slow through the narrow crowded streets packed with other tourists, their cars and other tour busses. Another wait in line for tickets to the palace any my patience was starting to wear a little thin. It has now taken us 2 1/2 hours to get to the entry.
A further 500m steep walk uphill and we finally reached the palace.
It is a nice hilltop structure that has mostly been restored. Most of the structure was built in the 1800's and was a summer home to several kings, most recently occupied in 1889.
There were fabulous vistas from the palace walkways.
You could see the nearby Moorish Castle we intended to visit but didn't due to the slow transportation issues.
Most of the rooms in the castle have been restored and contain lavish furnishings.
The intriguing aspect of the finishes are the tile work. Really stunning.
One notable thing I observed was the amount of graffiti adorning every surface within reach for the entire train ride. Millions of dollars of spray paint covering every public and some private structures. Not really attractive.
When we left the train station, we took a ride on the Elevador de Santa Justa, all 30 seconds of it after standing in line for 30 minutes. This elevator was constructed in the early 1900's in the style of the Eiffel Tower to provide access between two elevations in the city (it is hilly here).
We got a few nice photos of the city roof scape.
We spent an hour figuring out how to use the German washing machine, finally found an English manual on the internet and Chris did a trial load.
We went out for a light supper than ventured down to the squares to check out the early evening night life. Is it ever busy and lively at night here!
