Sintra Portugal

Rising out of the mists like Brigadoon is the magical city of Sintra.  It lies about thirty miles outside of Lisbon, a short, easy train ride away.  A UNESCO heritage place it is easy to see why the kings and nobles over many centuries used it as a summer getaway.  Located in the foothills of the Sinta mountains to the west of Lisbon it is at a higher elevation than Lisbon and cooler in the summer.  We covered most of the town in a couple of hours of walking up and down very steep cobblestone streets.  There are lots of castles and castle-like houses and, of course, many, many little cafes, restaurants and the like.  We stopped at a little place and I had a great bean soup that in addition to the beans had pasta, many veggies, meat and sausage.  A very hearty dish.