Portugal

Our itinerary included:

• Lisbon
• Sintra, Tivoli Palacio de Seteais
• Évora, Convento do Espinheiro

There are great museums in Lisbon, including the  Calouste Gulbenkian (see photo above) located near Praça de Espanha, with one of the finest art collections in Europe,  and the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, in the city’s Santos district, Portugal’s national gallery with the largest collection of Portuguese paintings in the country. The Museu Nacional do Azulejo is dedicated to the azulejo, the decorative tile, and is set in and around the cloisters of the Convento da Madre de Deus, founded in 1509.  Lisbon is a great walking city with inviting parks.

Sintra is a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site, settled by the Romans beginning in the in the mid-2nd century BC, when the area formed part of the territorium of the Roman town of Olisipo (modern Lisbon).

Gate, Sintra, UNESCO World Heritage Site

Tivoli Palacio de Seteais, Sintra

Évora, another picturesque UNESCO World Heritage Site, has enchanting wrought iron and azulejo decoration.

Street Scene, Évora

Historic Center, Evora

Travelers to Portugal should see a  performance of the distinctive mournful songs for which the country is known; listen to this lovely Fado song:

Photo Credits: Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Gate, Sintra, Street Scene Évora, Fiona Starr, UNESCO, Historic Center, Évora, M & G Therin-Weise, UNESCO