Princess for a Day

We're back in Lisbon (on the blog, anyway - I only wish I was still on vacation!) to pay a visit to beautiful Sintra. Sintra, a 40 minute train ride outside of Lisbon, is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and home to a number of absolutely stunning castles, palaces, gardens, and religious buildings, as well as approximately 30 bajillion tourists on any given day. 

I'm a contrary tourist, and I tend not to visit the really popular spots when I'm travelling, so I think it says something that I actually visited Sintra twice during my short stay in Portugal. I found it sort of difficult to photograph some of the most popular spots (it's worth your time to Google it. Better photographers than I have amply captured just how stunning it is), but the place that I loved most was Quinta da Regaleria.

Quinta looks like something straight out of the Renaissance, but it's actually much newer than that - construction was completed in 1910. I could have spent all day wandering the expansive grounds, and now that I'm reading about it, I realize that there were more things that I didn't even see!

Honestly, there's not much else to say about the time I spent there. I spent one full day and half another one just walking around, enjoying all the amazing sights available in one small location. I chose to walk from one site to another, but an admittedly more sensible option might be to catch a tour bus or tuk tuk, since a lot of it is uphill. So go visit! It felt like my own personal fairyland, I loved stumbling across a quiet, pretty spot away from all the bustle of the other visitors. 

This outfit seemed like a good fit for Sintra - everything is light and comfortable, but I love the volume of the sleeves. There's more than a hint of pseudo-medieval drama, and how do you go wrong with that in a place like this?

I guess I have to stop milking my vacation photos, because that's the last of them! Portugal wasn't even on my map a few years ago, but I'm so glad that I decided to go. Between the food, the people, the sights, and my amazing experiences there, I'd rank my visit to Lisbon as one of my all time favorite trips. 

Blouse: Zara
Skirt: Target
Sandals: Franco Sarto
Belt: Amazon
Brooch (on belt), Earrings: Vintage