As with most state capital buildings, the one in Austin (completed in 1888) is home to the office of the Governor and the Texas legislature. The current building is actually the third state capital structure; the first (1836) was in Columbia, Texas and was not much more than a single house. Three months later it was moved to a temporary location in Houston; the second capital building, constructed in 1853, was destroyed in a great fire during 1881; the current building was funded by the largest barter transaction in recorded history - the Falwell brothers became the builders of the new capital in exchange for three million acres of public land in the Texas Pan Handle. The brothers eventually turned this land into the largest cattle ranch in the world (know as the XIT). Once completed, the building was opened to the public on April 21, 1888 ( San Jacinto Day commemorating the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution). Standing at a height of 302 feet and constructed largely by convicts and migrant workers, the current building is the sixth tallest state capital in the United States. In 1970, the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places and in 1986, designated a National Historic Landmark.

Sketch of the 1836 original State Capital building.

This photo of the second state capital was taken in 1881 just before a fire destroyed the structure.

Funded by the largest land barter transaction in recorded history, the current State Capital building was built between 1882 and 1888.

Twenty-four blue glass windows were installed around the skylight structure in 1888. Only six of the original windows remain, with the rest being exact replicas (made in 1995).

On the floor beneath the rotunda, is the Texas State Seal which includes the coats of arms depicting the sequential history of the state (i.e. Spain, France, Republic of Texas, the Confederacy, and the United States).

Among the various sculptures around the grounds of the State Capital is this one commemorating the history of Texas’ African Americans.

Tour guide Comfort Tyson provided us with excellent background information about the building...

...including a special tour of the old treasurer’s office...

...and its original vault.

Of course, the Senate Chamber...

...and the House of Representatives take up a large part of the building.

Resuming our travels, our next stop was Austin, Texas (the State Capital and home to the University of Texas). Archeological evidence has indicated that humans had inhabited this area as far back as 9200 B.C. By the time the first Europeans arrived here, the Tankawa peoples were the main inhabitants, with some Comanches and Lipan Apaches traveling through the area. Archeologists also found evidence that Spanish colonists had been traveling through this area for centuries but had only established a few permanent settlements. By 1730, three missions from East Texas combined into one along the south bank of the Colorado River, but this lasted only seven months when they relocated to San Antonio. During the early part of the 19th century, the Spanish had established several forts throughout the area. In the 1830's, American pioneers began to settle along the Colorado River. Once Mexico had gained its independence from Spain, new settlements were created throughout central Texas, but growth was slow because of constant conflicts with Native Americans. In 1836, Texas had gained its independence from Mexico and established itself as an independent country with its own president. Three years later, the area now known as Austin was chosen to replace Houston as the new capital of the Republic of Texas and was originally incorporated as "Waterloo." Shortly afterwards, it was renamed "Austin" in honor of Stephen F. Austin, the "Father of Texas." The new republic's congress, in 1845, voted to be annexed to the United States. Fifteen years later, Texas joined the Confederacy in ceceding from the U.S. In 1883, the University of Texas was established with its main campus located in Austin. Among the many notables who claimed Austin as their home were Lance Armstrong, Berkley Breathed, Drew Brees, Sandra Bullock, Walter Cronkite, O'Henry, Lyndon Johnson, Willie Nelson, Dan Rather, and many more.

Austin’s City skyline as seen from the Congress Ave. bridge.

Currently the third such structure on this site, the State Capital building was completed in 1888.

Built in 1854, this mansion has been the home for every Texas governor since 1856.

Austin is also home to the main campus of the University of Texas.

One of the top attractions in the city is the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum (named after a Lieutenant-governor who was instrumental in its creation).

During our visit to the Alpine suburb of San Diego, Lori and I did our utmost to spoil the two grandchildren living there. Isn’t that what grandparents are supposed to do? From trips to a local playground, to visiting the library for books to read, to making cookies for the firefighters of Station 17, to spending time watching kids’ videos while their parents enjoyed some rare “date nights”, this was all part of the process. Of course, it was not all fun and games. Our main purpose for this visit was to help the family with the move-in to their new home. Helping each and everyone of our children when they ask for it, is one of our great pleasures in life. Unpacking and sorting through a mirad of boxes and crates was the biggest part of this transition period. But there was a list of other projects that David and Jessica needed help with; totally organizing the kids’s learning room (which included cataloging all their books); extending an outside patio-block staircase down to the bottom of the side yard; creating a couple of terraces in the same area; painting some trim; fixing a faulty toilet; and building a patio sitting area under a magnificent tree on the hillside overlooking the mountains into Mexico were some of the projects we were able to complete. This was a wonderful visit!

California can be quite warm during the summer. So stomping through the water at the Viejas Outlet mall brought some welcome relief.

One weekend, we all enjoyed a day of apple and pear picking at a local farm.

Junior scientists in the making.

Ahoy there mates! Where did we park our ship?

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ! Now I know my ABC’s , next time won’t you sing with me?

Circus Day...

...was a lot of fun!

But so was going to the playground!

”I can do this all by myself, grandma! Watch!

Another adventure was exploring the “caves” at the Viejas Outlet Mall.

Dealing with grandparents can be exhausting!

So, time to recuperate in the new sitting area overlooking the mountains....

...and enjoy a “special” treat...

...and then read a book.

We interrupted our usual travel plans at the request of our son, David and his family, in order to help them settle into their new home in the Alpine suburb of San Diego. Of, course it was our pleasure to do so. In keeping with our other blog postings, we present some trivia about this visit;

SAN DIEGO: Founded in 1769, the city was named after Saint Didacus of Alcala, and is now the eigth largest city in the United States. It is known for its mild year round climate and natural deep water harbor. Historically, this area was home to the Kumeyaay Native American people. Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo was the first European to land here in 1542. However, the first European settlement, the Mission San Diego Acala, was not established until 1769. By 1820, it was part of Mexico, but was eventually ceded to the United States following the Mexican-American War.

ALPINE; Situated within the Cuyamaca mountain range, this originally was the home of the Kumeyaay people (who had lived in this area as far back as 12,000 years ago). Alpine, as a city, was founded in the 1880's. Surrounded by the Cleveland National Forest, Alpine borders two reservations of the Kumeyaay nations; i.e. Viejas and Sycuam. Horse ranches and small farms can now be found throughout the area.'

The California contingent of the Aveni clan.

Migrant farm workers ?...

...or prospectors?

Spoiling the grandkids requires a trip to the local fire station...

...during which they got to try on some of the equipment.

I think that hat may be a tad bit too big!

Now, these hats are more our size.

But the best of all was just being able to have a good time.

Over the years, the Belem Palace has served as the official residence of the Portuguese monarchy and now as the residence of the President of the Republic. The current five buildings making up the main facade date to the second half of the 17th century. Back in 1559, D. Manuel, son of the first Count of Vimioso, bought the property and named it "Quinta de Belem." One hundred years later it had become part of the Portuguese Royal Court, later transferred to the Counts of Aveiras, and then became a convent. By 1726, King John V acquired the property and turned it into a Royal summer home. The palace was one of the few structures that suffered only minor damage from the 1755 earthquake. Between 1807 and 1839, the complex lay unused and mostly abandoned; then it was reopened as a temporary residence for visiting royals. In 1904, the palace's training stables were separated from the complex, to become, later on, the National Coach Musem. By the fall of that year, the palace was no longer used as a Royal residence; becoming instead a residence for visiting Heads of State. Following the 1910 Revolution, it became the home for the Secretary General of the Presidency and then for the President of the Republic. Part of the palace now houses the "Presidency Museum" which tells the story of the Portuguese Republic and its Presidents. It also includes exhibits of official gifts to Portugal from visiting Heads of State.

View of the Belem Palace taken from the street. We're not sure why pink was chosen for the color scheme, but it certainly made it stand out from surrounding structures.

Official photograph of the President's office (which is not open to the public).

1905 historical photo of the Hall of Ambassadors.

Situated next to the main driveway into the complex is the Museum of the Presidency of the Republic.

The museum focuses on the history of the Portuguese Republic and its Presidents (part of the Hall of Presidents shown here).

A large portion of the museum is devoted to gifts presented to Portugal by visiting Heads of State.

Presented by Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestine Authority, this piece of art was given to Portugal in 2000. It is described as made from olive tree wood and mother of pearl.

This 6th-5th century B.C. terra-cotta vase was given by President Constantine Karamanlis of Greece in 1981.

Pope Benedict XVI presented this "Collar of the Order of Pius" in 2010.

Originally built at the end of the sixteenth century as a Benedictine Monastery, the Palace of Saint Benedict is now known as the Assembly of the Republic (i.e. Parliament), and has served as the seat of the Portuguese government since 1834. In the beginning, this unicameral legislative body consisted of 250 members, but the reforms of 1989 reduced this number to between 180 and 230. Representing twenty different political parties, members are elected for four year terms, from eighteen mainland constituencies, one for each autonomous region (e.g. Azores, and Madeira), one for all Portuguese living in Europe, and one for all Portuguese in the rest of the world. In addition to changing laws and amending the Constitution, the Assembly has the power to dismiss the government by "...a vote of no confidence." While the building itself is impressive, the grounds surrounding the "Palace" are just as magnificent and relaxing.

Looking very much like the palace it once was, the Assembly of the Republic (i.e. Parliament) is where the Portuguese unicameral legislative body has been meeting since 1834...and it was right across the street from our apartment.

Members of the Portuguese Parliament represent the 18 mainland regions, the Azores and Madeira, as well as all Portuguese citizens living in Europe and the rest of the world.

Needing the ability to review documents (old and new) that might reflect upon current potential laws, the Assembly created a library within the building.

Immediately behind the building are the "requisite" hedge gardens...

...however, the rest of the grounds are much more impressive.

Part of the Palace/Assembly building serves as the official residence of the Portuguese Prime Minister.

The grounds are replete with interesting vegetation...

...as well as a number of places to sit, talk, or just relax.

   Throughout our travels, we've found that a good barometer of a particular culture is how impressive their zoo is. In our estimation, the Lisbon Zoo ranks up near the top of European zoos. Founded in 1884 by Dr. Van Der Laan, who happened to own the largest private aviary in Portugal, the zoo moved to its present location in the Sete Rios section of Lisbon during 1905 (just a 15 minute subway ride from the center of the city). With more than 2000 animals spanning 300 different species, the zoo also includes a water park with a dolphin show. We happened to discover the zoo while scouting out the bus station for our trip to Fatima and spent a lovely afternoon exploring this attraction.

Looking like a pair of squat lighthouses, the main entrance to the Lisbon Zoo is just around the corner from the metro stop in the Sete Rios district of the city.

Dr. Van Der Laan created the zoo in 1884 using his impressive aviary collection as its foundation.

Of course, there are the requisite elephants...

...and tigers (including this rare white tiger)...

..but also alligators...

...Koalas...

...and hippos.

For a really good overview of the zoo, visitors can take this cable car ride around the park.

Most zoos we've visited don't include a dolphin show...but this one does.

There even is a maze-like garden (that usually grace the grounds of most European palaces) within the park.

   One of the most important archeological collections in Portugal is located in the National Museum of Archeology. Founded in 1893 by the famous archeologist Jose Leite de Vasconcelos, the museum has been in the west wing (the former dormitory for the monks) of the Jeronimos Monastery in the Belem district since 1903. Originally called the Portuguese Ethnological Museum, it's collections span from the Paleolithic era to the middle-ages. While its two main exhibits feature Egyptian and eighth century Islamic artifacts, others feature Visogothic jewelry, Iron and Bronze Age specimens, as well as Roman ornaments and mosaics. For us, the more impressive pieces were statues of Lusitanian Warriors (Indo-European peoples who inhabited western Iberia prior to the Roman occupation) dating to the first century A.D. Since this museum is part of the Jeronimos Monastery, visiting both in one day was easy.

Founded in 1893, the National Archeology Museum...

...takes up the west wing of the Jeronimos Monastery. This was the former dormitory for the monks.

Our favorite pieces were the first century A.D. statues of Lusitanian Warriors (they seemed to be in pretty good shape for being 2000 years old).

Dating from the end of the 3rd - to the beginning of the 4th centuries, this panel showing Mercury and Hercules was once part of a larger mosaic of the Muses.

Can you imagine finding something like this in your backyard? This jug dates from the early Neolithic era ( 6th - 5th millennium BCE).

During the second Iron Age ( circa third century B.C.) gold became an important part of jewelry making. "Torcs" (simple semicircular jewelry with decorated ends) such as this were often worn by men in the military as a symbol of power.

Fragment of a 6th century B.C. schist stela (sculpted stone shafts often associated with altars) found in the Loule region of southern Portugal.

  Beginning nearly two hundred fifty years ago (1758), Portuguese researchers began collecting specimens from the areas of zoology, anthropology, geology, botony, and paleontology, resulting in the creation of the Royal Natural History Museum and Botanical Gardens in western Lisbon. In 1858, these collections were transferred to the Polytechnic School and two years later became known as the National Museum of Lisbon. By 1911, the University of Lisbon was founded and the collections were attached to the Faculty of Sciences. A devasting fire in 1978 destroyed much of the building. Seven years later, the Science Museum of the University of Lisbon was created, sharing a building with the National Museum of Natural History. The consolidation of these two museums created the country's main museum focusing on nature, with the collections now numbering more than 620,000 specimens. One of the main features we enjoyed was exploring the old science laboratories of the University of Lisbon ( these are not recreations but rather the real deal). On the upper floor, there is a hands-on physics experiments room where older students can try some actual experiments. If you are a lover of math, there is a room full of games devoted to this subject. The museum is still part of the University of Lisbon and its research and collections are ongoing.

As part of the University of Lisbon, the National Museum of Natural History and Science is the country's biggest museum with its focus on nature.

During the reign of Maria I and Peter III, this 2666 pound piece of native copper (with a mixture of iron ore) was discovered near the town of Cachoeira, Brazil.

As with all Science and Natural History museums , there are the requisite dinosaur bones and exhibits...

...but for us, the more interesting exhibits were the old science laboratories ...

...where we could walk amongst the experiments tables...

...see all the cabinets full of chemicals used during experimentation...

...and view all the instruments needed to conduct research.

How the laboratory looked in 1890.

Most University Science labs also included an amphitheater for presentations to large student bodies.

The math games room is where you can test your skills at math logic...

...including our favorite game, Mancala.

Of course, you could also pretend to be an astronomer looking for ET!

   Originally owned by the Marquis of Castelo Rodrigo, the Queluz Palace in Sintra is one of the last Rococo buildings designed in Europe. When the Spanish were driven out of Portugal in 1640, the palace was taken over by the Portuguese monarchy and designated as one of the properties for the second son of King Joao V, i.e. Dom Pedro. When Pedro became King Consort to Queen Maria I, he decided to build a summer retreat in Sintra for the monarchy. Construction for what would become known as the "Portuquese Versailles" began in 1747, but was interrupted by the earthquake of 1755 (workers were needed to rebuild Lisbon). Following Dom Pedro's death in 1786, Queen Maria began to slip into deteriorating mental health and took up permanent residence in Queluz to hide her insanity from her subjects. When the French invaded Portugal during 1807, Maria fled to Brazil, where she died in 1816. Beginning in 1826, the Queluz Palace slowly fell out of favor with the Portuquese monarchy. By 1908, it had become the property of the Portuguese state. The palace suffered extensive damage during a 1934 fire. However, it was quickly restored and opened to the public. One wing of the palace, the Pavilion of Dona Maria (built between 1785 and 1792), is used today as a guest house for foreign heads of state.

Portrait of Dom Pedro, builder of the Queluz Palace, and Queen Maria I.

The rococo styled Queluz Palace, faces the town square.

Named after the architect who designed it, the great western wing known as the Robillon Pavilion is reached by "...flights of ingeniously designed graduated steps..." which creates an illusion that the pavilion is longer and higher.

Known as the Salon de Mangos, this hallway is decorated with tiled panels depicting the wealth of the Portuguese colonies.

The music room with a portrait of Maria I over the piano.

One of our favorite rooms in the palace; the Ballroom with its exquisite chandeliers.

In the Hall of Ambassadors, foreign representatives could meet with the Portuguese monarchy.

Dom Pedro was very interested in religious affairs. He had this beautiful chapel built to satisfy his religious fervor.

Dom Pedro and Queen Maria would attend mass here several times each day.

Queen Maria's bedroom.

Dom Pedro's bedroom appears darker and more subdued than the Queen's.

The Pavillion of Dona Maria is used as a guest house for foreign heads of state.

   Also known as "The Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire", the Regaleira Palace is one of the top tourist attractions in Sintra. Over the years it has had many owners. In 1892, Carvalho Monteiro bought the property with the intention of constructing "...a bewildering place..." to show off his many collections. Monteiro was known to have dabbled in alchemy, Masonry, the Knights Templar, and Rosicrucian (a form of mysticism). Construction of Monteiro's palace began in 1904 and was completed by 1910. Thirty-two years later, the property was sold to Waldemar d'Orey, who made it a private residence for his rather large family. By 1987, the property was once again sold, this time to the Japanese Aoki Corporation. Finally, in 1997, the Sintra Town Council purchased the property and a year later opened it to the public as a tourist attraction. One of the main architectural features of the palace is its octagonal tower. A superbly decorated chapel sits by itself in front of the main facade of the palace. Covered with frescos, stained glass windows, and impressive stuccoes, the chapel is an attraction on its own. As impressive as all this is, what really amazed us the most was the fantastically landscaped grounds, which contained an extensive system of tunnels connecting grottos, a waterfall lake, "Leda's Cave," and two "Initiation Wells" (ceremonial sites for Tarot initiation rites). This place was unbelievable and well worth a visit.

One of the top tourist attractions in Sintra, Portugal is the Regaleira Palace, also known as "The Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire. The octagonal tower on the left is the palace's most noted architectural feature.

Just a few steps from the palace is this fantastically decorated chapel...

...and it is just as beautiful inside as it is on the outside.

This view of the chapel with the palace in the background presents just a small sample of how beautiful this complex is.

While the inside of the palace is opulent (such as this dining room...

...and the living room with its sculptured fireplace)...

...we were more impressed by wonderfully landscaped grounds.

Flowers and stone structures were everywhere.

And we made sure we saw it all...

...from its tall towers...

...to its sculptured benches...

...to the many grottos on the property.

An extensive system of tunnels connect many parts of the grounds...

...from "Leda's cave"...

...to the "Initiation Wells"...

...where Tarot ceremonial initiation rites took place.

This place is amazing and well worth a visit!

   The All Saints Hospital (Todos os Santos hospital) of Lisbon purchased a farm estate on top of a hill overlooking Sintra and in 1540 constructed a chapel there, dedicating it to Our Lady of Monserrate. During the 17th century, the Mello e Castro family bought the estate. The chapel and farmhouse on the property was severely damaged during the 1755 earthquake and the farmhouse was deemed unlivable. Thirty four years later, merchant Gerard de Visme rented the estate and built a neo-Gothic style home over the ruins of the chapel. By 1809, the property had become disheveled when Lord Byron visited the area. Still, he found the grounds to be "magnificent" and mentioned it in his poem "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage." A wealthy English merchant, Francis Cook, subleased the estate in 1856. After he was given the title of Viscount of Monserrate by King D. Louis in 1858, Cook began extensive restorations. The grounds around his new palace were landscaped with a lake, several springs, fountains, and grottos. As with the rest of Sintra, the Palace of Monserrate was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995, and a year later, it appeared briefly in the tv miniseries "Gulliver's Travels."

Mentioned in Lord Byron's poem "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" and briefly a part of the "Gulliver's Travels" television show, the Palace of Monserrate is one of Sintra's top tourist attractions.

On the road to the palace is this "Arch of India." Francis Cook purchased this piece following the 1857 Revolt of the Maharajas (its upper half is missing).

Opposite the Arch of India is one on the many fish ponds on the property.

One of the more beautiful private residence rotundas (as viewed from the second floor balcony) we've seen.

Old photo of the magnificent sculptured main staircase in its heyday.

How would you like to have this as a music room?

Looking down one of the main corridors off of the rotunda. The Cook family certainly liked the look of gold.

While it was nice to be able to explore the palace, we were a bit disappointed that the rooms (such as this second floor bedroom) weren't furnished with period pieces. We had somewhat of a hard time fully appreciating their lifestyle because of this.

Still, the grounds surrounding the palace were magnificent. We really could understand why Lord Byron fell in love with this estate.

    Considered one of the "Seven Wonders of Portugal", the Palace of Pena sits on a hill overlooking the town of Sintra. According to local tradition, during the Middle Ages, King Manuel I commissioned the construction of a chapel and monastery dedicated to Our Lady of Pena because of a vision of the Virgin Mary. Once completed, he donated it to the monks of the order of St. Jerome. During the early part of the 18th century, the monastery was severely damaged by a lightning strike. However, the 1755 earthquake caused much more damage. For several decades, the ruined monastery remained abandoned. In 1838, Prince Ferdinand acquired the property and transformed it into a palace to serve as a summer home for the royal family. Fifty years later, it was bought by the Portuguese state and classified as a National Monument. Today, in addition to serving as a museum, the Palace is used for State occasions by the President of the Portuguese Republic. The 1995 declaration of Sintra as a UNESCO World Heritage Site included the Palace of Pena.

The Palace of Pena was once a monastery for the monks of the Order of St. Jerome until Prince Ferdinand bought it and transformed it into a royal summer palace.

This very colorful building is thought to be one of the "Seven Wonders of Portugal."

Even the main entrance has a unique style.

Surprisingly, the original Chapel was the only part of the complex not damaged by the1755 earthquake and the earlier lightning strike.

We are constantly amazed by the opulance put into even the central hallways of the palaces we've visited...

...or in the "simple" drawing rooms (we wish our own living room had been so elegant ... but we didn't win the lottery, so...)

Now THIS is a music room!

We had a lovely visit...

...exploring the palace...

...but we were disappointed that we were not invited to lunch....oh well!

Around the eighth century, the Moors constructed a medieval castle on top of a hill overlooking the town of Sintra. It was one of two such structures built at the same time (the other becoming the National Palace of Sintra). In 1031, the Almoravid Dynasty (Berbers from Morocco), who controlled most of the region, turned Sintra over to Alfonso VI in order to form an alliance with the Christian King. Following the "conquest of Lisbon" in 1117, the rest of the territory returned to the control of the Portuguese monarchy. By 1375, the castle was rebuilt, but by this period, its military importance had greatly diminished and it was soon abandoned. The complex was severely damaged by the 1755 earthquake. Over the following few years, some reconstruction projects were attempted in order to consolidate the walls and to create some manicured spaces. In 1979, archeological excavations discovered the existence of several medieval funerary tombs, dating to the turn of the 13th century. The castle was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the rest of Sintra, in 1995. Today, all that remains is the nearly 1500 foot perimeter wall, containing five rectangular fortified towers and one circular tower. Inside the walls are the main ruins of the old buildings. The one intact structure, a Chapel, lies just outside the wall near the entrance. There is speculation that this "might" have been used as a mosque by the moors when they first constructed the castle, but there is no hard evidence to prove this one way or another. One thing is for certain, the views from this hilltop structure are phenomenal!

Part of the nearly 1500 foot long perimeter wall of the "Castle of the Moors" in Sintra, Portugal. This double-walked structured included five fortified rectangular towers (one of which can be seen in the background) and this one circular tower (in the foreground).

Following "...a bit of a climb", we made it to the main entrance .

Known as the church of São Pedro de Canaferrim, it sits along a path just outside the entrance to the castle.

Some historians speculated that this chapel was built by the Moors and used as a mosque, but there has been no definitive evidence to prove this. Most evidence attributes this structure to the reign of Don Alfonso Henriques during the 12th century.

"New recruits" for patrolling the walls. The white flag in the background represents the period that the Christian monarchy controlled the castle...

..while the green flag behind us represents the Moorish period.

From the Castle walls, you can look down at the National Palace in the historic center of Sintra...

...and the Reguleira Palace.

Rest stop after a hard day's guard duty.

    The best preserved medieval royal residence in Portugal is the National Palace of Sintra, also known as the Town Palace. Its history began during the Moorish era of the 8th century when Sintra had two castles/palaces; one set on top of a hill overlooking the city and is known today as "The Castle of the Moors"; the other was downhill and served as the residence of the Taifa of Lisbon (an independent Muslim-ruled municipality). The first historical reference of this second building was written during the 10th century. By the 12th century, the village of Sintra had been conquered by King Afonso Henriquez and he turned the castle/palace into his own residence. The earliest surviving part of today's structure is the Royal Chapel, built during the 14th century, with most of the remaining parts dating from circa 1415. As with most of the city, the National Palace complex suffered severe damage during the 1755 earthquake, but was quickly rebuilt in "...the old fashion." With the creation of the Portuguese Republic in 1910, the castle/palace was designated a National Monument. Perhaps the most interesting architectural features of this structure are its two cone-shaped chimneys over the kitchen (each approximately 108 feet tall). They are unique in all of Europe.

The National Palace of Sintra, also known as the Town Palace has existed for 1300 years...

...and faces the historic town center.

Built by Manuel I and thus known as the Manueline Hall, this served as the main hall of the royal residence.

While its primary function was as a library for the residence, this room also served as a show-place for many pieces of art and sculpture collected over the years. One of the major features of the room is a magnificent carved wooden door...

...which originally had the decorated side facing towards the inside of the library.

Only the monarch had access to the Oratory and dressing room; perhaps the most personal part of the private apartment.

Originally built in the early part of the 15th century by King Joao I, the kitchen was quite spacious...

...and over which were the unique twin 108 foot tall conical-shaped chimneys.

The terraced gardens offered pleasant views of the old town.

    The resort town of Sintra is 17 miles west of Lisbon and sits in the foothills of its namesake mountain range. Scholars believe that it's name is derived from the medieval "Suntria", meaning "bright star" or "sun." Famous for being part of the Portuguese Riviera, the town, for a long time, was a place of royal sanctuary. Archeological evidence has indicated that human habitation of the area may have dated back to the early Paleolithic era (perhaps as far back as 2.6 million years ago). Ceramics, dating back as as far as the 5th century B.C., were discovered in Sintra excavation sites. During the Roman occupation, this region was part of the commercial center known as "Olisipio". Excavations have discovered Roman artifacts dated between the first century B.C. and the fifth century A.D. With the death of King Henry in 1580, Philip II of Spain inherited the Kingdom of Portugal. It reverted back to the monarchy of Portugal by 1640. Between the 17th and 18th centuries, Sintra became a center for religious orders. Much of the town was destroyed during the 1755 earthquake, but was soon rebuilt. Because we'd heard so much about this region from locals, we decided to spend three days exploring Sintra. What a great decision this was.

The historic center of Sintra as viewed from the National Palace...

...which, reportedly, is the best-preserved medieval palace in Portugal.

Overlooking the town, is the Castle of The Moors...well...just the walls and the five fortified turrets remain.

...the Palace of Monserrate...

...and the Regleira Palace with its Tarot Mysticism Initiation wells.

Cemeteries are not only resting places for loved ones, but also a great source for learning the history of a locality and its people. The British Cemetery in Lisbon is one such informative resource. Just a stone's throw from the Estrela Cathedral, it serves as home for the only English speaking Anglican Church in Lisbon. At one time, the British weren't allowed to bury their dead within the city. As its population grew, treaties with Portugal were made to change this rule. In 1654, Oliver Cromwell and King Joao IV came to an agreement for land to be set aside for a British Cemetery. However, opposition from the Inquisition delayed implementation of this agreement until 1717. In the beginning, it was known as "St. George's Cemetery." Amongst the notables buried here, the most famous is the novelist Henry Fielding. Well..."buried here" may not exactly be the correct term. It seems that no one really knows where his actual burial plot is. Instead, there is a raised monument "tomb" dedicated to him in the cemetery. There is one non-Brit laid to rest amongst all the other graves. The first U.S. Consul to Portugal, Thomas Barclay, who was appointed by George Washington died in Lisbon in 1793 and was interred in the British Cemetery. By 1882, the British community felt the need for their own Anglican Church. So they constructed the Church of St. George in the center of the grounds. The group caring for the cemetery is very dedicated to its tasks, coming together weekly to spruce up the grounds. While we were exploring the cemetery, we had the opportunity to meet a number of this group and discovered that they're also very friendly; taking a keen interest in our story and inviting us to join one of their weekly get togethers. It was a fun time.

Located opposite the "Jardim da Estrela" and just a stone's throw from the Cathedral Estrela, is the entrance to the British Cemetery.

Its manicured hedges and pristine pathways provide a very pleasant atmosphere for roaming the grounds.

The most famous notable "buried" here is the novelist Henry Fielding. While his actual burial plot is unknown, this monument was erected here dedicated to his life.

St.George's church, in the center of the grounds, is the only English speaking Anglican Church in Lisbon...

...and is surrounded by a very peaceful ambiance.

While a bit on the small size, it still is a beautiful structure.

Thomas Barclay, the first U.S.Consul to Portugal, appointed by George Washington, is the only non-British citizen buried here.