No entry, no donkeys, but still beautiful 😻

Sintra. A hype about a castle (https://www.sintra-portugal.com/amp-en/palacio-pena-palast-sintra-amp-de.html). Whether justified or not, I don't know. And I probably never will. But let's start at the beginning... The day before yesterday, my mother booked tickets for the castle and transportation from the city center to the castle by bus. In the confirmation email, there was a directions to the ticket redemption point. Since she booked the bus transfer, we assumed that the bus would also depart from there - from the ticket redemption point.

Well, after about 1 hour of driving, the navigation system leads us up the mountains towards the castle. No one is coming towards us, which is a good thing considering the narrow streets.

The police are already there at the end of the road, and most people park their cars near the police, roll down the window, and obviously have some questions. So do we. The nice policeman explains to us that if we turn right, we will reach a parking lot where we can park the car, and then we have to walk approximately 1 hour on foot towards the castle. However, the bus transfer we booked departs from the very bottom. Ah, great! Great crap.

It is 10:00 AM, our time window starts at 10:30 AM. It is clear to us that it won't work. That's it for the castle.

But first we have to go straight ahead, turning around is not an option. Towards the parking lot. "Parking lot" means that there is a small indentation every few meters, where about two or three cars can park. All other cars are parked along the narrow side of the road. However, parking is not allowed here, as indicated by the signs for the parking regulations. It is an Odyssey. The navigation system abandons me too, so I decide to turn around. Big mistake, of course, as cars are coming towards me, most of the time I have to drive with the mirrors folded in or stand still so others can pass by or turn around. I return to the policeman, who explains to me that I should not have turned and gone back. So I turn around again. It is highly questionable why people can drive up such narrow roads when there are only one or two parking lots at the top. And with a camper too?!

No entry for us. That's for sure. Goodbye castle!

But I stay optimistic, drive through the beautiful forest area and see a sign for a parking lot: reserved for donkeys, a donkey reserve. I love donkeys! We park and can already hear the donkeys, they are calling my name.

30 minutes, 10 people, and 30 opinions later, we still haven't found the reserve. No entry for us. Again.

Let's continue, since we're already here, we at least want to see something.

Google tells us that there is a palace that is also worth seeing: Park and Palace of Monserrate. The Palácio de Monserrate, a palace-like villa in Sintra, used to serve as the traditional summer residence of the Portuguese court. Today, the palace is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and is open to visitors.

The unique villa is surrounded by gardens like the Rose Garden, the Mexican Garden, and so on. Here we find relaxation and can enjoy the beautiful impressions and forget about the rest☺️. A glance at the clock reveals that we should try to find something to eat soon.

It is 2:00 PM and we still have 1-2 hours to find a hot lunch that deserves the name (and is not a cake or from a fast food restaurant). That would be the first time🙏🏽! The signs for the exit are more than misleading, time is running against us. Lunch is waiting!!!

On the way to Cabo da Roca, we drive through a village with 4 restaurants, all full, and parking is impossible too. Then it's closing time - the time slot for warm and healthy food is closed again until 7:00 PM🥶.

Cabo da Roca - we really like the view here at the westernmost point of the European mainland: in the local "restaurant" we can buy cookies, I love my lunch😞.

On the way to Ericeira, we stop at Praia Grande. Do I see a pizzeria? And do I see people eating pizza?! Yes!

Okay, that would be the 3rd time having pizza, but damn, I'm hungry. However, when we see that a Margherita pizza costs 15€, I prefer to have a cider... and take a walk along the beach. That's life.

When I return to the sleeping mother, we have the idea that we can go home now and go out to eat in the evening. But first, we call a restaurant and make a reservation (Line? No, Caroline - Ah: Line).

Since parking in Ericeira is always difficult, we arrive early so that we can find a parking space and eat soon.

At the entrance, the man asks me which fish I want. 45 euros for a kilo of sea bass. Only gradually does it dawn on me that here you have to choose your fish and then, included in the price, there are potatoes. Everything else, like vegetables, costs extra. But never mind: the grilled fish, the potatoes, and the vegetables together with the view are amazing! It's too good!

Okay, I can't sleep at night because of the full stomach, but that doesn't matter!

At the end of the day: no entry, no donkeys, but very good food (https://esplanadafurnas.com/), saw a great palace, and Cabo da Roca was also impressive.

And thanks to the combined efforts of the Portuguese, I now know how to open the tank cap!