Wednesday, April 12 – Perhaps a bit slower than some of our other days. Weather was cooler and a bit cloudy. We had a few drops of rain, nothing serious, but we have been very spoiled.

Got my morning run in, went west this time and found an entirely new neighborhood. Of course, it came complete with its own church and park!

Mid-morning Dan and I headed to the train station for the 20 minute ride to the Queluz National Palace, also known as “The Versailles of Portugal”. Since the palaces in Sintra proper were closed while we we there, we figured we should get at least one in before we left Portugal and this one is much lesser known (e.g. FAR fewer tourists–yay!)

Opulent rooms, beautiful grounds, it satisfied every need for a look at the extravagances of local royalty.

We thought about taking the train to Cascais for one more look at the ocean, but the weather forecast didn’t bode well for a visit to the beach. Instead, I ventured on the Lisbon metro (very efficient, FYI) to check out the Parque de Nacoes, a waterfront promenade built for the Expo 98 and featuring some outdoor art installations, the glass and steel Oriente Station and mall and views of the Vasco deGama bridge. It wasn’t a great day to be on the waterfront, but I tried to make the most of it.

Back in the Bairro Alto, Dan made reservations for dinner just around the corner. Much to our delight, Erin finished earlier than expected and was able to join us! We had a nice dinner, and as an unexpected bonus, the restaurant featured some fado sets! Even better, it was a 3 minute walk “home”.

Tomorrow is our last full day in Portugal, so we plan to make the most of it!

26,164 steps, 12.5 miles