Our second day in Lisbon got a late start as I finally had a good night’s sleep – is it possible that the kids are finally over their jet lag??!? Today we are going to the historic town of Sintra with its palaces and castles. We decided not to take the car and park it in a garage for the next 3 nights. We figured it’ll be easier with the 9 of us to take the train together and Ayaan would love it! Luckily the train station was just a minute walk from our apartment and round trip train tickets were just 5 euros each. The day started out with a slight drizzle which actually was a welcome respite from the heat (that we’re still getting accustomed to).

After a quick 35 min train ride (trains don’t run on time like Japan though), we arrived. Sintra delivered on its promise of a magical, fairytale-like town. Our first stop was the Pena Palace and gardens. After a steep walk uphill pushing our double stroller, we were rewarded with a stunning landscape. The palace was grand and its Arabic architecture and bold colors were awe-inspiring, differentiating the Pena palace from its peers. My favorite was the ‘wall walk’ that offered generous views of the Moorish castle, rolling green hills and the beach beyond.

After a quick lunch at the cafe at the palace, the kids napped in the stroller while we proceeded to our next attraction. The Moorish Castle is a fortress with stunning views of the Pena Palace and historic center of Sintra.

We then took a convertible taxi down to the center of Sintra. We enjoyed a bottle of rose and some hors d’ oeuvres at a cafe in the square while Ayaan devoured to get a cotton candy gelato! Fairly tired from our adventures, we retreated to the apartment for a sumptuous dinner of butter chicken and rice! Gaurav headed to see his friend Tim who was visiting from SF to catch up and watch the Argentina-Croatia game.