I was feeling terrible today,my cold has taken hold and I felt like staying in bed but plans are in place so we set off in sunshine for a walk across the forest on the slopes of Mt Sintra to visit the ancient chapel of the convent of Capuchos.
The walk was lovely,along little pathways and through original Portugese native forest. Victor is very knowledgeable about the origin and use of plants,his wife is a specialist in herbal medicine. The Portugese have four types of pine trees and elm,oak, chestnut and cork are common. We also saw ivy,Holly, strawberry trees, box and Hazel trees grown for their nuts so a diverse plant life.
It took us several hours to traverse the mountain and arrive at the Convent gates and to experience the frugal lives lived by this ancient order who were known for their simple life styles. The door of death led into the convent and symbolized the renunciation of the world.
The Convent of the Holy Cross,also known as the Capuchos or Cork Convent was built in 1560. The cork was used for insulation and I suspect it was badly needed I the stone cells.
It is remarkable for its extreme simplicity and embodies the ideals of universal brotherhood lived by the Franciscan friars who lived there. The area is now classified as a Cultural Landscape.
St Francis of Assisi was the founder of the order in 11th C.
The monks lived in tiny cells and facilities were very basic. It was impossible to stand upright as we walked through the narrow corridors and looked into the tiny cells. Franciscan monks were noted for their frugality and the Convent offered little comforts that I could see. There were gardens and herb beds for their use and a library although no one knows where the books have gone. We were not the only visitors as school parties were being shown through as well but silence is required throughout the visit which was a struggle for the kids to observe.
We walked back to the car along another pathway towards the little village of Penedo for lunch at a restaurant down an alleyway. This was very traditional with trestle tables and a large grill area where you ordered your meat which was laid out in front of you in cabinets.
The restaurant was called Refugo do Ciclista and it had been started up by a national road cyclist who after the days of his sporting glory became a chef. There was a delightful picture of him in his chef's hat astride his bicycle as well as another in his sporting outfit.
Plenty of character here, Victor knew everyone as it turned out his son was born here when he lived in the village.
I had kebabs and Brad had a dish of lamb chops which were well cooked and served with the usual rice and chips.
We were to climb up to the Fortress in the afternoon but it was very warm and I think Victor felt sorry for me coughing and sneezing so he suggested we went to the Pena Palace instead which is in Sintra and we would be inside and out of the heat. Good idea.
We had a extensive tour of the Palace which is where Victor does a lot of guiding so we were getting the full speal until I think he realised my attention was wavering and we went and got some drugs from the pharmacy.
The National Palace is an impressive palace and it has the most extensive kitchens with huge white chimneys. It is of medieval design and contains a number of notable art works although many of the originals have been looted and disposed of.
I have to say I did not do justice to the place but we did have a good look around and we could see the significance of the building.
We got back about six thirty and took a well earned rest before heading up the hill for a meal.
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