Train to Sintra

From Rossio station, we took the train to Sintra, only about a 40-minute trip. It was interesting to see the surrounding countryside. Beautiful tile work decorated the station.

The fierce rain was evident on the train's windows as we traveled.

Sintra Tourist Information Center.

We arrived at the station during a brief break in the rain and then headed up the hill to the Quinta da Regaleira.

 

Church of St. Francis Nativity Collection and Other Exhibits

Upstairs, at the Church of St. Francis, there was an extensive exhibit of different kinds of nativities made of a variety of materials.

One was this huge display shown below:

The Chapel of the Bones and Evora sights

From the train, we headed for the Church of St. Francis, which is best known for its Chapel of the Bones.

The Church of St. Francis:

Next, we visited the Chapel of the Bones:

Evora sights:

Remains of a Roman temple.

Aqueducts

Evora is a medieval walled city. Above are some of the remainders of the walls. 

I liked this piece of art embedded in the cobblestones.

 

 

 

Breakfast

 We’d wanted to try breakfast out, so we went to Nicola near Rossio Square. 

 

 

Gates had mushrooms and scrambled eggs; I had spinach and scrambled eggs. We both had coffee. I love how the waiters here don’t rush you at all. There’s a terrific recognition that lingering is not only all right, it’s encouraged. 

What we didn’t realize was that Nicola is one of the oldest cafes in Lisbon with an interesting history. It opened in the 18th century and was frequented by writers, politicians, and artists.

A statue of the writer Manuel Bocage by Marcelino de Almeida, and several oil paintings by Fernando Santos are within the cafe. The first owners were Italian and the name comes from the first owner Nicola Breteiro whose company imported coffee beans from Brazil and Sao Tome e Principe.