The stampede of tourists to Quinta da Regaleira, an early 20th century estate within easy walking distance of the Lawrence's Hotel, didn't make any sense as the desk clerk had assured us it wouldn't be as crowded as Sintra's other palaces on Monday morning.
Like the royal family at the Pena Palace, the Brazilian-born Monteiro the Millionaire knew what he liked: a mixture of architectural styles (Roman, Gothic, Renaissance and Manueline), grottoes, fountains, tunnels and a smattering of semi-occult elements that reflected his highly idiosyncratic taste and spread out over 10 acres on the side of a steep mountain. It felt a little like walking into a fairy tale.
We probably erred in heading to the the palace first. By the time we finished touring the interior, the line of Instagrammers waiting to get into the underground Initiation Wells (which look like the tower above, inverted) was 90 minutes long. They were as popular as Scotland's Fairy Pools.
It didn't surprise me that Quinta da Regaleira's architect was an Italian, and a former set designer.
Chris bragged that the Havlicek Park grotto in Prague was just as beautiful. I couldn't argue with that.
But the park where he lived for years lacked the statues of man's best friend that were everywhere in this theatrically landscaped estate.
And on the buildings, too. Look beneath the circular window for a canine standing guard. I had plenty of time to study this detail while we waited more than half an hour to buy our tickets for Quinta da Regaleira. But it was totally worth it, even if we did blow off the Initiation Wells.
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