The Romantic Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal

On April 2, 2024April 2, 2024 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Portugal7 Comments

We took a single day trip outside of Lisbon during our recent trip that included visiting the UNESCO World Heritage site, Pena Palace. We definitely recommend adding a trip to Sintra on your itinerary when visiting Lisbon as it is well worth the time that it takes. We pre-purchased the tickets, which we would recommend, and visitors are only allowed to enter at the start of the hour that you are assigned for your ticket. Even though the number of visitors per hour are limited, it is extremely busy and you will find yourself in a line as you walk through the palace.

The palace was originally a monastery that was converted to a palace in the 19th century and the monks moved to the monastery that is located in the Belém neighborhood of Lisbon. One of the unique things about the palace are the multiple colors of the palace with the original chapel being red and then the new additions to the palace being bright yellow. The palace is a Romanticist castle and sits atop one of the high hills of the Sintra mountain with the town of Sintra sitting below. The castle can be seen from the distance, making for quite a stunning site as you approach from the parking area below.

Our guide took us in towards the end of the group entering during our allotted time in order to give more time to talk to us about the history of the castle and describe some of the interesting features. Considering the lines moving through the rooms, it actually worked out well to be near the rear of the line. Of the many things that we saw during the tour was a detailed stained-glass window in the chapel that has the king holding a miniature image of the cathedral and if you zoom in on the window of the chapel it actually has the stained-glass window in it. That type of detail is truly amazing and a testament to the workmanship of the artists that created the stained-glass window.

Stained-Glass (Chapel in the Glass Circled in Red)

It takes a little over an hour to walk through the palace and enjoy the views from the balconies. Despite the long line and having to slowly follow the crowd through the palace rooms, it was definitely worth spending the time at Pena Palace. We would recommend visiting the palace in the morning and then heading into the town of Sintra for some lunch afterwards. A trip to Sintra is often combined with a visit to Cascais as well, which is a wonderful resort town on the coast of the ocean.

The Beautiful Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey

On January 5, 2023January 5, 2023 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Turkey1 Comment

One of the highlights of visiting Istanbul is taking a tour of Topkapi Palace that sits high on a hill on a peninsula overlooking the Bosphorus Strait. The history of the palace is fascinating, and it is well worth having a guided tour so that you can learn as much as possible during your visit. Because it is so popular, it is also a good idea to purchase your tickets ahead of time, but you will likely still wait in long lines to get into the palace as you have to go through security before getting to the ticket booths. Standing outside of the main gate, you get a sense of how daunting it must have been to visitors back in the days of the sultans that ruled the Ottoman Empire.

Once you pass through the main gate, you pass through the first of four courtyards. Each courtyard leads to the next courtyard where only the most privileged can get to the fourth and final courtyard. The first courtyard was where the imperial parades would have taken place and would have been the site of pomp and circumstance. The courtyards feature gardens and fountains and are quite beautiful and provide a sense of calm, which was the desired effect.

The third courtyard is the location where the sultan would hold private audiences, but only to the most distinguished dignitaries. It is also the location of the library where the boys would be taught all that was necessary to become future leaders. It was also the location of the harem and the sultan’s concubines. The fourth courtyard was the private residences of the sultan their immediate family members. The entire palace is built in the Moorish architecture. It is quite stunning and at times overwhelming.

You can spend hours walking the grounds of the palace and seeing all of the various buildings. There are also depictions of what life was like for the powerful sultans back in height of the Ottoman Empire. There are plenty of sites to see when visiting Istanbul, but the Topkapi Palace is certainly one of most important to put on your itinerary along with the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.

Walking the Historic Old Town in Lima, Peru

On May 9, 2022May 9, 2022 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn South America4 Comments

Old town in Lima, also referred to as the Historical Center, is probably most known for its colorful colonial buildings with their fascinating balconies, but there is certainly much more to see than just the architecture. To make the most of your time in the downtown area and we would suggest starting out at the Plaza Mayor or the Main Square and then exploring out from there. There are palaces, the cathedral, official buildings, and other churches in the area, each uniquely beautiful. It is very walkable and you will also find stores carrying tourist items as well as restaurants in the area. We stayed in the Miraflores district, which is by the beach, but it was only a short taxi ride to the Historical Center.

IMGP7147 — Colorful Architecture and More Balconies

The architecture is certainly the highlight of the Historical Center and the buildings are either colorful or covered with intricate details. There are several palaces including Government Palace, the Archbishop Palace, and the Justice Palace. Obviously there is the Cathedral Basilica of Lima, but there is also the Church and Convent of San Francisco as well as San Pedro Church. There is also the Palacio Municipal or Town Hall located downtown as well. Even with all of these buildings and monuments, your eyes will be naturally drawn to the intricately carved balconies that are on every street in the Historical Center.

IMGP7125 — Church and Convent of San Francisco

Being the heart of Lima, you can certainly expect to find plenty of crowds walking the streets with you. There are vendors selling food and drinks as well as shops to buy items made by the local people of Peru. Occasionally you will see indigenous people dressed in their authentic clothing with items to sell as well. As with many cities, you will also find an abundance of pigeons making the city center their home as well. During our time in Lima, there were guards and police plainly visible, which did provide an extra sense of security as there can be protests on a semi-regular basis. We’d recommend that you register your trip with the local embassy so that you receive notifications of any travel alerts in the region.

Standing in Front of the Government Palace

Lima is certainly an interesting city and should not just be a landing place on your way to Machu Picchu or other destinations within the country. With wonderful beaches and a vibrant food scene, there is much to do within Lima, but visiting the Historical Center should definitely be at the top of your itinerary. The architecture, culture, and history make it one of the most interesting old town areas in South America.