Our friend had told us all about the beach town of Cascais, saying that it was one of the most beautiful places he had ever seen, so we decided to take the train to the lovely Cascais for part of the day and then to Sintra for the rest of the day thinking that we would have time to do both. We swiped our tickets and found our seats wondering what awaited us in Cascais as well as wondering how in the world we would find the bus to Sintra. Upon arriving, I asked some nice men in espanol if they could direct me to the bus.. it turned out that there was a crazy underground tunnel that we had to follow to the other side of the street where loads of buses awaited passengers. A guy told me the schedule, handed us the forms, and off we went searching for the cliffs we had heard so much about. What we found were beautiful clear water that reminded me of the Carribean, lighthouses, gorgeous daisies, and yes, the cliffs whose rugged rocks could crush a cliff diver instantly. It was absolutely gorgeous and worth the walk. What we couldn't find was a place to "borrow" the free bikes we had heard so much about! :( We did find a lovely market along the way as well as a quaint park which housed a small zoo inside:)

As we traveled back to eat, we wandered through the alleyways deciding which outdoor restaurant seating we would choose. Finally we settled on one as a result of the guy at the front who was confident that we would love everything. I had heard about the piri piri sauce, which is a hot chili sauce they pour over chicken.. so I was dying to try it to see if it was indeed as spicy as I imagined. It was worth it:) So, we sat in the sun, drank our sangria.. which was PEFECT... and loved every minute of having the sun shining on us.

We got on the wrong bus for SINTRA, we discovered.. there is a direct bus which takes 40 minutes and a round about bus that takes 1 hr. 10 minutes.. we chose that bus:) So, we traveled the long route to Sintra, which was beautiful in itself, but meant that we missed getting into all of the palaces we had heard so much about. :( We did travel around the town, though, and experience the town.. and found a lovely cafe which served CREPES:) mmmmm.... perfect! A kettle popcorn master also gave us some popcorn for free as we traveled along the route... and we tried the pasteis de sintra which are even more delicious than the pasteis de nata! If you are ever in Sintra make sure you pick up a packet of 6 that they sell along the street corners:)

My sister and Sara packed up and got ready to go that night.. they were leaving me:( I chose to stay and prolong my stay until Sunday:) .. which meant that I would be making some friends so that I would have some companions the next few days:)

After Cabo da Roca, we drove by the beaches of Guincho.  This area is becoming popular for wind surfing, but is still relatively isolated.  This is a great area to enjoy the coast without huge crowds, and its just a short drive from the popular Cascais.  We stopped in Guincho to eat lunch at Furnas do Guincho.  Then we headed to Cascais, which I would describe as a smaller, less crowded version of the French Riviera.  It has beaches, trendy shops and restaurants, and is full of wealthy visitors.  I would have loved to spend more time here.

Set along the rocky shores of Guincho, which is a short drive up the coast from Cascais, Furnas do Guincho is a great find for excellent seafood. It was a beautifully sunny day when I was there, and the sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks were a perfect setting (the picture was taking right behind the restaurant). They have a large outdoor patio and deck. I had paella with fresh clams, crab, shrimp, and mussels. Finished off the meal with a fruit and strawberry ice cream parfait and a very good espresso (and I'm not much of a coffee drinker). This is a great place to have a leisurely meal in the sun and really feel like you are on vacation.

i'm an island girl, grew up in the philippines and go to hawaii almost every year. so when i first stepped into the water at cascais, my toe nearly froze off. okay, maybe i'm being a little dramatic but it was july! it was hot on the beach under the sun, so i thought the water would be warm! my friend is a chef and she made the perfect analogy. she said she felt like a tomato boiling in water, then dunked in an ice bath to shock the cooking process. other than feeling like a tomato, it was a nice area. after a day at the beach, the town is nearby so you can walk around and window shop or eat.