Portugal, Day Two: Sintra. Beautiful, charming, enchanting, Sintra is known for its many 19th-century Romantic architectural monuments, and a literary heritage that has made a important site in Portuguese culture. Touring the town via Tuk Tuk (a three-wheeled golf cart, complete with guide), we visited: Quinta da Regaleira, a 
beautiful palace full of lakes, grottoes, wells, benches, and fountains. Said to be an example of “exuberant architecture” (now that’s a euphemism for miscellaneous), the place originally belonged to the Viscountess of Regaleira, the head of a family of wealthy merchants from Porto. In 1892, it was sold to in 1892 to Carvalho Monteiro (hence the joint’s nickname, “The Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire”), who enlisted Italian architect and set designer Luigi Manini to remake the place. Wild, whimsical, exuberant, fun!