Hot Manse Post for Brooke

What girl doesn't want to be a princess living in a fairy tale castle? While is Lisbon, we had the opportunity to travel out to visit the Palacio de Pena, a beautiful castle in Sintra, Portugal. If you're ever in Lisbon, you should definitely check it out.

My dear friend Brooke loves to post about hot mansions all over the world. (Check out her blog by following the link on the side of the page.) This trip to Sintra totally reminded me of her hot manse posts. Who doesn't love a palace on a hill?

Even better - you get to feel like a real princess, climbing towers and peeping over the turrets. Here's Mom and I taking in a gorgeous view. I was looking out for my Prince Charming, but alas, there were no white horses to be seen.

The Palacio de Pena was originally built by Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, husband of Queen Maria II in the 1840s and was the home of the royal family until 1910, when they fleed from Portugal. The palace was left as it was when they lived there, so the inside is lavishly decorated as only historical palaces can be. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take photos inside, but we did get plenty of photos of the beautiful outside of the palace.

Check out this kickass archway. The dude on top of it is some kind of sea creature guarding the castle. He doesn't look very comfortable, or happy.

Here's a picture of one of the outdoor courtyards with spectacular views of land and sea. Sintra is a beautifully wooded area with lavish estates, castles, palaces and a view of the ocean. I'd live there, I guess. :)

This little tower totally made me feel like Rapunzel and the view was spectacular. If I lived here, I would totally put a comfy chair right in the middle of the tower and use it as a reading corner/book nook.