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.

Name That Building

5 points AND a gold star to anyone who can correctly guess the function of this beautiful building....

Correct Answer: Royal Courts of Justice. You may have guessed "Church", but you would be wrong. The architect was pretty upset that he wasn't getting jobs for churches because Christopher Wren was the "in thing" back in those days and he was getting all the church jobs. So, he decided to make the Royal Courts just like the church he had planned.

If you ever get a chance, I do recommend a trip to the Royal Courts of Justice. Mum (she lives in England, so I can't call her "Mom") took me on a walking tour one day and we decided to check out the Royal Courts. You can't take pictures inside (and it is gorgeous inside), but you can go to a variety of legal preceedings and sit in the back. They're all public trials. Unfortunately, we went in September, which is vacation month for judges so it was pretty quiet. Fortunately, that means another trip to London!

A Hodgepodge of Style

Krakow's Wawel Castle is the most visited site in the country (which I think is a bit ridiculous seeing as though Auschwitz is an hour's bus ride away). There has been a castle on this spot in Krakow for as long as history has been recorded. Needless to say, the grounds and buildings of Wawel Castle have changed over the years.
Note the various architectural styles of the Wawel Cathedral. The white base of the nearest tower is the original Romanesque limestone from the 12th century.

The 20 chapels that range in styles: 14th century Gothic, 12th century Romanesque, 17th century Baroque, 16th century Renaissance, and 18th -19th century Neoclassical. Surprisingly, the diffferent styles go together quite well. Bonus: there's something for everyone's varied architectural tastes!

London Eyesores

While on the Big Bus Tour around London (yeah - it rocked), we were informed by the tour guide that we would be passing the one of London's greatest eyesores. Here's the picture I snapped. London's own version of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I don't think that this lean is due to a poorly laid foundation, though. Seems intentional!

Another eyesore (this one can be seen from Primrose Hill, Rufus' favorite walking spot) is a building commonly referred to as "The Gherkin" because of its resemblance to a pickle. Some even call it the "Erotic Gherkin", due to its phallic nature. Sorry the pic's blurry - the bus was just racing by this spectacular London landmark.

This pic is a little more classic London. The London Eye was a millenium project that has brought in tons of cash. While it was meant to only be around for a year or so, they have kept it running since the turn of the century. They also upped the price, from 5 pounds to 15. It never stops moving its breakneck speed of 0.5 miles per hour and has been compared to the Eiffel Tower. The London Eye is the largest ferris wheel in Europe - wow! I have not experienced a ride on the London Eye and I doubt I ever will. Maybe if it was free, but I can do a lot of cool stuff for 15 pounds.