sexta-feira, 22 de dezembro de 2006

Winter, Sintra & Lord Byron…

Scarcely has winter arrived, yet its influence is to be felt all over the country as if it were mid January already. Freezing temperatures everywhere, a beautiful clear blue sky, and the sun shining so brightly one should really wear sunglasses are to be expected until after Christmas.

This is a welcome invitation for us (me and you, blogger friends and readers) to leave Lisbon and go for a stroll in Portugal's capital of Romanticism – Sintra. And who else could be our international perfect guide but Lord Byron?

"Lo! Sintra's glorious Eden intervenes
In variegated maze of mount and glen.
Ah me! what hand can pencil guide, or pen,
To follow half on which the eye dilates
Through views more dazzling unto mortal ken
Than those whereof such things the bard relates,
Who to the awe-struck world unlocked Elysium's gates?
"

in "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage"

In a letter to Francis Hodgson dated July 16.th, 1809, Lord Byron also says:

"I must just observe that the village of Sintra in Estremadura [Portugal's province] is the most beautiful, perhaps in the world. I am very happy here, because I loves oranges and talk bad Latin to the monks, who understand it, as it is like their own [language], and I goes into society (with my pocket pistols)…"

National Palace (former Royal residence)

Pena Palace (19.th century)

Pena Palace (air view)

Moorish Castle

These photos may not do entire justice to all of the beauties of this piece of Paradise, but some romantic imagination is here best in place – locus amœnus as a romantic state of mind, as a condition of the romantic soul…

Enjoy it lavishly! This is my Christmas present for all of you.

RIC

24 comentários:

Anónimo disse...

Ah, Sintra, aqui tão perto.
E eu, muito perto de a mostrar outra vez a alguém que a não conhece. Agora o prazer é redobrado, pois quando se ama, o prazer de compartilhar a beleza é aumentado grandemente.

RIC disse...

Não há dúvida, não senhor, o espírito natalício abarbatou-te por completo!... (rsrsrs!)
Seria, de facto, imperdoável que não lha mostrasses, a viver aí ao lado!
Só lamento as fotos, João... São mesmo muito poucas e fracas as que encontrei na net.
Obrigado, já agora, pelos e-mails! Santo Deus! Que barrigada de riso!
Um abraço!

Jack disse...

WOW

Would I have time if I only go 2 weeks?!

lol

I'll need more memory cards. lol

RIC disse...

Hello Joel! Well, I guess 2 weeks is okay. What do you need the memory cards for?
You liked Sintra, huh? Who doesn't? Nobody!
(I'm sorry for the photos... I just couldn't find any better...)
Christmas hugs from Lisbon & Sintra! :-)

Manuel disse...

Desejo-te um Feliz e Santo Natal junto daqueles que te são mais queridos.
Um abraço.
Uma prenda...

Jack disse...

Memory cards for more than 444 pics. lol

leone disse...

It looks stunning - I've always wanted to visit your country but so far it has eluded me. I'm also pleased that I'm not the only one having to freeze my nuts off in the sub zeros!!

Have a Great Christmas!!

Leo x

Anónimo disse...

Nossa!
Tudo muito lindo!
Abraço!

RIC disse...

Olá Manuel! Bem-vindo e muito obrigado! Os votos são recíprocos. Boas prendas no sapatinho!
Feliz Natal! :-)

RIC disse...

Wow, Joel! Big photo collections you must have... :-)

RIC disse...

Hello Leone! Nice to have you around from so far away!
Yes, Sintra is beautiful indeed. So near to Lisbon (about 30 km), and yet a totally different landscape... Maybe one of the times you come back to Europe you'll make the opportunity to come to Portugal. Now it's not so anonymous any more...
Well, here in Lisbon we're not in the sub zeros yet, but it's damn cold indeed... Brrr!
Merry Christmas for you as well, dear friend! Enjoy Japan!
Hugs!

RIC disse...

Olá Carioca! Sintra é de facto um cantinho do mundo mesmo muito lindo!
Como por aí deve estar um tempo maravilhoso, desejo-te uma festa de Natal com muito sol e muito mar: Copacabana, Ipanema, uma paisagem humana fabulosa, enfim, tudo do melhor!
Feliz Natal! Um abraço amigo!

Gray disse...

You may say the photos do not do justice to Sintra but they are very beautiful. Please do not apologize for them!

As for you, Leone, Joel and anyone else who is freezing: it is currently (0200 PST, 1000 UTC) 47 F (approximately 8.5 C) in Southern California and should be reaching a bone-chilling 70 F (approximately 21 C) on Christmas Day! I hate to tease about it - but, I must!

RIC disse...

Hello dear Gray! I believe there'll be other opportunities to post about Sintra with better photos...
Oh you impossible teaser! How dare you?! Even in Lisbon - usually with such a mild climate - we are freezing with temperatures between 3º and 8ºC! And you dare say that some spring 21ºC are bone-chilling?! You should be punished!
(Lol!)
We're all getting ready for the Magic Night and the Joyful Day!
«Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas too»!... :-)

kevin disse...

Ric
I love Sintra. I especially remember the Moorish Castle. It was so beautiful and so high up. Do you get the chance to visit it often. My memories of Portugal are of beautiful sunny days and warm genuine people.
God bless Portugal and the people of Portugal.

Kevin in NZ

RIC disse...

You are a dear, Kevin! Thank you so very much for your beautiful, kind words!
Yes, as a matter of fact I live not far away from Sintra (about half an hour by car or by train), and I love it very much too ever since I was a child, and my mother took me there...
Nowadays I visit it mainly with friends both Portuguese and foreign - the tour of the main monuments and then a tasty meal in town... Delicious!
Well, I guess I'm definitely falling for New Zealand... :-)
Tender hugs, dear friend!
Merry Christmas!

disse...

Um visita a não perder!

E por falar em Lord Byron, porque não uma visita ao Lawrence's, a mais antiga unidade Hoteleira da Península Ibérica e uma das mais antigas da Europa, onde Byron pernoitou...

Abraços e um Óptimo Natal!

RIC disse...

Olá Zé! Bem-vindo e obrigado pela visita!
Excelente sugestão! E sefor para pernoitar também, que tal umas quantas páginas de Eça dedicadas a Sintra antes de dormir? Ouro sobre azul!
Um abraço amigo e Feliz Natal também para ti!

T-Bird disse...

Now that the crowds have left, it can be just the two of us on the tour. Thanks!

RIC disse...

Hello Will! Most willingly and gladly! Generally speaking, photos are incredibly attractive indeed! I could write the best posts on earth, and yet photo posts would always get more comments... Human nature!...
Let's go to Sintra!...

Anónimo disse...

Uau! Adorei o presente! Só podia né? ;-)
É sempre aprazível ler algo s/ Sintra.

Obrigada!

:-)

Gray disse...

You are correct, dear Ric! I should be punished!

Do you think you could ask Santa to bring a bag of switches with him? ;)

[I tried to translate this but, in the re-translation, it made little sense. Surely there MUST be a good translating software SOMEWHERE!!]

RIC disse...

Olá Carla! Sabia que não ias deixar passar em branco este meu repente de me mudar para Sintra por uns instantes!
Pronto, a homenagem de direito está feita! Ainda bem que gostaste!
E Sintra ficou ainda mais conhecida no Mundo! Bendita internet!
Beijinhos e sorrisos! :-)

RIC disse...

Hello dear Gray! Well, let me see if I can make some sense of your question! Even to me that I'm no software it may not be so easy to understand your question, unless... you're referring to climate as something that can be changed by means of switches. Am I right? In this case, the translation would be «um saquinho de interruptores»...
Whenever you translate, even a short, simple sentence, there's always so much at stake that no software and no computer are powerful enough yet to analyse all possible variants and - most difficult! - choose the appropriate one!
Maybe Santa will solve this problem... Some day! (Lol!)
Thank you!