Quinta de Sao Thiago

Sintra

The Quinta is a private house which has ten rooms available to the public. As of my last visit the Lady of the house, Sra. Maria Theresa Braddell, was still in residence and making her presence known in the late mornings when she would rise to scold the cook or fire the gardener. It was whispered that the gardener was fired because he belonged to the wrong sort of club ... clearly something had been brewing in the days leading up to our visit. Our constant companion was a 30-something woman from the Azores who was the unofficial manager of the Quinta ... She joined us as we explored the area, stopping at restaurants and cafes and beaches along the coast. She even painted the portrait of my traveling companion as we sat by the pool late one morning. It was an unexpected benefit of being the only guests. We were there in late May, just before the summer season. The Quinta is open from March thru October.

The rooms were charming and spacious in the style of the Quinta itself, which is run like a home and has all the grace of an old and well tended family house. However, there is little that is fancy about the Quinta. Breakfast was not labored over in a kitchen filled with recent culinary school graduates ... The housekeeper/cook prepares adequate repasts not unlike what you might expect from your own kitchen.
There are a few exceptional things about this place... The music room for example ... with a grand piano ... is hidden behind a wall of bookshelves near the attic door. The books are from England and were the collection of the owner's former husband ... an English gentleman whose presense in still felt in the furnshings of this room.
There is also a long gracious pool in the back which overlooks the edge of the continent ... or nearly.
Getting to the Quinta is a challenge ... the road was very rough and quite steep in places. Get good directions if you intend to drive - and plan to get there before dark.

Unique Quality: Hidden Music Room

Pool with View

General Atmosphere ... Gardens

• Opinion of Price: about average

Quinta de Sao Thiago Photo: Sintra

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