Queluz Favorites

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Favorite thing: Here in the Queen's Room the floor was fit for a queen, or anybody else for that matter, the workmanship was exquisite. I love wood and can admire anyone who can work so fine that a floor has survived in this type of condition for so long. Just beautiful.
The other striking item here is the twin toilets...I mean like there are two of them side by side, what are they trying to tell us, that the ladies even went in twos back then??

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Favorite thing: A beautiful fountain in the Pensil gardens, the Neptune fountain brings back memories of Roman gods and goddesses. But wait a minute, this is a christian culture here in Portugal and there have been times in history when the christian religious authorities destroyed any images that were pagan. I have seen ancient religious sites in Israel where the images have been pried, plucked or busted out, so what happened here to make this different?

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Favorite thing: Just a few views aroun the various gardens that surround the palace, from the Pensil Gardens, to the Malta Gardens and by way of the Tiled Canal, there is lots to see outside as well as inside the Queluz Palace.

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Favorite thing: Scattered all over the gardens are statues depicting just about every thing you could imagine. From what looks to be scenes from Roman mythology to what reminds me of an Egyptian sphinx and even cupid and his "victims".

Favorite thing: Queluz doesn't have its own Tourism Office, but you can send your requests to

* Sintra Tourism Office
Avenida da República, 23
- Tel.: (+351) 21 923 11 57

- Internet: www.cm-sintra.pt
- E mail: geral@cm-sintra.pt

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Favorite thing: Musical instruments were far and few in between here even though the name of the room is the "Music Room", but never fear did find some instruments in other rooms.
What was nice was the walls and ceiling. At first you would think it was wallpaper, until you get up close and realize it is painted wood or plaster. The colored marble columns just added to the riot of color here.

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Favorite thing: The first thing that draws your attention is the table here in the coffee room, it looks to be something out of a LSD dream, each small tile a kingdom unto itself, ruling with color.
Such a small thing within the confines of a HUGE palace, yet it is one of the things that stand out vividly in my memory. Would love to have it at home.
There is also a very odd shapped chair, designed for two, but if you sat two in it there would be a problem of where to put all the knees.

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Favorite thing: Yes, thats right, a tiled canal. A canal built just to "sail" a boat back and forth while a music group played on the raised center section. From the description a river was diverted to provide the water for this project where the King would ride in his royal barge back and forth along his own private river.
Well as the English saying goes, "Anything that floats your boat".

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Favorite thing: The architect Mateus Vicente de Oliveira was commissioned by the royal Prince Dom Pedro in 1747 to make this the summer royal palace.
Well he did a good job. The structure itself is beautiful, from the doorways, to floors and even the simplest thing is NOT simple.

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Favorite thing: Don't ask me what "high" tea is as opposed to "low" tea, have no idea, so went to look it up on the internet, this is what I found :
http://coffeetea.about.com/od/historyculture/a/High-Tea-Vs-Afternoon-Tea.htm

No matter what the room was used for the ceiling was perfect and the woodwork in the furniture superb.