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Farewell to the awesome hostel! On my way to the train station, I do a little detour to take a funicular. I couldn’t resist! It was an amazing old carriage, with long wooden benches on each side. A bit expensive at four euros for 200 m down, but whatever.

Lisboa [Lisbon] Rossio station is gorgeous! Wow! But so is most of the city, rebuilt from scratch after the decimating earthquake of 1755.

However, I struggled to take the suburban train to Sintra, as there are automatic doors where you pass your ticket to enter, like in the United Kingdom. But unlike the United Kingdom, I couldn’t find anyone to open for me (with Interrail pass, I don’t need a ticket). In the end it worked out, just in time to.

Of course, I was again stuck upon arrival, with other people. I somehow escaped, and tried to find help, but instead got into an argument with an old French guy. I even insulted him. Oh well, deserved.

Oh, Sintra! WOW, Sintra! This place is way crazier than I imagined! I wanted to visit the Sintra gardens, but it’s actually more complex than that. First, the place is very spread out, and not on flat grounds. I had quite a hike. Then, there are actually multiple Palaces, with each their own gardens. Which are more like huge parks.

I visited the Quinta da Regaleira, an astonishing Gothic palace, and its vast garden, which is dotted by a myriad of points of interests, including caves, a couple of deep pits where you can walk down the stairs, and walls and towers with stairs to lower levels. It was incredible!

I stayed there quite a long time, so I then opted to just walk past a couple other monuments, including the very peculiar National Palace.

Back to the Suburban train, this time to the Oriente station of Lisboa. I noticed two things nearby: a cable-car running along the Tage bank, and the site of the 1998 Expo, the World Fair in Lisboa, where I went with my mom and some friends, as a six-year old. Now, I only have very few faint memories of this trip (although one involves jumping off a running train), but still, I got some massive nostalgia flowing through when I got there, and saw the Portuguese pavillion, the row of flags from every countries, and Him. Gil, The Fair Mascot.

As the theme of that specialized Fair was the oceans, his head is a drop of water, with a wave as hairs. I had a Gil plush bought there, but as many dumb kid, I lost it quickly. I would have loved to find a new one today, but no luck. Anyway, it was like meeting with an old friend.

I took the cable-car too, and what a view, over Lisboa to the right, and to the gigantic Tage estuary to the left!

I came back to the station just in time for the train to Porto. However, unlike a couple days ago, I couldn’t buy a ticket on board. The controller was not really ahppy, but he left me be. Oops.

The arrival in Porto is crazy, crossing one of the many bridges, so high above the water! The last train I took today, a suburban to the center, drove right on the edge of the river cliffs, giving me a last awe-inspiring sight of the famous bridge in the setting sun.

I check-in at the hostel. In my dorm are three girls from Québec. I can’t not laugh at their amazing accent. It’s just too funny, in a good way.

What a great day!