Welcoming 2026 with a vignette of my visit to the happy, colorful Unesco world heritage site, Palácio da Pena, outside of Lisbon, Portugal in the municipality of Sintra.
Lisbon was one of the stops on a recent Explora cruise that I took with friends (great experience; my tips to successful cruising can be found here) and Portugal was definitely a highlight. We started the day at the Palace and ended it with a flurry of shopping for linens, tiles and antiques in town. The Explora cruise line is relatively new and I can say it was a 10/10 ship (you can see my highlights here. ) Our itinerary included several towns in Spain, Tangier, Morocco, and Lisbon.
If you are traveling here, I highly recommend visiting Sintra and the Pena Palace. Dating back to the 12th century, the palace was originally a monastery but eventually King Ferdinand II acquired the property and restored it to serve as a summer residence for the royal family. It is very unique and fun to explore. There is a beautiful pathway leading up to the palace that is surrounded by trees, plants and moss. The little village where it is located is charming as well with a pastry shop dating back to 1862 and a shop with pretty linens and ceramics.
Speaking of colorful, I am loving the brand Kule – the t-shirts, sweaters, pants, bags, socks and other accessories are great for sightseeing and weekend attire. Everything I am wearing in the photo above is Kule – I made a big panic purchase right before I left on my trip and ended up loving (and packing) every single thing I ordered. You can find all the Kule items I found on my ShopMy account here.
In this new year, I am thankful for friends – especially these from our recent cruise. Most I have known my entire life, some not as long but it feels like I have. I am overwhelmed by the joy they bring to my life by traveling and exploring together. Already looking forward to the next fun trip.
Happy New Year and may 2026 be your best one yet.
“As if having stepped out of a fairy tale, this has been the place of dreams for all the generation who have passed here and gazed upon its magnificence.”
“The Pena Park is a vast forested area completely surrounding the Pena Palace, spreading for over 200 hectares of uneven terrain. The park was created at the same time as the palace by King Ferdinand II, who was assisted in the task by the Baron von Eschwege and the Baron von Kessler. The exotic taste of the Romanticism was applied to the park as it was to the palace. The King ordered trees from diverse, distant lands to be planted there…The park has a labyrinthic system of paths and narrow roads, connecting the palace to the many points of interest throughout the park, as well as to its two gated exits.”
Pena Palace History, Wikipedia
“The “Travesseiro da Casa Piriquita” is a typical sweet treat from Casa Piriquita.
On the outside it has a delicate puff pastry and on the inside a filling of egg and almond cream, also containing a secret ingredient that makes it appealing to palates all over the world.”
FRIENDS!!!