On a clear day
July 2020
Today the cool air is tasty fresh when I opened the kitchen window from our high-rise apartment. The morning is bright, with a few low clouds scattered here and there, traveling southbound against the pretty blue sky. While the tea warms on the stove, I can let my thoughts flow just as easily as the breeze that kisses my face during this Covid-19 pandemic confinement. It’s been four months so far.
A moment of escape is calling this early morning. Looking at the avenue below, stillness and silence resemble the thick fog that envelops us at this time of year. While glancing our neighbourhood, just yonder, blanketed by even soft light, a tiny speck of bright colors has caught my eye. It comes from beyond the tall buildings and shingled rooftops leading into the far distance to the second highest peak of Sintra Mountain. The bright colors atop the lush, dark green vegetation beckons a closer look with the binoculars. Oh Yes! I can see it, it’s Pena Palace.
My memories rush in to show the quaint town of Sintra. I remember on the ride up; we swayed back and forth through the crowded charming narrow streets of the town to visit Pena Palace, the crown jewel of Sintra. It’s extraordinary to create the palace on a rugged, steep rock on the mountaintop.
Our ride deposited us at the main gate. From there, a short walk up took us to the main entrance. The vivid colors of the exteriors enhanced the fantasy of the palace. German Romanticist, Manueline, and Moorish architectural styles influenced the unusual colors. A stroll around the grounds gives you a feeling for its past, while decorative mythological beings keep a vigilant gaze on their surroundings. The battlements wait for their guards to arrive. Sounds in the narrow passages echo as if courtiers walk back and forth. In the great room ushered noblemen and dignitaries addressed the royal family, eager for their business concerns. The fantasy-like architecture may lead people to think of Disneyland, but Pena tells a different story.
In the Middle ages, construction started in the chapel as a dedication to Our Lady of Pena, after an apparition of the Virgin Mary. In 1511, King Manuel I started building a Catholic monastery; the Order of Saint Jerome, at the Pena sanctuary. The monastery had a cloister, outbuildings, a chapel, and a sacristy with a bell tower. Over the years, the royal family frequented the monastery, in which eighteen monks lived a secluded life in silent meditation. Around 1755, on a stormy day, great thunder announced a powerful electrical discharge that caused severe damage to the monastery. Soon thereafter, a major earthquake reduced it to ruins. To everyone’s surprise, the chapel of Our Lady had survived. Could it be another miracle?
Below the sanctuary, Sintra’s hills and the people saw the passage of time. It was in 1838 that King consort Ferdinand II bought the old destroyed monastery and the surrounding lands, besides two other estates nearby, along with the Castle of the Moors. As the king will have it, his wishes came to fruitions when he rebuilt the monastery ruins into Pena Palace. It was a grand project to build a summer residence for the royal family, taking its time between 1842 and 1854. The area and humid climate of Sintra mountain was perfect for Pena palace, and creating a park in the uneven terrain that surrounded it that spread over 200 hectares was a marvel. The humidity was ideal for trees and plants gathered from around the world. In this magnificent garden, you can escape into its winding paths, rest on the stone benches, enjoy the ponds and the lush environment and pavilions.
The Portuguese Government got Pena Palace in 1889, and later designated it as a national monument and transformed it into a museum in 1910. The added responsibilities weighed on the state, and Pena felt the impact of neglect by reflecting its sad disrepair. Pena faded into a forgetful slumber, like sleeping beauty, unnoticed by anyone accustomed to the drab gray features of the decaying architecture. This historic landmark fell dormant for years, but awoke in 1996 with extensive renovations.
It’s now late in the afternoon, expecting the coming sunset. A short walk on the large terrace takes us to the overlook, with decorative arches to gaze beyond the flat land below as the fog drifts obscuring the horizon. While lost in thought, I recalled that on clear days Pena Palace, with its bright colors, is visible from as far away as Lisbon. And on clear evenings, lights shine upon its facade, bidding everyone good night.
Moments have passed; a veil of golden sunlight warms our skins as the sun floats against the blue sky. A thick blanket of fog extends from the edge of the sun onto the distant flatland covering the horizon. Will we get to see the sunset? I wondered? A minute later, the fog started lifting, revealing the horizon yet maintaining its cover over the land. Fabulous…were we just given permission to see the sun lowering itself into a glorious sunset? So outstanding! …
What is that? A distant sound, its tone is familiar, growing louder and louder…ahh, it’s the tea, hot and ready!
A nice, pleasant breeze caressed my chest as I walked away from the window. It’s a good sign. I smiled. Donald and I will soon have breakfast and begin our daily routine…The tea is tasting so good! The trees across the street and on the quiet avenue below swayed with ease, signaling another lovely cloudless day for anyone to enjoy their own imaginings.
For now, it’s time to grow, improve existing skills, or gain new ones to get ready for what lies ahead.
We hope you stay healthy. Wishing you the best from Lisbon.
…until next time.
~ Kami
