I decided to spend two days alone in Sintra on November 15th to recharge my batteries. I basically wanted to sleep, read my books, listen to music and podcasts, walk around, and eat meals without my husband and children, to reconnect with myself. I looked on Booking for a central and not too expensive place and ended up choosing again... Guesthouse Sintra 1012, where I stayed two years ago on my first trip without the kids – see more details in this post. 2 days in Sintra. It was great!

I spent Saturday morning with my family putting up the Christmas tree and we decided to have lunch together in Sintra, at the restaurant. Every Now and Then. It's located on a busy street, but it's tucked away in a corner and you have to go down some stairs to get there. We ate delicious dishes, including cheese au gratin with honey and oregano, fried green beans, and garlic shrimp, and the service was excellent. There aren't many main course options, but we were able to order plenty of appetizers and were quite satisfied. I recommend it.

After that, they dropped me off near the hotel and I strolled leisurely, appreciating the beauty of Sintra. This village looks like something out of a fairy tale, it's so beautiful, even more so in autumn (see some photos at the end of the post). I checked in and went to my room hoping it would be the same as in 2023, but it wasn't. This time it was much smaller and in another house at the end of the street, but it was very cozy and I was very happy there… haha. Some photos:

It started to rain and I thought it was a sign to rest, so that's what I did for the rest of the afternoon until I started to get hungry in the evening. I took a shower and went out on foot to choose an uncomplicated restaurant and opted to go to... Pilgrimage of Bacchus, which is on the same street as the Guesthouse. Small, cozy atmosphere, tasty food, but, as usual, many curious customers watching me happily having dinner. It's part of traveling alone… My friend from Canada called me at that moment and I spent almost an hour talking about life without noticing the time passing. I walked back to my room and slept super well in the double bed all to myself. What more could a tired woman/mother want? 🙂

I woke up whenever I wanted on Sunday and got ready to have breakfast at the main house. Despite being a small guesthouse, they have a good variety for breakfast, with breads, cakes, fruits, pancakes, cereals, eggs and sausages, as well as many drinks. I felt at home, super welcomed by the Cape Verdean attendant, and I even had the pleasure of chatting with an American whose daughter studied in Minnesota, very close to my boss. I thought it was a great coincidence!

I returned to my room and, as it was a beautiful day, I put on comfortable clothes and went out for a walk. I found Sintra quite crowded with tourists, mainly Americans, so I ruled out visiting Quinta da Regaleira and Monserrate Palace, as I didn't want to wait in lines. I chose to visit a place that was new to me, the Sassetti Village – see more information here, And it was a lovely, unpaid surprise.

The garden is simply wonderful, and strolling along its paths, empty of tourists, was all I needed. I spent hours there in contact with nature, listening to the water of the stream and the birdsong, admiring the terracotta house that was closed, and when I thought I had seen everything I wanted, I left.

I went in through the gate next door and went for a walk around. Picnic Park – More information here. This one didn't appeal to me much, but I found a comfortable bench in a sunny spot and stayed there for almost an hour listening to music and thinking about life. It was very relaxing.

I went to check out a restaurant owned by some friends nearby, the Pizzeria do Carmo, I ate a delicious burrata pizza with a generous glass of red wine. I went back to the hotel to rest and took advantage of the rain outside to catch up on my sleep, books, and podcasts. Since I was still full from lunch, I thought it best not to go out for dinner and just have some snacks I brought in my suitcase. It was a peaceful Sunday.

On Monday, I woke up again without rushing, had a full breakfast, packed my things, and waited for Celo to pick me up. I recharged my batteries and returned home a better mother/wife/woman. Everyone came out a winner. 🙂

Sintra in photos