Pieces of Portugal – Part 4 – Fit For A King

After touring around the Belem area, we made our way to near-by Ajuda, where we saw the crown jewels and one of the many royal palaces. The amounts of gold, silver, jewels and opulence are just astounding and hard to wrap my head around. But …. it is beautiful and truly a sight to behold.

All of it was very overwhelming, but I did take quite a few photos. I know. You’re all STUNNED. 🙂 🙂 🙂

The Crown Jewels

The churches, both private and public, were just as wealthy, with just as much opulence as the royals. Most of the palaces and wealthy homes also had their own private chapels as well. Many were very extravagant.

From the crown jewels exhibit, we moved on to one of the near-by palaces. Portugal was ruled by the monarchy for 771 years, and there were 35 monarchs who ruled during this time period, from 1139-1910. Needless to say, there are a lot of palaces all around Portugal.

A model of the Ajuda Palace.

And of course, the kitchen. I have to say, I would LOVE a kitchen like this. 🙂

With palaces and royalty, there are also carriages. Believe it or not, there is a carriage museum too. Of course we went. How often do you get to see a carriage museum?

This is a “carriage” of modern design. I don’t think any of the royal members were riding around in this, but wouldn’t it be a fun ride?

The royal ambulance service.

With carriages comes horses. The royal stables have been turned into the stables for the equestrian police units.

At this point, we had worked up quite an appetite. Our next mission was to find a place to eat. But taking time out for lunch was just a little reprieve. We had a lot more adventures in store. This is a good stopping point for now. Trust me, there is plenty more coming your way soon. So sit back and relax. This is just a short intermission. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Live life to the fullest. It’s not the destination that matters, but the journey. Enjoy the ride. ‘Til next time.