June 21, 2018 National Palace & Gardens of Queluz, Lisbon
was the last day of FPG Insurance incentive tour to Lisbon.
We were glad a bigger and newer bus arrived to bring us to our next destination.
It was too hot in the past few days then all of a sudden it started raining.
About twenty minutes after we had left Corpo Santo Hotel, the bus stopped and dropped us off at an 18th century building. I had no idea where we were and I was not in the mood to do some sight seeing. I’ve seen too many palaces and churches already.
Apparently this’ the National Palace of Queluz (Palacio de Queluz).
I only got interested when I saw a gift shop inside the palace selling some porcelain plates.
Para akong merong radar, basta merong pinggan, ang bilis kong nahahanap.
OMB the plates are so lovely. I shall return.
My husband called me because our tour guide was calling. Tour first before shopping.
I am a fan of European architectural elegance.
The Palacio de Queluz was the summer retreat of Dom Pedro of Braganza. He became king consort when he married own niece, Queen Maria I. Queen Maria fell into deep depression after she was forced to marry the much older Dom Pedro and she eventually lost her mind. She continued to leave in the palace till after Dom Pedro’s death in 1786.
Portuguese prince John VI and his family lived in the Palace of Queluz until 1807. They fled to Brazil, a Portuguese colony, after the French invaded Portugal.
A better place to have our group photo unlike the one we had at the train station.
Paul and Carla Chuatico, Len and Bong Aralar, Joanne and Dennis Silva, FPG President Ramon Dimacali, Susan Dimacali, Lina Adriano, Salve, ____, ____, _____, Carla and Francis Papa, E & A, Jonas and Oyen. A list of travel participants would be helpful and useful. I have trouble remembering names especially full names even if I’ve traveled with most of this guys. That’s a once a year association and by the time we meet again, I’ve forgotten their names already.
I wish my living room is as big and as pretty as this. I’ll host a party every week. I feel like Edmund is still getting taller while I am getting shorter. Why is that?
When we were planning to build our current residence, I made a provision for a small chapel, the size of a standard bathroom. Edmund didn’t like it, baka daw katakutan pa yon. So I just made that space as another toilet. We’re using it only as a powder room but it has provisions for a full bath.
Chapel
WE took photos of anything and everything.
During those days the beds were much smaller than the size of our beds today. I’ve seen many kings and queens bedrooms but their beds were tiny, considering that they have castles and palaces and yet the size of their bedrooms and beds were small.
This dining room certainly doesn’t look elegant.
If I have a bigger house I will devote one room for a chinor tea room.
Kings and Queens lived in ornate palaces and castles but when you listen to their life stories, they too had many sufferings and tribulations. This expensive palace became Queen Maria’s gilded cage.
Mon and Sue, modern day king and queen.
Len and Bong
We don’t have to live in palaces to feel like kings and queens. We just have to treat ourselves right, be content with what we have and always be grateful for our life and liberty.
When there’s peace, love and harmony inside our homes, we wouldn’t need gilded walls and mirrors to keep us whole.
End of the tour
We could not explore in their expansive garden because of the incessant rain.
I went back to the gift shop to get one or two souvenirs.
I bought two porcelain dinner plates. My husband thought I would buy a complete set. Nay ko ang bigat nyang iuwi.
