Post by Ken Mullins

“Freedom has become a commodity whose availability, paradoxically, keeps society in check. The threat of its loss seems to enable us to tolerate its imposition.” ― Andrzej Stasiuk, Fado ============ (At the core of Portugal's musical tradition is the distinctive song form, Fado – literally “fate” – which is predominantly slow, resigned and melancholy in character. The music is lyrical, soulful and accompanied by guitars – the Spanish-style guitar known in Portuguese as viola and the Portuguese pear-shaped guitarra.) Featured here, is The Quinta Da Regaleira -- in a World Heritage protected landscape. Located near the historical center of Sintra, this magical villa and gardens is a neo-Manueline extravaganza, dreamed up by Italian opera-set designer, Luigi Manini, under the orders of Brazilian coffee tycoon, António Carvalho Monteiro, aka "Monteiro dos Milhões" ("Moneybags Monteiro"). The villa is surprisingly homely inside, despite its impressively carved fireplaces, frescos, and Venetian-glass mosaics. (Keep an eye out for mythological and Knights Templar symbols.) Along with attractive fountains, stunning underground tunnels, and a series of hidden passages and caves, this is one of the most astonishing monuments of the Serra de Sintra. (On the left, is The Regaleira Chapel.)