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Sintra was as magical as I had expected with its stunning hillside mansions and the majestical Moorish castle at the top of the hill. It was April and all the trees were in full bloom and I remember being in awe seeing so much beauty at once. It was a big group of us, twelve friends having four nights in Lisbon and as a day trip we had decided to take the train to Sintra. So glad we made that decision last minute. The train journey there was just an hour from Lisbon and once we got out of the station the local guides were lined up everywhere holding signs wanting to show tourists the quirky colourful castle. We knew the walk up the hill would be long and with all of us feeling slightly tired after a night out we decided to jump into one of many Tuk Tuks. What a funny ride that was, our driver turned out to be a member of a heavy metal band that had performed in our country. One of my friends who sat closest to him said all of a sudden ‘you look so familiar, not quite sure where I’ve seen you before’. The guy smiled a large smile and flicked his long curly hair to the side and said he is doing this to make extra money but his real talent is being a heavy metal singer! He was so chatty and knowledgable about the local area having spent all his childhood there and we felt like he really cared about giving us the best tour around beautiful Sintra. The sun was shining and it was a hot day so we were eager to take cover from the sun in the little Tuk Tuk. The engine roared and off we went. Our driver pointed out huge mansions where celebrities had filmed music videos and he was like a fountain of knowledge knowing unusual facts about the surroundings. The speed going up the hill was nice and smooth, however going down the hill we had to hold onto our hats as let me put it this way he was not scared of flying down those winding roads. At one point I thought well if we all crash and die now at least I’ve just experienced a beautiful day strolling around this most amazing castle which could be straight out of a fairy tale. Not only were the buildings jaw dropping but the same could be said about the views. We were so high up you could see for miles on this clear day. We got down to the train station safe and sound and said our good byes to the very quirky and likeable driver that I’m sure we’ll all remember with fondness in years to come just as we’ll remember Sintra. Like a colourful gem.