Lisboa Mafra

Mafrense buses run from Lisboa’s Campo Grande and stop in the square across from the palace (the “Mafra Convento” stop). Buses from Mafra serve Lisboa (1hr.; hourly M-F 5:26am-9:20pm, Sa 5:30am-8:44pm, Su and national holidays 6:23am-9:56pm; €3.40), Sintra (40 min; every hr. M-F 6:20am-7:35pm, Sa 7:30am-7:30am, Su 9:00am-7:30pm, €2.60),and Ericeira (20min.; every hr. M-F 7:36am-12:32am, Sa 7:36am-12:32pm, Su and national holidays 8:05am-12:33am; €1.70). Don’t take the train from Lisboa’s Estação Santa Apolónia unless you’re up for the 7km walk to Mafra; cabs are rare by the station. To return to Ericeira, walk down Terreiro de D. J. V and veer left. Continue down Av. 25 de Abril. The stop is on the right-hand side of the road about 50 ft. from the gas station.

Mafra is a tiny country village with an enormous claim to fame: the Palácio Nacional de Mafra . Built by Dom João V as a “hunting palace,” and made famous by Saramago’s Memorial do Convento, the building took 50,000 workers and 30 years to build. Its unusual monastery has its own hospital-chapel hybrid, where patients’ bed curtains were pulled back for mass. There is also the chilling Sala de Penitência (Penance Room), where the Franciscan monks performed self-flagellation—notice the four-sided cage for mad monks. The Sala do Trono (Throne Room), where the king gave his speeches, is covered with murals representing his eight ideal virtues, starting with “perfectio” (perfection). The Sala da Caça (Hunting Room) is decorated with antlers and heads of all kinds—the chairs, the tables, and even the chandelier are all made of elk antlers. The most impressive space is the palatial biblioteca (library) containing 40,000 volumes from the 16th-18th centuries, many of which were bound by the monks. The monks were fastidious about the preservation of books, bringing a colony of bats into the library to eat insects and other would-be book vandals; a few bats still come out from the ancient bookshelves at night. (☎261 81 75 50. Open M and W-Su 10am-5pm, last entrance at 4:30pm. Daily 1hr. tours in English and Portuguese 11am and 2:30pm. €4, students and seniors €2.50, under 14 free; Su before 1:30pm free. Palácio tickets sold in the room to the left of the main palace steps. Basílica open daily 10am-1pm and 2-5pm. Free.) For a quality bargain meal, try the cozy, wood-adorned A Toca da Raposa, R. 1 de Dezembro, 2B. From the palace entrance, cross the street to the shops, go downhill on R. J. M. Costa one block, and turn right. Serves up a variety of fresh Portuguese dishes, though vegetarian options are limited. (☎261 81 51 22. Entrees €7-14. Open M-Su noon-2:30pm, W-Sa 7-9:30pm.) The tourist office is inside the palace compound, to the right of the large church entrance. In addition to maps, the office offers 10min. of free internet access. (☎261 81 71 70; www.cm-mafra.pt. Open daily 9:30am-1pm and 2:30-6pm.)