The Feathered Kings of Lisbon

The modern-day monarch is no longer characterized by crowns and chalices, but rather colorful feathers and devious stares. Lisbon’s Castelo de São Jorge, once inhabited by Moors, Visigoths and Romans, now houses a new royal family: the peacocks.

We often say that animals are more scared of us than we are of them, but the peacocks of São Jorge exuded such confidence that it was hard to believe. Their bright blue feathers captured everyone’s attention as they posed. Unphased by all the tourists, they showed off, strutting, twirling and allowing tourists to capture their close-ups. 

Turns out the rulers of São Jorge never left, they just grew feathers.