Mid-Portugal

September 20th - We left relatively early this morning from Puebla de Sanabria in Spain and basically drove due south into Portugal.  We were actually hoping for a border crossing as apparently there is some paper work we need to complete for our car lease, but since the European Union there are no formal border crossings with customs.  We did drive through what was once the gated customs area.  It looked very derelict - and a very visible reminder of a much more open Europe. 

We drove through the north of Portugal on a new superhighway, so new that it was not on our GPS, nor on our Michelin map and none of the service areas along the highway were open (not yet finished being built).  This area is famous for it's port. The rolling hills with tiered vineyards, their waving lines creating fantastic patterns on the landscape was quite beautiful.    It wasn't until we left this highway that we became very thankful of its existence.   As we neared our destination, Madge (our GPS) had us going along a very steep , curvy road the width of one car.  There were no guard rails and I tried hard not to notice the deep gulley a few metres away!

We are staying at the Albergue do Bonjardim.  Our host is Wil Lenders.  She is Dutch and best yet, she speaks English! We were welcomed with a shot of their grape liquor (essentially grape juice spiked with home brewed distilled alcohol) which was very yummy (but unfortunately not for sale!)  The 18th century manor house we are staying in has been lovingly restored.  And while the grounds are new they were designed and built to look old.  They've done a fantastic job of making a relaxing oasis in which to taste their wine.  At breakfast we had homemade yogurt with homemade strawberry jam and granola.  It was sooooooooooooo good!

This is the dramatic front entrance to the house.  You enter into a foyer with a wide stone stairway up to the second floor.

Our bedroom is very romantic with pink walls, matching floor length drapery and two windows with full length french doors which open up onto wrought iron balconies.  The dominating feature in our large bathroom is the tile work.  Big green and brown tiles which sounds kinda scary, but are quite beautiful.

Kristine with Wil (the owner) and Dan (the intern student from Holland who is studying hospitality and tourism management).  We were given a wine tour and here we are in the wine cellar.  Marcus was given a bottle of wine from the owners as we checked in on his birthday!

 

This is the wine tasting area that the owners have built reclaiming many features and relics of the original winery and other local establishments.  The logia (which is where we have breakfast) used to be a chicken coup - the only thing that is original is the floor.  The round tables are huge mill stones that were somehow used in producing olive oil. 

These came from a neighboring olive farm.   Wil explained that in the early days there would have been a outdoor washing place for laundry,  so the owners recreated one as a water fountain using the original spigot from the winery.   Apparently this was a hobby wine/olive farm for an aristocratic Portuguese family in the early 1900's.  In it's heyday, there were 4 servants working in the manor and 14 working the farm.  The wine and olive oil was for personal consumption and not for sale.  Rough life back in the early 1900's!!!

Every nook and cranny is well thought out and artistically presented.  They've put a lot of work into this place - a little oasis in very rural Portugal where you feel as if time has stood still.

I wish I could crate the pottery and bring it home!