We've stayed at the Casa do Outeiro more times than I can remember. We have kept going back because Dona Ana and Dom João have become friends as well as hosts. We love to hear the family stories such as the one below.
Nobody was pleased. The English family cut off Rooke with the classic penny because he was marrying a foreigner and a Catholic. Sofia fared no better: she was marrying a heretic Protestant! They had to elope to Brazil, where they made a fortune and – surprise, surprise - money seems to have talked and they were taken back into the fold. One of Dona Ana's daughters was given the name Sofia in memory of Sofia Rooke.
We don't have a picture of any of the Rookes but how about this painting of Gaspar de Abreu e Lima Telles de Menezes; isn't he a distinguished-looking ancestor?
Let's take a closer look at this lovely old manor. It dates back at least to the sixteenth century, though the room we stay in may be the remnants of a torreão - a defence and storage tower perhaps almost as old as the country itself.
The kitchen too is in the oldest part of the building. We just love the ancient wooden beams and the copper cooking vessels. Who wouldn't love to make dinner in a place like this?
In the evenings we have often revelled in a roaring log fire in the library. There's something primeval about the lure of fire; the warmth, the life and colour and the light but here it is enhanced by book-lined walls and aged, comfy, leather chairs. Breakfast may be served here in winter.
In the lower hall between the bedroom and the library are more kitchen artefacts. We just love these old, slightly battered copper and brass vessel and containers.
What about breakfast in summer? The tables are then placed outside on a shady veranda. Later in the day you can cool off in the swimming pool or sit out under the sweet chestnut trees in the garden. In autumn there is the joy of the changing leaves.
You might even be lucky enough to arrive when there is one of the many fairs or festivals taking place in the Minho, even in the house itself. But the story of the Feast of Nossa Senhora da Luz is for another time and another post. Keep coming back to the blog to find out how a gallant Abreu e Lima narrowly averted a new War of the Roses!
If you would like to stay in a manor house and exchange stories with a gracious host and perhaps help keep it from falling into disrepair, why not log on to Turihab or Solares de Portugal (Links below.) They both have web sites in English as well as Portuguese. The old fashioned courtesies and the stories the owners can tell you will make your day.
www.turihab.pt
www.solaresdeportugal.pt
Do you have a favourite place to stay in Portugal?
Search
Living the dream: it's what most of us plan to do at some time in our lives, isn't it? That is, we tell ourselves we'll do it when we retire or if and when we can afford it without disadvantaging the family or... well you get the drift. Actually putting the theory into practice, though, takes real dedication and lots of us chicken out. We make excuses about being too old – "My knees are not what they were..."; no longer having the energy- "Just look at those young folk! How I envy them their get up and go!" Or just needing to be sure we can access healthcare.... and so on.
Above you can see someone who, along with her husband, has had the courage of her convictions and taken the plunge. To see more of L and R's adventure and to investigate what the locals do during the grape harvest in the Minho, click here.
We first visited the Paço de Giela more than ten years ago. In spite of its status as a national monument this modest cross between a castle and a manor house was then crumbling into decay and we were, as far as we could tell, among its few visitors.
To find out how the Paço de Giela received a second lease of life and the renactment of Portugal's early history, click here.
That title is an odd mixture of words, phrases and ideas, isn't it? Have a look at this photo of a dragon outside a house on the way to the Peneda Geres National Park and see if you can tell why I've used it.
The dragon has its tail wrapped round a ball and seems to be giving a V for Victory sign. Don't you think that is unusual? So, what is going on? It has nothing to do with the boy wizard of children's literature nor with the bloody struggles for supremacy in mythical kingdoms so recently a TV hit. Nothing indeed like that. Think about famous institutions in northern Portugal and see if you can divine why the dragon is there.
To find out – if you haven't already guessed – why this family has chosen dragons to tell the world what matters to them, click here.
Let's suppose that you don't have a swimming pool – after all most people don't, do they? Nor do the majority of hotels and AirBnBs. So, when it is hot in the Minho, what do you do?
"Ah but..." I hear you cry before I have a chance to explain, "We're talking about the north of Portugal. Surely it doesn't get hot there?"
Well, you'd be surprised. Despite the mistrustful opinions of prominent climate deniers, global warming seems to be affecting the north of Portugal just as much as elsewhere and it can get pretty hot. So, when the temperature is in the high 30s and you are sweltering, where can you go to cool down? Clearly from my picture you can hope it's a cloudy day in Vila Praia de Âncora and go there!
To find out more about this seaside town, and to see a more encouraging picture, click here.
To read more about the Serra da Estrela, its inhabitants and their traditional woolen material, burel, click here.
To stay up-to-date with this blog please subscribe to our Newsletter below:
