In mid- October I received an e-mail from Gareth Edmondson-Jones (I did not know him before the e-mail) asking if I would like to join a small, 7-day press trip to the Alentejo/Algarve region of Portugal. Gareth is the PR representative for Visit Portugal. I immediately looked up the two areas we were scheduled to visit and realized it was a part of Portugal I had never visited. When I lived in Europe in the 1960s my time spent in Portugal was in Lisbon & Oporto. Thank you Eric Dubourg, the owner of Wineberry Imports, for agreeing to teach my Bordeaux wine class so I could go on the trip. Let's start with the two areas we were going to visit.
The New York Times listed the Alentejo region as “the place to visit,” the “new Tuscany,” and the wine, bread, and olive oil-producing region. “Vast landscapes, amazing vistas and a passion for historical attractions and medieval architecture.” There are hundreds of megalithic monuments dating back to between 4,500 and 2,000 BC. Roman and Arab vestiges are mingled with signs of Christianity including numerous medieval castles. The first stop in the region was only 85 miles from Lisbon Airport. Stylish Lisbonites go to the area where many have private homes (think the Hamptons). There were lots of castles and small, fortified villages whose purpose was to protect against invading enemy troops.
My TAP flight left at 11 PM and since I had eaten in the lounge at Terminal 5, I opted to try to rest/sleep during the easy 6-hour flight. I managed about 2 hours. We arrived around 11 AM their time and I met the other 3 journalists and our guide just outside customs.
http://www.eagletraveltours.pt/
Eusebio Lima (we all called him Lima) is the owner of Eagle Travel Tours & was our driver and guide for the first 4 days. He handed us off to the folks taking us to Algarve after lunch in the city of Mertola. Highly recommended. I gave him 5 Stars on Trip Advisor.
www.sublimecomporta.pt was our overnight stop and we had both lunch and dinner there. This Small Luxury Hotels of the World property has 23 rooms, suites & villas as well as an outdoor and indoor pool and spa. Beginning in June 2020, that will increase to 73 rooms. Instead of my spa treatment, I asked to be taken to look at the beach areas (deserted in mid-November but still 65 degrees).
The next morning we left for Evora, the capital of Alentejo, a university town and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We visited the Diana Roman Temple and the magnificent 12th-century Cathedral. Lunch was at Dom Joaquim Restaurant. http://restaurantedomjoaquim.pt/. We then visited Vila Vicosa, an open-air museum. In the 20th century, the industries of marble extraction and tourism became the main income sources of the area. The Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa is a splendid royal palace where we were given a guided tour. www.visitevora.net.
Overnight we stayed at www.alentejomarmoris.com/pt, another Small Luxury Hotel of the World member with both an indoor and outdoor pool and spa. Opened in 2013, there are 44 rooms. It’s located 35 miles from Evora and built in a natural marble quarry. A wine tasting was followed by dinner at the hotel.
The next morning we visited Monsaraz near the Spanish border. Made of lime and schist it is a museum village. Monsaraz Castle allows one to view Alqueva Dam, one of the largest artificial lakes in Europe. https://www.visitevora.net/en/visit-monsaraz/
Lunch and a visit to the Modern Art Center took place at Quinta do Quetzal Winery. Their grapes grow on soil rich in Schist, the local mineral stone. While the area around Quinta do Quetzal is generally sunny and warm, it's positioning on the foothills of the Serra do Mendro allows cooler air in from the Atlantic Ocean. These conditions lead to big variations in temperature, giving the grapes the heat to ripen. The Quetzal Art Center presents exhibitions with works by both established and emerging international artists. https://www.quintadoquetzal.com/en/
Overnight and dinner were at another 5 Star property, Herdade da Malhadinha. Our choices were cooking with a renowned chef, learning the
art of photography or painting and discovering the world of wine. We had a wine tasting and dinner with the owners. https://www.malhadinhanova.pt/en/
Day 4 we spent the morning in Mertola near the Spanish border. The town of Mértola is set above the Guadiana River. The walls are Moorish and were built over the Roman originals. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Centre. In the middle of the old town stands the Igreja Matriz - a former mosque and now a National Monument built in the 12th century. Mértola's castle dates from the 13th century. It was too much of a climb for me so I explored the former Moorish quarter, the Alcácova do Castelo, which has metal walkways over the Roman drains, Moorish walls, and a Christian cemetery. I had time for the Museu de Mértola that is a series of mini-museums including the Museo Romano showing the foundations of a Roman house under the Câmara Municipal, the Museu Arte Islâmica with a collection of Moorish glass and ceramics and the Museu de Arte Sacra (Museum of Religious Art) in the Misericórdia church. www.visitevora.net/en/visitmertola
Lunch was at O Brasileiro Restaurant in Mertola where we bade farewell to Lima & our Algarve driver then picked us up. This is a family-run restaurant, cozy, and specialized in local food, in spite of the Brazilian name. They had a large choice of local and Portuguese wines "Partridge Acorda" with chickpeas, an absolute must. Great views.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g1068892-d4191343-r196311513-Restaurante_o_Brasileiro-
Mertola_Beja_District_Alentejo.html#
By 3:30 we arrived at our overnight stay- The 5 Star Grand House Hotel in Villa Real Santo Antonio. We were given a short walking tour of the town. Villa Real is situated in the Algarve’s easternmost corner, across the Guadiana River from Spain. One can smell the Atlantic Ocean nearby. Grand House is a revived Grand Dame that has received a new lease on life.www.grandhousealgarve.com. We were taken on a short ride to the Grand Beach Club that is complimentary for hotel guests. The chef prepared local snacks and drinks at the waterside restaurant while we relaxed by their pool. Dinner was at the hotel.
Faro is a historic and culturally rich city (the largest city in the Algarve) that boasts a variety of fascinating tourist attractions and is less than an hour from Villa Real. It is known for its airport & connections to Lisbon. The historic center of Faro is encircled by ancient city walls and contains a Gothic cathedral, the Bishop’s palace, and cobbled backstreets. Outside of the walls is the modern city center, with its pedestrian shopping streets, scenic plazas and a variety of restaurants and bars.
Our first full day in the Algarve began with visits to Cacela, Velka, and Tavira. Lunch was at Anantara Vilamoura. www.anantara.com/en/vilamoura-algarve. Open since 2017, there are now 280 rooms, 4 pools, and a spa. It is located next to the Victoria Golf Course and close to Vilamoura’s beaches, marina, and nightlife.
We were overnight for our last 2 days at Vila Vita Parc Hotel- www.vilavitaparc.com. This is a very large complex and since our rooms were in one of the outer buildings we used a golf cart to get back & forth. Dinner happened to be at the Ocean Restaurant that was located in the same building as our rooms. Very dress up/chi-chi with a sommelier and open kitchen. There were 900 wines on the list.
Buffet breakfasts were in the main building with both indoor & outdoor seating available. We were scheduled for a 2½-hour boat tour of the coastline and their hidden caves. This reminded me of the boats used in the Niagara Falls area. We were strapped in and I would have enjoyed a less strenuous trip. www.dreamwavealgarve.com
Lunch was at Vila Joya Hotel with owner Joy Jung. The hotel opened in 1982 and now has 22 rooms. It sits high on a hill overlooking Gale Beach. Chef Dieter Koschina has been at the hotel for 20 years and received his 1st Michelin Star in 1995 and his 2nd in 1999. www.vilajoya.com/en
After lunch, we were taken to Quinta dos Vales Wine Estate for a tasting and tour of their sculpture garden. www.quintadosvales.eu
Dinner was at the 2-Star Michelin Relais & Chateau Restaurant Vista at Bela Vista Hotel & Spa. Located in a 1918 mansion that has a hilltop location off a pedestrian-only street. Hotel guests have access to the beach as well as to restaurants, bars, and shops. Many of the 38 rooms have ocean views. www.hotelbelavista.net/en
We were scheduled to fly from Faro to Lisbon but the airline schedule did not match my flight home. It was decided our driver would take me to the airport first and then drop the other two writers in Lisbon since they were staying over. We left Vila Vita Park Hotel at 10:30 AM for the 3-hour trip. The extra time was spent relaxing in the TAP Lounge since my flight home was at 5 PM. All’s well that ends well. We actually arrived at JFK a 1/2-hour early. My Carmel car service took me home and it was off to bed.
The Overseas Retirement Index of 2020 from Kathleen Peddicord of Live and Invest Overseas was just published. The index ranks the world's 14 best places to retire overseas. Look who is tied for 1st place- Algarve, Portugal. https://www.liveandinvestoverseas.com/
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