Alojamento Local - Monte da Falagueira
Halfway between Portalegre and Arronches, Monte da Falagueira was born.
A Local Accommodation on top of a hill, surrounded by a huge cork oak forest, where the air is pure and the scenery is breathtaking.
Monte da Falagueira was born by the hand of its hosts Inês and Ricardo, who, with the desire to refurbish Ricardo's great-grandparents' house, which brought back so many good memories from the past, decided to give life and colour to this recovery and open a Local Accommodation, designed to become a refuge in the middle of nature. It was their feeling for their roots and their past that led them to create this dream project, where they have put all their emotion and dedication into it for four years until they open their doors to the world in October 2023.
Fomos visitar este local idílico e ficámos a conhecer um pouco melhor a história dos anfitriões. Na chegada fomos recebidos pela Inês que prontamente se disponibilizou para uma boleia até ao alojamento na sua moto 4x4 e ficámos a perceber que todos os hóspedes são recebidos da mesma forma.
Inês and Ricardo were born and raised in Portalegre, they dated during their teenage years, but at some point they each went their separate ways, left Portalegre and lost touch completely. Inês went to Lisbon to study for a degree in banking management, a profession she never pursued, while Ricardo, already a surveyor, went to Guinea Conakry to work in his profession.
Years later, by coincidence of fate, they met again and their first love spoke louder. Ricardo was already working in Portalegre and Inês was still in Lisbon. They got engaged and... soon married and Inês returned to the Alentejo for good.
After getting married, they moved in with Ricardo's family, near what is now Monte da Falagueira, had three beautiful daughters and ended up setting up their own business. Inês eventually gave up her job in accountancy and devoted herself wholeheartedly to 100%, accommodation and her family.
In keeping with the tranquillity of the Alentejo, this guest house can accommodate up to 8 guests and has 4 bedrooms, a dining room, a fully equipped kitchen and 3 bathrooms. Equipped with air conditioning, it also has an outdoor swimming pool and free private parking. It is ideal for families or friends who want to stay in a country house for a few days, where peace and communion with nature are part of their stay.
The house's outdoor space is designed for events, for anyone who wants to hold a special event in the countryside, from business events to weddings, christenings or even birthday parties. It's a place that will most likely mark any event in a very special way.
Contacts:
Monte da Falagueira
National Road 246, 11
7300-730 Arronches, Portalegre
reservas@montedafalagueira.pt
(+351) 915 873 056
OFICINA D'ART by Susana Perpétua ceramist
We visited Susana Perpétua's Oficina d'Art and learnt a little more about the history of this renowned ceramist from Alto Alentejo.
Susana, a Ribatejo woman from Santarém, came to the Alentejo with her family at just three months old, due to her father's professional obligations, and ended up staying and adopting the region as her homeland.
Her entire adolescence was spent in the village of Comenda and at the age of 17, by choice, she left the Alentejo to work. As she entered the labour market at a very young age, she ended up working in many different areas, from hotels to working with children.
From a very early age, Susana showed an interest in the arts and even as a little girl she only wanted to paint, quickly replacing her school books with a box of coloured pencils and a few sheets of paper.
Susana confessed to us that she had always wanted to be an artist without studying, that is to say, her mum had often urged her to study even though she wanted to be an artist, but Susana's irreverence always spoke louder and she managed to bring water to her mill.
After a few years working abroad, in 1998 he returned to the Alentejo, more specifically to the town of Crato, and finally decided to take a ceramics course in Flor de Rosa at the renowned Pottery School. He learnt all about clay at this school, but after the course he was unable to work in this area because at the time he was afraid to take risks.
But the bug was there and he returned to the Pottery School where he began working on the Flor da Rosa clay and where he stayed for more than 20 years.
She learnt everything there was to learn, started teaching and trained many people in this art that currently has few followers and is tending to disappear, but which was once extremely important for the region. Susana says that she worked at this school during its heyday. From this school came pieces of all shapes and sizes, from pots, pitchers, pans, roasters, bowls and casseroles, among others, which enriched restaurants and the national gastronomy due to their ability to enhance the flavours and tastes of food.
Not wanting to give up and in an attempt to perpetuate this art, Susana created and opened her own atelier in the village of Gáfete in 2022, where she now lives and finally decided to go it alone.
Susana is already a well-recognised ceramist and has a wide range of clients not only here, but also in other corners of the world.
Ceramics is her passion and Susana can't see herself doing anything else but this art, which she hopes to carry on with for the rest of her life.
When asked what gives her the most pleasure in her craft, she told us that she loves painting the Alentejo, doesn't like repeating pieces and loves moulding.
The art of teaching has been in her blood since the days when she taught at the Flor da Rosa Pottery School and she currently gives training courses at senior universities (an audience she admires greatly and has a special affection for), gives individual lessons and organises workshops.
Susana warns of the need to continue this art and challenges the younger generation to get their hands dirty and experience the potential of the craft.
It was a pleasure to spend time with this ceramicist, to get to know her story and her art more closely and we couldn't resist bringing you some pieces that we're going to share with you here on the site and that you can buy if you're as enamoured as we are!
If you want to have an experience with Susana Perpétua, here are her contact details.
Susana Perpétua
Tel +351 966 355 917
Franciscan broas
Broas are cakes with a special tradition at Easter, Christmas or All Saints' Day, but they're good at any time of year. We adapted the recipe with our Franciscan ginjinha and the result couldn't have been better.
With Easter soon upon us, we challenge our readers to get their hands dirty and make our own Franciscan bread.
Share the results with us. You'll find all the ingredients you need and how to prepare it here - it's very easy.
Ingredients
- 5 whole eggs + 2 yolks to brush on
- 250ml brown sugar
- 200 ml olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 50ml Franciscan sour cherry
- 500 g flour
Directions:
- Beat the eggs and sugar in a bowl until you get a fluffy dough. You can use a whisk if you prefer.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and two tablespoons of honey in a bain-marie. Add to the previous mixture and beat a little more. From here on, the dough should be worked by hand.
- Add the flour and sour cherry and, if necessary, a little more flour. If you want a more intense flavour, double the amount of sour cherry. The dough should come away from your hands and be soft.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and leave it to rest for a while on a floured board. Then shape the dough into the shape you like.
- Brush with the egg yolks and bake in a preheated oven at 180º, on a baking tray dusted with flour, for 25 metres or when they start to brown.
They should be accompanied by a glass of Franciscan ginjinha!
Enjoy your meal!
Vila Alpalhão Accommodation
At the end of 2023, a new local guest house was born in Alpalhão, a space that has been carefully remodelled to welcome all those who enjoy a good stay with family or friends.
We got to know the latest project by Filipe Duarte, a local son who, at the age of 18, left Alpalhão to study abroad and graduated in civil engineering in Coimbra. 29 years later he returned to his Alpalho and Alentejo origins, putting his professional experience to good use in his personal project. It was during our visit that we had the opportunity to learn a little more about the history of this beautiful space.
Longing for the memories of the past led Filipe, together with his wife Susana, to recover part of the family heritage that once witnessed many joys and customs. Moved by the desire to return to their origins, they thought it would be a great idea to share this place with other people, who would surely appreciate it as much as they do. And that's how they started the Alto Alentejo Accommodation project.
With a certain amount of resilience and willpower, combined with some help from family and friends, Filipe has restored one of the places from his childhood to offer those looking for this type of space a comfortable stay.
Filipe Duarte, our host, also said that they built this project with different objectives in mind and according to the needs of future guests. That's why, over the next three years, they intend to implement three different types of tourism in the Alto Alentejo:
- Alojamento local: Alojamentos Vila de Alpalhão
- Agroturismo: Casas Monte Crato (em projeto)
- Casa de Campo: Nature House Nisa (em projeto)
With the aim of showcasing and sharing the best the region has to offer, the host is counting on all his friends, acquaintances, family, future clients and strangers to help him realise this dream and great adventure.
The ambition is great, the will is enormous and the beauty... "well, that's natural and it's already here waiting for you!" As Filipe Duarte said.
The Vila de Alpalhão guest house has 4 bedrooms, a living room, a fully equipped kitchen with a fridge and coffee machine and 2 bathrooms with a bath and free toiletries.
This will be an excellent stay to enjoy the Alto Alentejo with family or a group of friends.
The first of three ambitious projects has already been born in Alpalhão.
Accommodation in Vila de Alpalhão
Rua do Arrabalde 6A
6050-013 Alpalhão
alojamentosaltoalentejo@gmail.com
Tel +351 964 211 754
Interview with César Azeitona
On a still sunny autumn afternoon, we went to meet writer and broadcaster César Azeitona, a much-loved and popular figure in the Alentejo region, because as well as spreading his good humour through the microphones of Rádio Portalegre, he still has time to be a writer and is already on the fourth volume of his collection "Gentes das Gentes - Histórias de vida". Read more
Alentejo Villas - AL no Crato
We went to Crato to discover a Local Accommodation and were surprised by a place full of history, nature and decorative arts, completely different from the usual.
It was by the hand of Marisa Osório Farinha, co-founder of this Alentejo Villas project and artistic director of the prestigious SIÈCLE Paris brand for 30 years, that we had the privilege of getting to know every nook and cranny of this charming designer house.
THE Casa dos PássarosThe house, as it is known, is located in the heart of the historic town of Crato, the cradle of the Hospitaller Order in Portugal at the beginning of the 13th century, and was painstakingly restored over two years. Marisa has combined a lifetime's experience in the decorative arts and developed a concept around art, and every detail we find in this house has a special, simple and relaxed touch, for which she is responsible, as Marisa herself defines it.
He also told us that his intention in creating this project was to reinterpret the decoration of Portuguese manor houses, from decorative paintings, stucco, ceramics and textiles, where he combines his own creativity with the simplicity and refinement of the Alentejo art of hospitality.
Marisa is currently developing the Alentejo Villas by Siècle concept, of which the Casa dos Pássaros is the first project. The idea of starting in this region is linked to the great moments of his childhood in this marvellous region of Alto Alentejo. The choice of locations for this and future projects will have to represent the identity of a territory and a population, with the intention of setting up in the centre of the various towns,
where the past and history open up to the discovery of sensations and experiences for visitors in search of heritage, authenticity, identity and history.
THE Casa dos Pássaros has 4 bedrooms, a living room, dining room, kitchen, terrace and swimming pool. It's the ideal place to spend a short holiday with family or friends where you can recharge your batteries, surrounded by nature, peace and fresh air. Guests of this local accommodation can also count on the support of the Franciscan Pantry, if they want to have a tasting experience of local products in the house or, if they choose to enjoy an outdoor picnic, the company TOOBRAA will take care of that part!
Alentejo Villas
Rua 5 de Outubro nº 53
7430-137 Crato
Contact: +351 937 336 497
Email: alentejovillas@gmail.com
https://www.alentejo.villas/
PLACE TO GO
It was with a lot of "wandering" that we went to meet businessman Daniel Roldão, in a hidden paradise in the middle of peace and quiet, within easy reach of those who enjoy a leisurely stay in absolute communion with nature.
Daniel Roldão is one of the most emblematic entrepreneurs in our Alto Alentejo region and in the agri-food sector. He has been representing Sabores de Santa Clara for around two decades. He challenges himself every day to broaden his horizons as an entrepreneur, and it was at one of his most recent projects that we spent a summer's day, where the sun insisted on not showing up, but the heat got the better of him and provided a relaxed and very lively conversation.
Lugar d' Vagar is a cosy holiday home set in a rural tourism environment with absolute privacy. It is located in a paradisiacal valley, on the edge of the Serra de São Mamede Natural Park, between Castelo de Vide and Portalegre.
This holiday home has a private swimming pool heated all year round, you read that right, heated all year round (a delight for winter holidaymakers), a garden and parking. The house also has a beautiful terrace with views of the mountains, 2 bedrooms, a living room, an equipped kitchen and 1 bathroom.
After having dived into the pool to the sound of a playlist Strictly chosen by the businessman, we were treated to lunch on the terrace, where there was no shortage of delicacies from Sabores de Santa Clara.
We started with some beautiful Port wine biscuits with goat's cheese, savoured a salmon and roast vegetables flavoured with olive oil spread, and finished with an orange carpaccio with egg candies drizzled with redcurrant, cinnamon and a hint of lavender and rosemary. All these delicacies were accompanied by a good white wine and refreshed with a lovely redcurrant syrup. There was still a little space left over for us to try their handmade pumpkin jam with our coffee and to finish off with a pennyroyal liqueur.
The whole time we were at Lugar D'Vagar, we were treated to the presence of Zé Francisco, the host on duty, a lovable donkey who delights the place and anyone who sees him.
We challenge all readers who need a break from everyday life to come to Alto Alentejo and enjoy the "wanderlust" of this paradisiacal place.
Lugar D'Vagar
Vale Serrão,
7320-017 Castelo de Vide
Bookings: lugar.d.vagar@gmail.com
We also invite you to take a look at the Sabores de Santa Clara products in our online shop.
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS
Restaurante - A Cabana
And it was in the Cabana next to the main square of Arronches that we fell in love with the delicacies served by Chef Luís Figueira, owner of Restaurante a Cabana. To the sound of a beautiful playlist We began with a starter of sliced Alentejo ham, accompanied by excellent regional bread and the house wine. This was soon followed by cod cheeks with bolhão pato on a bed of toasted Alentejo bread, stewed donkeys accompanied by crispy chips and a mix of green salads (two of the restaurant's best-selling dishes) and there was still time to savour a delicious encharcada accompanied by a Franciscan ginjinha.
This place opened its doors 11 years ago with Luís and his wife Andreia, two people from Alentejo, Luís from Arronches and Andreia from São Vicente. We had a relaxed chat with this friendly couple, in a relaxed atmosphere where time passed without us noticing, we got to know this place a little better and we even had the chance to listen to Chef Luís playing the house instrument, a beautiful set of pebbles!
DF: How did you decide to bring this project to life?
LF: We decided to create a different space. We idealised a place where you could eat good snacks, listen to good music and chat with friends. The initial idea was to only do tapas, but in recent years we've had to change the menu due to crises, the pandemic and, more recently, the war!
DF: What steps did you take to get to "Cabana"?
LF: I worked in the night from a very early age (15/16) and before I took my degree in tourism I had the intention of opening a bar in Arronches, but I ended up working in the area for others for a while. After graduating, I gained experience in a few restaurants and at the age of 27 I decided to start Cabana, together with Andreia.
DF: Is this an old dream or did it just happen?
LF: It wasn't always a dream, but it ended up gaining expression in the professional experiences I've had throughout my life and it became a dream by chance.
DF: What is your main source of inspiration for preparing your dishes?
LF: Inspiration comes from my family, especially from my maternal grandmother, who didn't like cooking very much but made many unrepeatable and extraordinarily tasty things, and also from my mother, who cooks very well. I can truly say that the greatest inspiration came from the women in my family. As an observer, I kept an eye on the preparation of dishes and ended up developing a taste for this area, adding my own special touch.
DF: With regard to the menu, you mentioned that it has changed over time. What are the most emblematic dishes of this house at the moment?
LF: We worked with tapas and cocktails for a long time, but over time we've come up with some dishes that make a lot of people come here, travelling many kilometres. I'd like to highlight them:
- As Burras, são as bochechas de porco, uma carne tenra e suculenta muito utilizada na culinária alentejana.
- O Wellington de bacalhau, um prato com lombos de bacalhau fresco.
- As verdadeiras carnes de porco preto
- A francesinha, que foi a nossa salvação durante a pandemia e que acabou por ficar. Não sendo um prato típico da região do alto Alentejo, conseguimos dar-lhe um toque com os nossos sabores regionais.
DF: What can never be missing at the Cabana?
LF: We favour all regional products, so you can never go without raw materials from our area. I'm talking about sausages, cheeses, wines, craft beers, Alentejo gins and now we even have a new Franciscan gin for our customers. We like to work with fixed partners whose products are of high quality. We believe that these partnerships make our customers more loyal to our space.
DF: Are there any plans for the future?
LF: Our main concern at the moment and in the coming years is to maintain quality and continue to welcome people from all over the world who visit us on recommendation. That's our main goal today and tomorrow, to serve the best we can and provide a relaxed atmosphere for our customers.
DF: Would you like to leave a message for our readers and followers of The Franciscan Pantry?
LF: Our Cabana is a place where everyone is welcome to get to know our gastronomy, stories and traditions a little better. It will be a pleasure to welcome you.
Cabana Restaurant
R. de Olivença, 20
7340-019 Arronches
CRAFT BEER FROM THE ALENTEJO
Who said that only good wine is drunk in the Alentejo?
Luís Ramos, an Alentejano from Portalegrense, says with great conviction that you can also drink good craft beer in this region.
Despensa Franciscana went to the village of Fortios to see Luís' project, called Casa do Penedo Brewery, and was able to see that excellent craft beers are indeed being made.
The mentor of Casa do Penedo, who never abandoned his Alentejo roots and always studied in Portalegre, has a master's degree in nursing and specialises in medical-surgical nursing. At the age of 27, he started working at Santa Casa Marvão, worked at the Beirã long-term care unit and is currently working at the Portalegre hospital.
As a curious person, he began to study fermentation processes and even thought about making wine, but quickly realised that his focus would be beer. He started brewing beer in plastic buckets, using a kit he had bought, and that's how his first production began.
Luís also said that great ideas are born in the most difficult times!
Foi assim que aconteceu com a Casa do Penedo... num ambiente de plena pandemia, onde a criatividade imperava como solução para descomprimir, nasceu a primeira cerveja e o processo foi de tal forma apaixonante que acabou por legalizar o projeto para tornar o negócio mais sério.
It quickly made the leap and entered some national competitions where, in November 2021, it won second place in the national craft beer competition in the outstanding category. From then on, he made the leap to producing a larger quantity of litres and today he is already a benchmark in the upper Alentejo.
It is also expanding nationwide and has its own factory in Fortios, where it works alongside its hospital activity.
Luís said that he had a great source of inspiration, which he always likes to mention, and that was his fellow brewers at Barona beer in Castelo de Vide.
It currently has 10 beer references with the 11th brewing soon. All the bottles have an illustration according to the style of the beer, made by Castelo de Vide illustrator Paulo Belo Costa.
As future projects, he is developing two craft beers with low alcohol content, following a trend in American speciality magazines. Luís is working alone on this project and wants to continue in order to guarantee the quality he has seen so far, because there are secrets that are actually part of the business!
Casa do Penedo Brewery
Rua do Cimo da Vinha, Lote 6H
7300-658 Fortios, Portalegre
Contacts:
+351 963879729
casadopenedo.net
casadopenedobrewery@gmail.com
Country house in the Alentejo
We visited a local accommodation in a typical Alentejo house called Império de Memórias (Empire of Memories) and learnt a little more about this project from the owner Isabel Lopes.
Isabel, from the Alentejo village of Vale de Bordalo in the municipality of Gavião, left the village at the age of 22 to study bank management in Lisbon and months later joined the banking industry in the capital, where she stayed for around three years.
At the time he had a young daughter and decided to return to his roots, where all his family was, because he felt he would have more support back home. He also worked in banking for more than 30 years in Alto Alentejo.
He inherited an old, uninhabited family home in Vale Bordalo. He gradually restored it and says it was a refurbishment designed with the heart of the desire to revitalise and preserve a family home, full of stories and happy memories. From the hayloft and chicken coop came porches, never losing the identity of the family home, but always giving it his own special touch, never thinking that one day he would turn this heritage into local accommodation.
At the time of the pandemic, a niece came up with the idea of renting out the space because people needed to go to the countryside, get out of the city and be safe in an isolated place without much contact with people. From then on, she rented to friends, then to friends of friends, and soon Império de Memórias Casa de Campo was born. Isabel took care of all the paperwork and began to publicise the project to the world.
This country house is located on a farm, promoting all the principles of sustainability. It has an organic vegetable garden that all guests can enjoy with whatever they wish, chickens that lay eggs daily and fruit trees. There's also an aromatic herb corner.
All guests are greeted with a welcome basket of Isabel's delicacies and organic eggs from the farm's chickens. The house has a maximum capacity of 8 people, 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room with a fireplace and a swimming pool for the warmer season. Throughout the farm we can find inspiring messages, we feel truly at home and it's as if we've taken a trip back in time to our ancestors.
Isabel also has another passion, respect for nature, and has created her own line with what the countryside has to offer. We're talking, for example, about jams made with seasonal fruit and produce from the farm. She also produces liqueurs with the same principle, pennyroyal or lemon, Figueira leaf (canuá), and it was through this name that the story began and gave rise to the logo of this accommodation.
Isabel is an excellent hostess and welcomed us with freshly squeezed orange juice from one of her orange trees on the farm and her marvellous homemade jams.
It was a pleasure to visit this space, the conversation with Isabel was very frank and emotional, as this hostess speaks from the heart and everything comes from her soul.
A family country house for those who want to be in the peace of the Alentejo, inviting you to take a quiet break in contact with nature. The perfect accommodation for family holidays and the ideal place to discover the magic of the Alto Alentejo, so genuine, so full of flavour, simplicity and friendliness.
Empire of Memories - Country House
Rua Nova, 1
Vale Bordalo
6040-078 Gavião
Contact: +351 938 886 402 (call national mobile network)
Email: info@imperiodememorias.pt
