CASA DO VALLE

This weekend, like any other weekend, my husband loaded his car with different bags: plastic water bottles and soda cans in one, juice and wine bottles in another, and newspapers and packaging materials in a third one. Every weekend he takes out the recycling. During the week we collect these items from the rooms' trash bags and separate them accordingly. And it amounts to a surprisingly large amount. We also collect the tops of water bottles; the plastic bottle tops, and take them to a collection in order to help someone get a wheelchair (A LOT of kilograms are needed for that, so we join our efforts with other people). We try to be environmentally friendly in many ways. As our clients check in they have a new toilet paper roll in their bathroom - the unfinished ones after the clients check-out are not thrown away but used elsewhere to save paper. The linen is changed every third night during long stays, not daily; yet of course more often if requested by clients. The light b...

It has been exceptionally warm in Portugal this autumn and every day we hear stories about how dry it is and how we need rain. In the Guest House we still have been quite busy and with the people around the pool in the afternoons, at first glance, it does look like summer. So how do you know, when it's 28º in the afternoon that autumn is coming anyway? The people in the pool actually SWIM, not just lull around, as the water is cooler The hydrangeas are beautifully spotted The fruit trees are all losing their leaves Olives are falling off the trees The only fruit waiting to ripen are the citrus fruit The bougainvillea on the front lawn is losing its red petals and the lawn (and the pool) are full of red petals in the mornings - the natural spa-look There is actually place to park your car everywhere The monuments, especially during the week days, are much less crowded It is dark in the mornings when I start to ride the bike in the garden And it still is delicious in the garden - e...

It is not unusual this time of the year that we start turning on the heaters at night, even if the days are warm. Not this year. Today it's 28º and the pool water is still 21º. The poor apple trees are confused and are blooming. Otherwise, we have the last of the fruits, rock pears (on the right) and diospiros (kaki persimmons) below in the pictures. And the citrus trees are full of green lemons and oranges, ripening for Christmas. Also the Yuka palm is blooming and is gorgeous! It also seems that the weather will be continuing pleasant for at least another week or so, which is great for our Scandinavian fall-break guests. if you ever want to check the weather report for here, you can check out the following site of AccuWeather: http://www.accuweather.com/world-forecast-15day.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=0&locCode=EUR|PT|PO012|SINTRA&metric=1 It has proven to be quite reliable.

I was away for a week in the North of Europe where the autumn foliage was advanced; there was night frost and afternoon sun. It was the beginning of Autumn there, and just like our coldest weather ever in Sintra. The last two days we have had some rain (needed, needless to say) and it should continue two more days, just to give way to more gorgeous sunshine. These days are beautiful on the mountain: it is covered half way up in a mist and gives an air of secrecy to the mountain, or a 'now you see it, now you don't' effect. The air smells fresh, the colors are vivid and everything seems more sharp in the view. Also this is the time when the roads are slippery. The new motorway between Sintra Ranholas and Cascais opened cutting the traffic queues greatly, but also making rainy weather dangerous with humidity on new asphalt and the sense of wanting to speed on a new, broad road... A dangerous combination. Anyway, it opened just in time for the GP of Motorcycles of Estoril...