Quinta da Vinha, Abitureira ~ 3 to 10 Nov 2010

Now I am truly in love....with the beautiful mountains, Serra da Estrela, in the central region of Portugal. These are the rolling green hills of my vision of 2001 I am sure!

Follow my trip on the bus to Oleiros - why must I be the only one that gets car sick ;P

I connected with Steve on the Workaway web site – a place for volunteers to find farms on which to work. After a 3,5hr bus trip to Oleiras, I was met by my most gracious host in his van and off we went to the lovely Quinta da Vinha, about 3kms from Abitureira. Steve has been on the quinta for about 2 years, a delightful place that was abandoned for 15 or more years. He and his volunteers have done an amazing job of restoring some of the old building, clearing the land, repairing the roof structure from trees on the property...that means lugging huge Eucalyptus trunks up the terraces and onto the walls...no mean feat and definitely requiring some pretty impressive muscle!! Well done guys!!

Quinta da Vinha 1

My room, the goatshed

My very own log burner

Many textures and colours

My 1st job clearing brush

What I see on a sleep in morning

The hammock for lazy Sundays

Room with a view

Original old roof receiving new life

Oh how beautiful is my valley

Myriad of colours

After a few hours of typical farm tasks, oft times in hot sun and others in soft drizzle (once in pelting rain), one truly appreciates the delicious simplicity of an artesan bread, chunky basic salad, scrumptious olive oil from the quinta, cheese, ham....perfect!! Not to mention the yummy glass of red wine (also home-grown). After the most civilised and necessary afternoon siesta, a few more hours work brings us to another satisfying home-cooked evening meal, and the winding down, unknotting of muscles in front of a crackling log fire....this must be heaven!

My favourite spot for early morning galaõ - on the terrace overlooking the valley

Simplistic style of my own pastelaria (coffee shop)!

Many a great meal enjoyed here

Roof repairs to casa velha

Roof completed

Renovation of old house 1

2nd job rebuilding stone barrier

My saving grace - the log burner

I learnt about aguarpé, the 2nd run wine and helped Steve make his - once you have decanted the wine, water and sugar are added to the remaining "mulch" of skins and stalks (and who knows what else, after all this is an organic farm!!) - after about a week you have the lighter less alcoholic wine commonly enjoyed by farmers, labourers and Wwoofing volunteers after a hard days work (and sometimes in between!!). Then there is aguardente de medronho (Portugal's fire-water, equivalent to slivovic I would say and our South African "Witblits"), made by distilling the soft juicy fruit of the wild strawberry, which, when eaten off the tree tastes just like strawberry jam. It is dangerous stuff if not respected - you need to drink a lot of water and too much of the fresh fruit has a tendency to give you a trip, not dissimilar to 'shrooms (or so I am told!!).

Steve's wine making area

Fermenting grapes

Decanting the wine for bottling

And into the bottle it goes (but not for long here in Abitureira!)

Wine she's good

Wine she's very good!

Wine maker he's happy

I am an accomplished pointer as well now!! Pointing is the process of covering a stone wall with limestone mix and then rubbing the excess off to leave a beautiful white wall with the rock surfaces “pointing” through. The front wall of the casa velha (old house) came tumbling down in June and Steve rebuilt it - no mean feat. The locals use huge rocks and how to get them up there and keep them in place is almost as mind-boggling as the Pyramids!! My main task was to clear out the excess clay between the rocks, plaster with the limestone and then use a wire brush to remove that excess, leaving a beautiful, solid wall. Here are the pics of my progress and the finished product - my pride and joy!!

Bob the Builder Day 1

I scraped the clay out from between all these rocks!

There's a lot of work here 2

The Wall Day 1

Making progress Day 4

Aaaargh...so much still

It may seem like its taking forever, but in between I cook and clean...and for fun I bake!! Day 10

The Pointing Sisters Day 12

You would say I was working in Chernobyl!

Lee's wall almost there

Lee's wall is done!

Feet up after 3 weeks work on this darn wall - at times I insisted on a break cos I was getting cabin fever staring at rocks and limestone!!

Isnt it beautiful

I met the most kind, salt-of-the-earth people, José & Gracinda, Laurinda, Simon (who so lovingly prepared one of the most delicious meals I have had here – heart-warming bean soup and a rabbit casserole with potatoes) and many others. I feel such an affinity to these people. It's like I belong - the lifestyle in the harsh, and often neglected interior, really appeals to me. It's the mountains!!

Moi and my new friends at our fave hang out for a quick bica - small, strong, black coffee

O José my dear friend

Two new volunteers arrive in their motorhome - Alessandra & Tanguy, from France. A lovely couple, full of enthusiasm and joi de vivre. Good to have some new company for a change ;P

Alex & Tanguy from France

The new wekkas Alex and Tanguy

Thanks Steve...it's hard to leave but my commitments in Lisboa beckon. I will be back!