Hidden Gems of Portugal
Author: Neil
Beyond easy reach of international airports lie the true hidden gems of Portugal. Rumours abound of diabolical driving on hair-raising roads, but is it all just a hoax to protect the peace and tranquillity that we've found out here, nestled in the hills? Not entirely. However, many of us have forsaken our homelands for a quality of life that otherwise would have been difficult to attain.
Around Arganil, Gois and Lousã, there is something to cater for all tastes, whether you want to escape from it all and live far from noisy neighbours, busy roads and other distractions or merely soak up that extra sunshine whilst you enjoy the unspoilt view from your own balcony. Both options and many more exist close to friendly, community based villages where people always make time for a glass of home-made wine and a chat. All this within a short drive of weekly markets where all the local craft and fare is on display for those who enjoy bartering in the open air for their weekly shopping. Take, for example, Arganil market every Thursday morning. On sale you will find everything from fruit and vegetables, seeds and flowers, trees and chickens, to farming implements that elsewhere have long been relegated to museums. Even locally made wicker furniture and baskets & bee keeping equipment can be found on stalls, or just lying on a blanket in front of a friendly face, who is generally willing to haggle for a bulk buy. Amidst the stalls you can also enjoy a freshly barbecued chicken or fish al fresco, washed down with more local wine.
These quaint old towns are a rich tapestry of old and new side by side, where you can stroll amongst narrow cobbled streets where traditional trades are still plied by honest folk. Local hardware shops still wrap your nails in newspaper and have patiently waited whilst I have drawn items that I couldn't translate. Traditional barbers and cobblers are also still oblivious to time passing, whilst Intermarché and LIDL meet the needs of the customer with more modern tastes. Still, it's hard to resist stopping for a coffee or beer in a street café to watch the world go by, old ladies with shopping or gas bottles balanced on their heads followed by an donkey and cart piled high with animal bedding being overtaken by a shiny new BMW. Getting here is an easy hours drive (less if you drive like the locals!) from Coimbra, on modern roads. So you could be sitting in your new home 2-3 hrs after getting off the plane at Lisbon or Porto. Whether the massive granite of Arganil or the slate of nearby Gois and Lousã, the houses of the area are built to last, though the last twenty to thirty years have seen a gradual increase of modern building surrounding these historical town centres
In the ten years since I arrived, it seems the local councils have taken an interest in preserving their culture. Arganil has an excellent museum, dating the use of many of the tools still being worked with in the local, near abandoned, villages. Old widows dressed in black, stooping under burden as they tend to their flocks hark back to the subsistence living that still persists. Few of us would choose the hardship they have suffered in their lives, and for this reason, most of their children have fled to the cities. Having myself originally bought a very isolated property, I indulged in the John Seymourian dream of self sufficiency from the land, believing wholeheartedly that this was the richest life of all.
Ten years on I find myself slightly more realistic, having understood just how hard this disappearing generation has worked and continues to. It is a common observation to see people in their eighties still digging the fields. My neighbour, who is 83, constantly pokes fun at me, when I choose to just sit and survey my land rather than dig it. As well as the local Portuguese friendship to be found there are also expat communities for those who seek such company, but many enjoy the celebrity status of being the only foreigners in their village and indulge in the generous nature of their curious neighbours . Now this is where a lucky foreigner can really hit the jackpot. Forget the view of craggy pine clad mountains and clean air, the olive terraces and vineyards, the goats, chickens and donkeys. Forget the gorgeous stone house replete with chestnut timber, open fires and traditional bread ovens and find yourself the right neighbour. Not only are the Portuguese wonderful storytellers and extremely helpful when you need a hand, but they have a wonderful array of home-cooked recipes beyond the infamous Bacalhau, from which there are supposedly 365 dishes to be made. Over the years I've been happily forced to try all sorts of freshly baked breads with meat or 'chouriço,' cakes and donuts made from pumpkin and stews concocted with every salvageable part of a pig.
Which brings us on to restaurants. Round here 'Chanfana' is one of the big regional traditions, to the extent that two local councils actually seem to be in conflict over which is the official capital of 'Chanfana' making. For those who are uninitiated in such delights it is goat cooked in red wine. Other treats include 'javali' (wild boar) and 'leitão' (roast suckling pig) as well as fresh fish and seafood brought directly from the coast (sardine lovers heaven) and the many traditional pork dishes. On one end of the scale the Brazilian restaurants are worth trying for those who love meat and more meat served by a waiter, in Ali Baba trousers, who delights in dramatically cutting succulent slices with his sword-like blade whistling past your ear. Nevertheless, some of the best food is still to be found in the humble backstreet restaurants where there may be only one dish on the menu and you might have to eat it perched on a stool at the bar, rubbing elbows with the locals, but the chances are it will be home-made, cheap, delicious and plentiful.
For those who like to get out and about, this region also hosts a wonderful selection of excuses to explore. It is rapidly turning into a popular leisure zone for the Portuguese. Lousã has a beautiful castle, where you can enjoy a meal in the nearby restaurant, barbecue your own, or follow one of the numerous trails that wind up the valley. Guided walks are plentiful, but one of the beauties of this area is the lack of boundaries. You are more or less free to roam the hills and valleys as you please, even if you do end up going through the middle of someone's cabbage patch, as long as you make an effort at passing the time of day. Lousã is also a main centre for paragliding for those who wish to view the mountains from the sky. It is set in the foothills of the Serra de Estrela (the mountain range of the star) whose beautiful scenery, stunning walks and snow and skiing in winter are only an hours drive away. Coja hosts the delightful 'Fraga da Pena' waterfall and Arganil's traditional slate village of Piodão, a spectacular tribute to the art of stone building that sadly elsewhere has too readily been rendered over.
Around Gois are some of the prettiest swimming spots that I have ever encountered. Before coming to Portugal, I was oblivious to the term 'river beach', but here every village has its favourite spot and recent years have seen the local councils enhancing these areas of natural beauty for easy access and enjoyment for all. Though I'm grateful that a few are still so far of the beaten track that they are rarely discovered.