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Alentejo is considered to be Portugal's
most authentic and picturesque region. It is in this peaceful
country setting that we find the romantic Refúgio da Vila Rural Hotel and
Cooking School. Located in Portel, a small town outside Évora, the hotel is
set in a Vila manor house, complete with pool and patios. Between
cooking lessons in a kitchen that opens to a courtyard, and tours of the
unspoiled countryside, guests can relax in simple, but elegant rooms.
Spend 6 days exploring the beauty of this unspoiled region and savoring
the delicious Mediterranean cuisine of Portugal as you learn hands-on
cooking techniques using the local flavors and herbs of the Alentejo in the
specially designed kitchen, with a fireplace for baking Portuguese breads
and curing sausages, is an ideal atmosphere for cooking instruction.
ITINERARY
DAY 1
Upon your arrival into Lisbon airport, you will have transfer to the Hotel
in Lisbon where you will check-in and have some free time before a welcome
reception and dinner this evening with the other guests.
Overnight: Hotel Avenida Palace or Similar.
DAY 2
This morning, we drive to the small Alentejo town of Portel, and Refúgio da
Vila, our base for the week. After an orientation walk around Portel, past
the 13th century castle and Baroque Church, and lunch, we'll enter a
Portuguese kitchen and have our first Cooking Class: Introduction to
Portuguese Gastronomy, a study in influences and seasonings.
Dinner at Adega do Refúgio. Overnight: Refúgio da Vila
DAY 3
After breakfast our second Cooking Class begins: The Importance of fish and
Olive Oil in Portuguese Cuisine. Lunch is a chance to sample your own
cooking! Non-cooking partners join at the table.
This afternoon we'll visit the Esporão Wine State, blending ancient and
modern winemaking techniques. The grapes of this wine region include
Periquita, Trincadeira, Tinta Roriz, and Moreto for red wines, and Roupeiro,
Manteudo, Perrum, Rabo de Ovelha for the whites - all Portuguese varieties,
as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, and Shyraz. The nearby Arts & Crafts Center
of Reguengos displays a wonderful collection of Alentejo wares. The road
winds past megalithic sites to the thousand-year-old village of Monsaraz.
Here we'll dinner under the shadow of the 13th century castle built by King
Afonso III.
Overnight: Refúgio da Vila
DAY 4
Today's focus is on local produce: The Abundance from Local Quintas/Farms
and Ranches. This afternoon, we'll tour nearby Évora, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, the Cultural Center of the Alentejo, and a beautiful white
town with a wealth of monuments, from Roman times to the 19th century
Dinner at Adega do Refúgio. Overnight: Refúgio da Vila
DAY 5
Cooks, This is your day off! Today we’ll drive into the northen Alentejo,
and before lunch at Vila Viçosa, we visit its Renaissance Ducal Palace.
Passing through the marble area we visit the historical and white town of
Estremoz, enclosed within its ramparts and overlooks a vast plain of gnarled
olive trees and wheat fields. After passing through Estremoz, we return to
Portel in time for dinner.
Overnight: Refúgio da Vila
DAY 6
This region is known for its Aromatic Herbs, and wild flowers. This morning
we’ll use them in dishes that the locals have passed on through the
generations. Enjoy an afternoon excursion to several traditional peculiar
villages. This evening, sit down to a Farewell Dinner at the Adega do
Refúgio.
DAY 7
Today's Cooking Class focuses on: The Flavors of the South.. After lunch,
enjoy a siesta and a free afternoon to stroll, ride out on horseback,
bicycle, or simply lounge by the pool.
Dinner at Adega do Refúgio. Overnight: Refúgio da Vila
DAY 8
After breakfast, we transfer back to Lisbon.
1Nov'11-31Oct'12
Price per person based on two passengers - sharing double room:
Euro 2062 per person
INCLUDING:
7 nights accommodation with daily breakfast
Daily lunch and dinner, with wines
All supplies for cooking classes
Roundtrip Lisbon airport transfers
Lisbon transfers to and from Hotel Refúgio da Vila / Portel
Tours escorted by English or French speaking guide
Taxes
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