Kathleen
6/3 – Guimares
We drove about an hour Northwest of Porto to discover this little oasis of everything that is calm and good. It is no wonder that Arthur, the owner of
Quinta da Cancela is coming up at the top of the trip advisor list even though he has been open just 4 years. This is a guest house that resides in an old farm home (4 generations of Arthur’s family) and has been lovingly kept up and added onto over time. It is small (I think there are 4 or 5 bedrooms and a cottage). It is cozy, not fancy or extravent; comfortable, not stuffy or self-aggrandizing. Arthur and his family own the surrounding farmlands where there are various crops, including grapes from which he makes a red vinho verde (about 4,000 cases per year) for sale to his guests and local folks and establishments. The locals seem to love his wine and it sounds like he has a hard time holding onto it. There is a lovely, vine-shaded trellis in the backyard that descends to the most perfect little pool area you could possibly ask for, complete with a spring-fed pool (refreshing), an old stone wall (beautiful) and the sound of the running spring water (peaceful bliss). Arthur also has a beautiful little veranda on the old house where he will serve you up fresh lemonade, maybe some vino, and definately a breakfast fit for a king. The best thing this place has going for it however, is Arthur himself. He was the most honestly friendly, helpful, and people-loving proprietor we have met (and we have met many good ones). I was getting a bit light on clean clothes and I asked if he might possibly have a washing machine in which I could do a load of laundry. He responded by handing me an empty basket. When I came back from the pool, all of the clothes (incuding undies and individual socks) were perfectly clothespinned to a drying rack. I offered to pay for this laundry service, but he refused, saying “but, you are on vacation”.
He recommended a restaurant in the local town at which we had a fabulous meal, again with a great staff, on a delightful but not fancy porch. When we arrived, he typed in the meal of the day and preparation (It was a local specialty, bacalhou, which is salted cod grilled with potatos) into the computer and had the computer translate for us because he didn’t speak English. When we left, I had another facebook friend and a fellow customer had shared stories with us about his trip to Miami Beach and his dream to drive across the U.S. on Route 66.
We did manage to see the town of Guimares while we were there, which , of course, had a castle. It was actually also a very nice museum. It was a lovely little town with charm and character, and when we left the next day to head to the Alentejo, we certainly were pleased that we had taken the time to stop in this out-of-the-way place.