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8 Days / 7 Nights
DAY 1: SUN
LISBON AIRPORT - LISBON
- Arrival in Lisbon, transfer to hotel by taxi.
- Enjoy free time before a Welcome Reception and Dinner this evening.
- Overnight in Lisbon
D
DAY 2: MON
LISBON - PORTEL
- Breakfast
- 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 in Portel
B, L, D
DAY 3: TUE
PORTEL - VILA VIÇOSA - ESTERMOZ - PORTEL
- Breakfast
- Cooks, this is your day off! Today well 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 in Portel
B, L, D
DAY 4: WED
PORTEL - EVORA - PORTEL
- Breakfast
- 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.
- After a walking tour, you'll have free time to explore and shop on your own.
- Dinner at Adega do Refúgio.
- Overnight in Portel
B, L, D
DAY 5: THU
PORTEL - REGUENGOS - MONSARAZ - PORTEL
- Breakfast
- After breakfast our third 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 you'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 dine under the shadow of the 13th century castle built by
King Afonso III.
- Overnight in Portel
B, L, D
DAY 6: FRI
PORTEL
- Breakfast
- This region is known for its Aromatic Herbs, and wild flowers.
- This morning well 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.
- Overnight in Portel
B, L, D
DAY 7: SAT
PORTEL
- Breakfast
- 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.
- This evening, dinner includes entertainment from a local folklore group.
- Overnight in Portel
B, L, D
DAY 8: SUN
PORTEL
- Breakfast
- After breakfast we transfer back to Lisbon.
B
END OF TOUR SERVICES
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