Quinta do Convento da Franqueira

We had a bit of trouble finding the Quinta, which admittedly was mostly my fault. The trick is to find the Staples store, which sits just off the motorway, and then turn right in front of the store, and then make an immediate left turn, following the road past the church, and then up the hill and into the woods. Once you pass through the blue gates, make an immediate left and follow the curving road to the front of the house. There, you will find a sun shade for your car to protect it from th...

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We had a bit of trouble finding the Quinta, which admittedly was mostly my fault. The trick is to find the Staples store, which sits just off the motorway, and then turn right in front of the store, and then make an immediate left turn, following the road past the church, and then up the hill and into the woods. Once you pass through the blue gates, make an immediate left and follow the curving road to the front of the house. There, you will find a sun shade for your car to protect it from the heat.

Needless to say, we were in need of a warm welcome once we finally figured out how to get to the front door. Piers Gallie, our charming host, immediately sat us down, and gave us a drink. He then chatted with us about the house and surrounding area, telling us that Barcelos is on the Portuguese pilgrims’ trail to St. James Compestella in Spain. Indeed, at the end of our stay, 14 Chilean horsemen on their way to the pilgrim site, stayed at the Quinta, and we were treated to a show as they pranced around the inner courtyard of what had been the cloisters when the convent was inhabited by the monks centuries ago.

Staying at the Quinta do Convento da Franqueira is very much like staying in a comfortable English country home. We had a pretty double-bedded room overlooking the fountain in the courtyard. We felt more like guests staying in a good friend\’s home rather than guests in a commercial enterprise. Off the bedroom was a sitting room, complete with a divan piled with pillows, and a large bathroom tiled in blue and white tiles. To my delight, in our room we had everything necessary to make ourselves a cup of tea to be drunk out of delicate Spode cups and saucers. In the main salon is a minibar, where guests can help themselves to wine, beer, water, milk-for tea- and soft drinks. I also enjoyed the owner’s wife’s collection of Art and Decoration magazines, which I pored over while sitting at the umbrella shaded tables in the courtyard.

Breakfast was an ample offering of freshly squeezed orange juice, fruit, cereals, rolls, butter and jam, as well as tea and excellent coffee served with hot milk. We very much enjoyed eating it while chatting with another delightful couple from Yorkshire, who were lucky enough to be able to stay a week at the Quinta.

Piers’ recommendations for dinner were spot on. Not to be missed is dinner at a restaurant called the Novo Horizontale, which is about a ten minute drive from the Quinta. The exterior of this restaurant is deceiving. It looks like it’s a roadside snack bar. It is so much more. If you go into the second room, lined with the owner\’s incredible wine collection, you are seated at an elegant table set with linens and lovely stemware and dishes. The food was some of the best we\’d ever eaten. The owner is very proud of his wife’s cooking, and wants to make sure that his guests are happy. The owner\’s charming daughter helps her father serve their guests by not only speaking excellent English, but also by making all of the luscious deserts by hand. She loves to experiment with new recipes. The current favorite was a blueberry cheesecake, which I told her was better than any I’d ever eaten anywhere, including New York. We ended up eating at the Novo Horizontale two nights in a row, and if we’d stayed longer, would have eaten there again, as we had barely dipped into the menu offering salmon, veal, chicken, and other meats and shellfish.

There are many places to visit near Barcelos, including Ponte de Lima, Viana do Castelo, Valenca, Porto, Braga, and Bom Jesus do Monte. Each time we ventured out, Piers, knowing my propensity for getting lost, was sure to give me excellent directions all marked on a map. I credit him with showing me how to get into Porto, our next destination, by the easiest, least congested route. We would highly recommend this lovely B&B to anyone who wants to stay in this very interesting area of Portugal.

Dear Karen,
Many thanks for sending us the lovely comments of Carolyn Morris. It is
always nice to have guests who appreciate all the minor details and work
that goes into these small operations.

Just to help future guests the restaurant she mentions is the `Novo
H...

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Dear Karen,
Many thanks for sending us the lovely comments of Carolyn Morris. It is
always nice to have guests who appreciate all the minor details and work
that goes into these small operations.

Just to help future guests the restaurant she mentions is the `Novo
Horizonte`, www.wix.com/novohorizonte/nh . I sent a copy to the owner,
Mr Ferreira who was very happy with the good response.

We have had a lot of trade from Canada this year with several people
finding us through K.B., so I hope we can continue to provide a safe
haven for your clients.

Best regards,
Piers Gallie