Beautiful spacious farmhouse apartment, with private pool, terrace, BBQ, Netflix

Really lovely to have hosted you here. All the very best. Kind regards, Virginia

Really happy you had a good time here. And thank you for leaving the place so tidy and clean...you really didn't have to do the recycling as well, but much appreciated. It was a joy to get to know you, and I loved our little trip off to Sameiro/Bom Jesus. Enjoy the rest of your time in Portugal. Big hug, Virginia xx

Many thanks. so happy you liked the house, the views and the dogs - ruined for ever! Yes, the road up is a challenge until you've done it one or two times. Then it's absolutely fine. No traffic here, so you can drive at your own pace. As I've lived here for 26 years, I know the area well. Happy to make recommendations. It was lovely to meet you and I feel a bit more knowledgeable about Canada, the landscape, architecture and weather. A treat to have you stay here.

Many thanks for your lovely review. I'm really pleased you had a good week here. It was fantastic having you. Since getting our Cameroon sheep it feels even more like a farm!! We're lucky we live quite centrally, between Braga and Guimarāes, and just 1 hour from Porto. Lots to see and do. Enjoy the Summer ahead of you. After your visit, I feel I know Canada a little better. Such an impressive country! All the very best, Virginia xx

Many thanks Pamela. Really pleased you liked the house and pool. You managed to fit in lots of visits to the surrounding towns. Yes, the initial ascent to reach the house is a bit daunting the first time, but once you've done it a few times it's a walk in the park. I've been living here for 25 years and enjoy the drive...easy in daylight, more difficult at night. But very doable. Hope you got safely back to Canada. Kindest regards, Virginia

Really pleased you liked being here. Just sorry you hit Portugal's wettest week for a long time. Thankfully the good weather returns tomorrow. Your 3 nights here flew by... too fast. It was really lovely to meet you. All the very best, Virginia x

Many thanks! That's really kind of you to write such a lovely review. I'm so glad you enjoyed your stay here - you were indeed not lucky with the weather. I'm still feeling guilty about that! The only advantage of having bad weather was that I could interact more with your family - as the rain stopped (or at least limited) your plans to go out and explore. At least the apartment is big and spacious - plenty of room for little ones to run wild. And the wood burner throws out good heat - so you could keep warm, even on wet blustery March days. I'll certainly never forget you, and if you ever come back to this neck of the woods, you must come and see us. All the very very best. Kindest regards, Virginia x

Many thanks for your lovely review. It was such a pleasure to have the four of you staying here. I loved our little chats. And thank you for leaving the house so clean and tidy - and you've given me new ideas regarding the best cupboard for the crockery. We can learn from each other. A big hug, Virginia

Merci beaucoup..vous êtes trop sympa! J'habite ici 25 années, alors je connais bien la région. C'était un vrai plaisir vous hôter ici. Amitiés, Virginia

Merci beaucoup Hélène, Je suis três heureuse que vous avez aimé l'appartement. Vous êtes une famille três sympathique et peut-être un jours nous irons à Bordeaux - on peut comparer les vins de Bordeaux avec les vins de cette région (ou peut-être pas du Minho mais du Douro/Alentejo). Vive la France et Vive le Portugal! Je serais ravie si vous retourniez un jour - peut-être quando le petit Hugo sait nager (je pense que l'année prochaine nous aurons notre nouvelle piscine). Bises, Virginia xx

Merci! Nous aimons bien recevoir nos invités et nous les traitons comme s'ils faisaient partie de notre famille. Quelque fois c'est la première visite au Portugal et nous essayons d'indiquer ce qu'il y a à voir près de la maison et, s'ils aient le temps, un peu plus loin - comme la vallée du Douro et même Santiago de Compostela. Il y a beaucoup de petits restaurants autour de nous et nous sommes três honnêtes dans nos recommendations - qualité/prix Chaque famille désire une expérience individuelle, tout dépend d'une gamme de facteurs - enfants petits, adolescents, interessés en histoire/natation ou non pas... - nous avons un dossier plein de recommendations mais quelque fois on apprend plus en parlant qu'en lisant de la littérature touristique. Nous connaissons bien la région (J'habite ici 16 ans et son mariJosé est Portugais). Nos enfants sont nés au Portugal et parlent le portugais et l'anglais...ils sont enchantés quand il y a des autres enfants...! Ce qui est certain c'est que nous invités sont reçu chaleureusement, avec un petit repas à leur attente. S'ils arrivent pendant la nuit le dîner est fait pour eux et on achète des croissants/pain/confitures/beurre/jus d'orange, café etc pour le petit déjeuner. Après tout - les vacances commencent le premier jour! Virginia x

Merci beaucoup. Je suis ravie. Tout de bon, Virginia

Muchas gracias. Un abrazo, Virginia x

Many thanks - I was also sad to see you go. Very happy you liked the place - the house and pool (not to mention the dogs and cat). It is a relaxing place to be - in the country but near the towns of Braga and Guimarães. Wishing you all the best, Virginia xx

Many thanks. I'm delighted you enjoyed your stay here - I do try to be helpful but unobtrusive. Yes, the view from the pool is lovely - very peaceful. Although we're near Braga it could be 1000 miles away. So happy you had a great holiday here - you were the perfect guests. Kindest regards, Virginia

Many thanks! It was great having you here to stay - a real pleasure! I treat guests how I hope I'll be treated when I book a holiday. It was no trouble at all (organising the wheelchair). Kindest regards, Virginia xx

Many thanks for your lovely review. It was great having you here and I really do hope to see you again one day. Take care, Virginia

Danke vielmals. Es war so eine Freude, Sie hier zu haben. Ich hoffe, wir sehen uns eines Tages wieder. Ich wünsche Ihnen viel Erfolg und Glück. Liebe Grüße an alle, Virginia xxxx

Many thanks indeed. It was fantastic to have you here. I am so delighted that you liked the place and it was lovely for us to meet you and spend some time together. Hopefully we'll keep in touch over the years and see you again soon. Virginia x

Muitíssimo obrigada. Estamos mais que felizes que gostaram das férias aqui. Foi um prazer hospedá-los aqui. Um privilégio, mesmo - com Pedro tocando a flauta transversal e o Rui a percussão. Cada noite (infelizmente não todas) ouvíamos pequenos concertos incríveis perto da casa ou à volta da piscina. É um grupo de amigos tão unido - a vossa alegria é contagiosa. Espero que um dia voltarão para nos visitar. Um abraço, Virginia xx