Quirky Traveller's Tales

Here is the second in our series of interviews with very special Holiday Homeowners from around the world.  They share with you their reasons for loving where their holiday homes are situated,  best-kept quirky travel secrets and top tips for making the most of your stay.  

Helen and Andrew O’Donoghue, originally based in Dublin, had always dreamt of having a place by the sea; although they knew central Algarve well, they had never been further east than Faro. Neighbours told them about Fuseta, a Portuguese village on the eastern coast of the Algarve with spectacular views of the Ria Formosa lagoon.

In 2009, after exploring the area, they bought a two-bedroom apartment  in Fuseta, right by the sea, in the Formosa Village development.  Last June, they sealed their love of the area by getting married in nearby Tavira.  Now in their 40s, Andrew works in IT and Helen is a corporate fundraiser for a charity. Here, they talk about their love of Fuseta and offer some tips and advice for visitors.

What first made you fall in love with Fuseta and why should people come here?

When we first came to Fuseta it felt like stepping back in time. The area is very unspoilt and the village is an old fashioned, traditional fishing village where everyone knows everyone. The locals speak just enough English to get by, but they welcome tourists with open arms. They work mostly in restaurants or in the fishing trade and are very family oriented. The beaches are very beautiful and the restaurants serve delicious food at a fraction of what it costs anywhere else on the Algarve. And, of course, there’s guaranteed sunshine from mid April through  to mid October!

What’s the ‘best kept secret’ you would tell any visitors not to miss?

There are beautiful villages in the mountains surrounding the area. Our favourite one is Estoi, a colourful little town about 10km from Fuseta. The place is home to the Palace of Estoi, which was originally built in the 19^th  Century as the ancestral home of the Viscount of Estoi, but has now been converted into a high-end pousada (hotel). Non-residents are welcome to wander around, have a coffee or lunch and admire the magnificent mountain views.

Estoi Palace – Simoni Marco

Close by you can find the Milreu Ruins, one of the most important remains of the Roman presence in the Algarve and an imposing archaeological site, which has been classified as a national monument. What is to be found here today is the remains of a manor house, farm buildings, a wine press, baths and a temple, as well as an open courtyard and garden.

Where’s the place to go to just hang out, people watch and generally soak up the atmosphere?

The square in Fuseta is where the locals come together every morning after doing their shopping, going to the bank and buying their paper. It is a great place to feel part of the community; just grab a coffee and a  Pasteis De Nata (custard tart) and watch the people  go by. The houses around the square are typical of the area, Moorish cubic style, roof terraced buildings with high, ornate chimneys and decorative doors.

What would you recommend visitors either treat themselves to while they’re there, or take home as a souvenir?

Cataplana is a traditional seafood dish, very popular in the area. It is also the name of the dish used to prepare it. Traditionally made of copper, it is shaped like two clamshells hinged at one end and is perfect for steaming. In restaurants, the food  is always served in this beautiful cookware. You should be able to find one to buy in Fuseta.

Finally, what are the most ‘quirky’ things to do, see, eat, visit or experience in this place?

The amazing beaches are amongst the biggest attractions in the area. They have plenty of facilities like sun beds, restaurants and toilets, and are incredibly unspoilt, uncrowded and perfect for long walks and water sports. The area is characterised by  ‘sandspit’ beaches, meaning they are separated from the mainland by a lagoon and have to be reached by a ferry boat or water taxi.

A 10 minute drive from Fuseta is Barril Beach which is accessed by a little locomotive train. The area used to be a tuna village and the buildings are still standing but have now been converted into cafés, restaurants, shops and other facilities for tourists. The beach is strewn with anchors each one commemorating a fisherman who lost his life to the sea. A more romantic alternative is to get a watertaxi from Fuseta Harbour, bring a picnic and enjoy a deserted beach for the day!

Owner Helen on Barill Beach

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Holiday Homeowner Q&A is brought to you by Home Away, the UK’s leading holiday rentals website with over 320,000 properties worldwide. From cute studios and city apartments to rural cottages and country homes, large luxury villas, quirky conversions and more, there are thousands of unique places to enjoy a more authentic and unusual holiday.

The cheaping of ducklings floated across the grass as the spring sun set across the diamond-studded lake below.   The white wine was perfectly chilled and there was a delicious smell of barbequed meat coming from somewhere not far away.  These moments don’t come very often and when they do, we owe it to savour every moment, which is exactly what I was doing that evening.

I was relaxing on the balcony of perfect little Blakeholme Bay View Lodge at The Hill of Oaks Caravan and Lodge Park,  beautifully situated on the shore of Windermere in heart of the Lake District. As I drove down the hill, past the whitewashed farmhouse with daffodils decorating its steps, I knew I was going somewhere special.  Then I was round the corner and laid out in front was the ‘luxury lodge’ set a little way above the luminescent lake.

Having got my key from the friendly lady in the nearby shop (very well-stocked I was pleased to note) I opened the door to and stepped into a perfectly formed little world of luxury.  With its open plan, very modern kitchen,, cosy sofa, big TV and contemporary décor, the living area was warm and very welcoming, as was the bottle of wine and box of local biscuits on the dining table.  The bedroom had great views out to the lake, woodland and distant Cumbria fells.  Having unpacked the box of comestibles (what a great word!) I had brought from home, I put my upmarket ‘ready meal’ in the oven and opened the wine.  Then I went out on the balcony to make the most of that gorgeous view.

The lodge is perfect for a couple (with a double bed you’d have to be very good friends!) and would make the ideal romantic getaway, with the luxury of really good hotel combined with all the flexibility of a top-class self-catering cottage.  I was there for a writing break and it is also ideal for anyone who wants to escape the hurly burly with security and tranquillity on tap.

Before dinner friends and I went for a wander round the Hill of Oaks site.  The fish and chip van (Friday nights in the season) was doing a good trade and there were still some children playing in the water in wetsuits.  A couple of people were hauling their boat out of the water and there a few others wandering along the rippling shoreline.  Because the site is built on a hillside many of the plots have great views and the trees give privacy and shelter.  We were all struck by the peaceful, harmonious atmosphere and well-kept environment. Easy to see why it was awarded the Gold David Bellamy Award for Conservation.

There is plenty to do around here – across Windermere is Lakeside from where visitors can catch one of the iconic ferries up to Bowness and Ambleside.  There’s the quirky steam train to Haverthwaite and the fascinating Aquarium of the Lakes.  Just down the road towards Newby Bridge is the National Trust Fell Foot park and one of my favourite pubs in the Lake District is a short drive away.  The Mason’s Arms (or Strawberry Bank as it’s also known) has its own micro-brewery, a huge selection of bottled beers and tasty bar food.  for a great view over the lake, a brisk march up Gummers Howe embraces one of England’s prettiest scenes.

During my short stay at Blakeholme Lodge, the weather was mostly very kind, with plenty of the spring sunshine and clear skies.  It did rain once, but I was snug inside my lodge, where watching the raindrops pockle gently across the lake seemed to be very much in keeping with the surroundings.  The ducklings were setting off in a little flotilla as I left, having totally relaxed, managed to break my writing block and fallen in love with this very idyllic, charming place.

Many thanks to everyone at the Hill Of Oaks Park and Lake District Estates. If you’d like to experience the luxurious tranquility of Blakeholme Bay View Lodge click here for more details and to book your Lake District escape.

Getting two teenage boys to make a loaf of bread may not sound like the most obvious plus from a weekend in Cumbria but it was definitely something different.  We’ve stayed in many different types of self-catering accommodation over the years, ranging from spartan (a cubby hole in Sussex) via humongous (a villa in Menorca) to inspirationally restored (an apartment in Jerez) but none had their own breadmaker with a packet of mix to tempt even the most unadventurous baker to have a go…

My son, his mate and I were having a short weekend break at the Salutation Yard, a new complex of tastefully done-out self-catering cottages in the little village of Skelton, Cumbria.  This charming area is far less well-known than the Lake District and is on the edge of the Eden Valley to the west of Penrith.  It’s a perfect escape from usual tourist hot-spots in the region and has a tranquility that is most beguiling.  Rather quirkily, East Byre, the largest of the 3 cottages, used to be a cow byre and hayloft and some original features still survive.  We had a choice of 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms; needless to say Mum got the biggest one!

The kitchen has a fab cooker and is incredibly well-stocked.  There was a welcome pack of goodies including a box of chocolates & a bottle of wine -and the bread mix of course.  My son wanted to know why our home wasn’t like this and could we have a big flat screen TV please?

There’s plenty to do nearby though you do need a car for most  of the sights.  We drove to the pretty little village of Greystoke with its Castle famous for its links to the Tarzan story.  After stocking up with a few more provisions in the local newsagent’s, we had a wander round. I love these old Cumbrian villages with their quaint houses, old pubs and lichen-covered walls.  We saw a very quirky sight on the green – a scarecrow sitting on a rusty old bike complete with helmet.  The village is on the Coast to Coast Cycle Route and the Greystoke Cycle Cafe caters for cyclists and travellers in a delightfully quirky old farmhouse.  We had a drink in the garden overlooking the castle, some willow-weave hens and some very tired cyclists.

In the afternoon I wanted to do some writing so the boys went off on a reccie of the village.  It’s got a pub which apparently serves decent food, and a Post Office which was closed, plus a Bowling Green.  On their return, they got out the old badminton racquets and played in courtyard for ages.  Hearing them laughing and shouting as they leapt about was just great; good to get away from it all now and again …

The boys had a go at making the bread and then, after dinner, (pizza, salad and cake – no culinary effort for any of us on holiday!) we found a big box of games for us to play with – Monopoly brought back memories from long ago.  The smell of baking bread wafted around the comfy lounge as we watched TV.  Then it was bedtime and those superduper bathrooms and lovely big beds.

It’s a while since I’ve woken up to the sound of  church bells on a Sunday and the calling of the swifts – or were they Swallows … or maybe Amazons.  We had a lazy morning with their excellent homemade bread, pancakes and cereals.  I’d got a day’s outings planned – a visit to Hutton in the Forest, an ancient house in large grounds nearby, then on to High Head Sculpture Park BUT … the boys said they just wanted to stay at the cottage, have another wander round the village and play badminton.  So … that’s what we did. After the walk I read a book whilst they played in the yard until mid-afternoon when it was time to return to reality.

Jane & Duncan Hodkinson own Salutation Yard, part of Sojourn North self-catering accommodation and have combined their love of restoring properties with wonderful hospitality and the ability to create comfortably luxurious places to stay.  Quirky touches are found in all their properties – in Easy Byre my son thought the sea view paintings were ‘cool’ and I fell for the pottery ducks.  Many thanks for them for a lovely break – highly recommended for a true get-away the Cumbria countryside.