About the location: The Alentejo Region stretches from the Tagus River at Lisbon, south to the Algarve.
Its terracotta earth is covered in wheat fields. Bordered by rows of olive trees marching up and down
the rolling hills like Roman centurions. Here and there white washed villages and towns appear,
crowned by castles. The ancients left their megaliths, the Romans their aqueducts, the Portuguese
a wealth of architecture from Gothic to Baroque. Today some of the old arts and crafts are still
practiced in this region; here too cooking and winemaking reflect a rich culinary tradition.
In the spring, the Alentejo is carpeted in wildflowers; in the summer, wheat, oats, and sunflowers
blanket the fields; in the autumn, grapes and olives ripen. The Refúgio da Vila Rural Hotel
and Cooking School, located in Portel, a small town outside Évora. Based in a Vila manor
house with pool and patios, guests can relax in elegant rooms between lessons, in a
kitchen that opens onto a courtyard, and touring the unspoiled countryside. The
program can easily accommodate non-cooking partners.
Portuguese cuisine is simple, characterized by a rich variety of regional dishes.
Gathering herbs and produce from the local markets and pairing them to the timeless
recipes, cooks of all levels can roll up their sleeves in the Vila kitchen and prepare
a variety of succulent Mediterranean dishes influenced by this historic region.
Olive oil, garlic, cilantro, parsley, onions, bayleaf, paprika, pepper, rosemary,
leek, spinach, lamb, pork, codfish, seabass and dogfish are some of our main ingredients.
Most of the vegetables com from our own vegetable garden. Local producers provide us organic food.
The wine is also a very important part of this program. Every class starts with
the magic of a glass of white wine. Local wineries are also important moments of the tours.
The Refúgio da Vila Hotel was a manor house when it was built in 1834. Nowadays,
that house was converted into a comfortable and elegant place to receive you.
In a general way, we cook in the morning and we tour in the afternoon.
About the cooking lessons: Miguel, our chef, still a relative from the original family of this
house, is a local 30 year old young man. He finished culinary school in Portugal, specializing in Mediterranean Food.
With Miguel, you will gather herbs and produce from the local markets and pair
them to timeless recipes! Cooks of all levels can roll up their sleeves in the kitchen
and prepare a variety of succulent Mediterranean dishes influenced by this rich region.
Portugal
Portel, Alentejo
Itinerary
Day One - Sunday
- Arrival in Lisbon and transfer to Hotel Real Palacio (or similar) by taxi.
- Enjoy some time at leisure before your welcome reception and dinner this evening.
- Overnight.
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Day Two - Monday
- Breakfast.
- Check out of the hotel and depart for the small town of Portel, where your home for the week is located,
Refúgio da Vila.
- After your orientation, you will have some leisure time in Portel; enjoy a coffee, shop or
visit the 13th century castle and Baroque church of the city or just relax by the hotel's pool.
- Following, you will have your first cooking class where you
will be introduced to Portuguese gastronomy; a study in influences and seasonings.
- Lunch to follow based on your efforts.
- Dinner tonight will be at Adega do Refúgio.
- Return to the hotel and overnight.
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Day Three - Tuesday
- After breakfast you will have your
second cooking class with Chef Miguel.
- During your lesson you will focus on the importance
of fish and olive oil in Portuguese cuisine.
- Today's lunch is based on your culinary efforts!
- This afternoon enjoy a visit to the
Esporăo Wine State, blending ancient and modern winemaking
techniques.
- The grapes of this wine region include Periquita,
Trincadeira, Tinta Roriz and Moreto reds and Roupeiro,
Manteudo, Perrum, Rabo de Ovelha for the whites - all Portuguese
varieties, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Shyraz.
- The nearby
arts and crafts center of Reguengos displays a wonderful collection
of Alentejo wares.
- Tonight, dine under the shadow of the 13th century castle built by King Afonso III
in the thousand-year-old village of Monsaraz.
- Return to the hotel and overnight.
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Day Four - Wednesday
- Breakfast.
- Today's culinary class will concentrate on local produce; the Abundance from
Local farms and ranches.
- This afternoon, 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, time at leisure to explore and shop
on your own.
- Dinner at Adega do Refúgio.
- Return to the hotel and overnight.
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Day Five - Thursday
- Cooks, this is your day off! Today you will
drive into the northern Alentejo and before
lunch at Vila Viçosa, visit its Renaissance
Ducal Palace.
- Passing through the marble area
you visit the historical and white town of Estremoz,
enclosed within its ramparts and overlooks a vast plain of
gnarled olive trees and wheat fields.
- Return to Portel in time for dinner and overnight.
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Day Six - Friday
- Breakfast followed by your fourth cooking class.
- This region is known for its aromatic Herbs,
and wild flowers. This morning you will use them in dishes that
the locals have passed on through generations.
- Enjoy an afternoon excursion to several traditional villages.
- This evening, sit down to dinner at Adega do Refúgio.
- Overnight.
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Day Seven - Saturday
- Today's class focuses on the flavors of the South.
- Lunch to follow based on your efforts.
- Enjoy a siesta and a free afternoon to stroll, horseback ride,
bicycle or simply lounge by the pool.
- This evening,
dinner includes entertainment from a local folklore group.
- Overnight.
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Day Eight - Sunday
- After breakfast, departure transfer to Lisbon.
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US$2990 per person based on double occupancy
US$2660 non-cooking participant
US$300 single supplement
US$210 upgrade to junior suite
US$375 upgrade to royal suite
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2008 Tour Dates
May 18-25
May 25-June 1
June 1-8
June 15-22
August 24-31*
September 14-21
September 21-28
September 28-October 5
October 5-12
October 12-19
November 2-9
November 9-16
November 16-23
December 7–15
December 15–21
*Guaranteed week, spots going fast!
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Included in the program:
- Seven nights accommodation
- Daily breakfast
- Daily lunch and dinner, wines included
- Five hands-on cooking classes
- All excursions as per itinerary with English-speaking guide
- Transfers to/from Lisbon airport or train station
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Cooking Vacations 
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