By Judy Ebrey Cuisine International

Portugal will always hold a special place in my heart as my first European destination over 30 years ago. With my base in Lisbon, I traveled the west coast from Oporto to Faro in the Algarve, drinking in the splendor of this extraordinarily beautiful country. 

Memories of the small fishing villages of Cascais and Estoril bring back visions of fisherman returning with their catches of the day, locals gathering to view the catch, black-draped widows along the sea wall waiting for their share and fisherman with lined faces repairing their nets. A "bucket brigade" would form, with the fresh catch handed from the large fishing vessels to small boats that would deliver the fish to men standing in waist-level water. The men would hand flats from one to another until the fish reached the shoreline, where they would be carried directly to the markets along the sea wall. 

When Dick and I visited Portugal in 1997 for a wonderful holiday, I was surprised to find these small villages are now large towns with wall-to-wall resort hotels, and the beaches are filled with tourists rather than fishermen and their families. To find the Portugal of my memories, we had to explore a bit more in depth. 

When I was contacted by Sofia Vieira, owner of the Refugio da Vila in the city of Portel within the Alentejo region; I jumped at the chance to explore another area of the country I so love. Dick and I made the journey discovering a historical delight not yet taken over by tourists. 

Sofia was born and raised in Lisbon where her parents owned a small hotel in which she helped, learning both the hotel and restaurant aspects. As a young adult, Sofia studied languages, mastering French, Spanish and English to compliment her native Portuguese. She studied tourism in Lisbon for five years before working six more as a tour guide. Sofia realized she had a passion for history and culture, and found she had a gift for storytelling and sharing her knowledge. 

Sofia's dream was to own a hotel that would be run like a home. The result of her search was the Refugio da Vila, a private home left in ruins that she bought in 1993. Built in the 1830s, the house originally belonged to the important and well-respected Amaral family. Lady Margarita Amaral, the mother of nine children, was a very wealthy, willful woman with great strength of character. She left a strong imprint on the village through her introduction of advanced agricultural techniques and as the employer of many local people. The self-sufficient property produced its own wine and olive oil, raised horses, pigs, rabbits and cattle, and grew a variety of vegetables in the garden. Travelers were always welcomed to share in the plenty. 

When Sofia goes to prepare one of her recipes, she has only to look out the back door of her kitchen for fresh ingredients.

The long process of renovation began and she opened in 1997 with 12 beautifully appointed rooms, each equipped with air conditioning, direct-dial phones, satellite TV and minibars. A restaurant was built in the original horse barn. Sofia chose the horse head as her symbol as horses were very important during the time of the Amaral family. Renovations were completed in 1999 with the opening of an additional 18 rooms. The rooms are all elegantly decorated with luxurious appointments, yet the Refugio still retains the atmosphere of a home. When the gardens are complete, Sofia will add several species of chickens, ducks and peacocks to bring it back to its original state. 

Sophia loves food and cooking. She studied with the locals using their traditional family recipes, some over 400 years old. She has also researched menus of historical Portuguese royalty. Nearly every meal taught in the classes and served in the restaurant has a connection to history.