Bewertung von Praskipark im Detail
Praskipark
Warsaw, Polen97%
The pousada I am about to review is Pousada de Santa Maria do Bouro, situated in a small, unspoilt village bearing the same name. Its location is in the Braga district of the Minho region of Portugal.
The building that now houses the hotel/pousada was once a Cistercian monastery built in the 12th century. Over the years the monastery fell in to disrepair until only the stark, granite shell was left.
Santa Maria do Bouro is a good base to visit the Peneda-Geres National Park - an area of high mountains, green valleys, running streams and vast open lakes.
In 1997 extensive work took place and the empty monastery was converted into a hotel with a restaurant. The outer shell of the hotel is rather imposing so materials had to be sought by the owners to compliment the austerity, keeping within the same style but at the same time making the environment a comfortable and pleasant one for guests to relax and enjoy their stay.
I thought the décor and furnishings had been sensitively chosen although the building still had an air of austerity due to the severeness of the naked stone walls and floors made from old flags. Don't get me wrong, the public rooms and corridors are comfortable enough but if I closed my eyes for more than a minute I sensed a time chill at the back of my neck and still envisaged monks walking through the arched cloisters.
Talking of cloisters, I particular liked the cloister on the ground floor overlooking the water trough. It was lined with orange and lemon trees - the aroma from the scented fruits was very evocative. At night when this area was lit up the amber shadows from the ground lights shone up into the branches of the trees illuminating the old stone walls and casting reflections into the water of the stone trough. The scene was a very pretty one indeed.
The décor of our bedroom was minimalist, contemporary and as smart as any room in any hotel in Lisbon. The town of Amares might well be out in the sticks but you wouldn't have thought so by the choice of furnishings and textiles. We chose a double room with a great view overlooking the valley at the back of the hotel. There are suites and smaller rooms available although the small rooms are very small and cramped as these were the former cells.
The walls in our room were yellow ochre and there was a huge arch in the centre of the room. We had a very large modern, comfortable bed without a headboard so I had to use large pillows placed against the wall when I wanted to read in bed. Two leather rounded seats and a desk were situated in the room - very contemporary design which I liked. A huge canvas hung on one wall but it wasn't my taste - very badly painted. This was a style I have seen in other Portuguese hotels but not a style I like, triangles and squares crudely painted in blocks of colour. Our room was large, filled with natural light from the tall windows but in the evening the light was very subdued and mellow due to the small wall lamps. They were like tiny gold dots placed on huge plastered walls.
There was ample space in the room - too much. The pieces of furniture looked lost. As for the bathroom this was medium-sized, kitted out in contemporary style to match the bedroom. Bath robes for his and her hung on the door and there was a basket of complimentary toiletries including shower gel, hand cream. shampoo, soap, shower hat etc. The bath was small and I couldn't have fitted all of me in if I had wanted too - I am too tall. I much prefer showers anyway. My husband tried the bath out as he is just the right size. He said it was quite comfortable although the water was piping hot and he couldn't get the temperature right so when he came out he looked like a beetroot and had to lie down for a while. The heat and steam had taken his breath away and he felt quite queasy. I didn't have any trouble regulating the shower temperature and enjoyed my shower thoroughly. A hair dryer was available but I never use one - still a good idea for people who do and forget to take their own.
There are no formal gardens as such only a very large grassy terrace which runs the whole length of the building at the back and has a traditional rural water trough. There is a private car park but this is not tended by security.
There is also a swimming pool which on this occasion we didn't use and for those who like a game of snooker there is a full sized table in the games room which is on the ground floor of the hotel. I'm not very good at snooker although I like the game - usually tear the felt when hitting the balls so thought we better pass on this.
Breakfast which is included in the price is served in the restaurant as are evening meals which are charged separately and range from 30 - 50 Euros. This was quite exceptional with a grand selection of regional cheeses and cooked hams, eggs cooked various ways, sausages, many varieties of bread which were very fresh and smelt heavenly. Yogurts and fruit compotes, jams, honey and marmalade, Madeleine cakes, biscuits, fresh fruit and dried fruit like apricots and prunes. Hot coffee available in small or large cups, hot milk in flasks and tea bags available with flasks of boiling water. Fruit tea on offer too. Of course, far too much for me to choose from as I only usually eat fruit in a morning and drink two cups of coffee. However, I couldn't resist a slice of bread and goat's cheese from the Minho.
The dining room is quite interesting and has its own charm with thick stone walls and large deep-set windows. It was once the old kitchen belonging to the monastery. It has been lovingly restored and renovated to a high standard. Here you can sit in a rattan chair in front of a circular table covered with a white linen tablecloth while tucking into a well-cooked traditional dish from the Minho. Candles are lit and logs are tossed on the fire.
We ate in the restaurant both nights. I was amazed at the size of portions and in the end on both nights of our stay we ordered one meal between two. On the first evening we chose roast kid (baby goat not a child) with small potatoes and vegetables of the day and the final evening we ordered bacalhau (salted codfish). Both meals were delicious and because we still had room left I went to the dessert buffet and came back with a selection of sweet desserts that you can only find in this region of Portugal. One night I had rabanadas which is a sweet, eggy fried bread with cinnamon and red wine sauce and the other night I had a dish of crème caramel. This was a little different than the crème caramel you find in the Algarve. Milk is not one of the ingredients only egg yolks, sugar, port, lemon zest, cinnamon and bacon. Yes, bacon. It's delicious. My husband during his stay passed on the desserts and helped himself to the large selection of local cheeses. The wine list was very good advertising plenty of regional wines - not too expensive and finally, I can't fault the service at all. Very attentive but not over the top. Both nights our meals came to 35 Euros including a starter of presunto ham, main meal, dessert and wine.
As I mentioned earlier this hotel is in a good location for walking in the National Park There are special routes laid out for horse riding and cycling. Fishing is allowed if you have a permit as are water sports, canoeing and boating. Reception staff will help you organise walking and horse riding trips if you wish to go by yourself or with a group.
We paid 150 Euros per night including breakfast in April a couple of years ago. The price has changed slightly but only by 20 or 30 Euros. Now I see the pousada offers special promotions throughout the year and discounts for people over the age of 55 which I wasn't at the time. There are discounts for special short weekends too.
You can find the hotel/posada Bouro Santa Maria , 4720-688 Amores
Tel: (+351) 253 371 970
email: guestpousadas.pt
Pousada de Amares - Santa Maria do Bouro9
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