We remember every detail of our stay at Pensão Agrícola. First of all its geometry, the typical essential and fascinating one of Olhão’s houses, with their white walls combined together to create perfect angles. Then comes the fragrance of granola just taken out of the oven and let on a tray to cool down slowly. There is also Maria, so elegant in her pale grey dress, giving us squeezed melon juice to alleviate the hot summer in Tavira (and that robust cotton napkin with a tiny fringe on one edge). And then fields, olive, almond and carob trees on the horizon; the fig aroma and the citrus scrub we will stockpile to face wintertime; the small private garden recalling a Moroccan riad on the other side of the sea; the collection of objects, books, newspapers, artworks that show how much time was spent in these rooms, all furnished little by little. We cannot forget the dinner we had under a pastel-blue sky, the donkeys Ernesto and Giulia, whose family was going to become bigger or the wood burning in the brazier. And what about the figs, just picked from the tree and served with ricotta cheese, ham, lime and honey? what about housemade olives and olive oil and other dishes such as cold avocado cream, Portuguese-style fish soup, carob custard and fig ice-cream (with no added sugar)? We also remember well the homemade liquor based on medronho (local strawberry), the art deco silverware and plates, lit candles and thyme branches and breakfast: a superb opera in many different acts. Most of all, however, we remember the two lovers that, luckily for us all, have decided to share this pleasant retreat.
Words and photographs Meraviglia Paper.