The one lane cobblestone road into Soajo gave us a hint of what was to come. Looking down at the valley below we could see hundreds of acres of terraced vineyards, farmland, and lovely little homes. We rounded the corner and were met by three wild horses on the street in the village. As we parked the car, we could see several cows grazing freely in the fields.
We took a walk through town, admiring the countless old stone homes throughout the village while looking for a spot to sit and have some lunch. We found a restaurant open near the village square and after being presented with the five options being offered for lunch and learning that beef is the specialty of Soajo, we decided on ordering that of course. Lunch was served for two on a huge platter and included grilled veggies and potatoes and a side of beans and rice with Portuguese sausage. For the most part, traditional food here is simple and delicious. You don’t find a lot of sauces or frill. What you do find is quality ingredients, seasoned simply and deliciously. Today’s lunch was no different and I loved this little village with all my heart.
After lunch, we headed out of town and towards Geres National Park with plans for some hiking. It was beautiful and sunny when we entered the park and there were groups of people swimming and sunbathing at the little waterfall as we drove by.
And then all heck broke loose! It started to rain a little and then steadily increased to a torrential downpour with thunder and lightning followed by the most intense hailstorm. All while driving down a steep, narrow road towards our destination. As Colin got us through safely, I was looking forward to getting out of there and to the amazing hot springs waiting for us to soak in up ahead. Oops. Turns out what I had thought was natural hot springs was actually a medical spa for elderly people to come and drink hot mineral water five times a day to treat medical ailments. Our hotel is filled with an ELDERLY population and us! And there are no hot springs. Just hot water to drink. 🙂 We still feel like it was a great day though and Colin isn’t annoyed at my poor translations so we’re happy and tomorrow calls for more adventures.
This post is one in a series posts on my visit to Portugal. You can find all of my posts here:
- The story behind my journey to Portugal
- Day 1 & 2: Lisbon Portugal
- Day 3: Cascais, Sintra, & Obidos, Portugal
- Day 4: Nazare, Costa Nova, & Aveiro Portugal
- Day 5: Porto, Portugal
- Day 6: Soajo & Geres National Park, Portugal
- Day 7: Douro Valley & Aldeia Das Dez, Portugal
- Day 8: Monsanto, Portugal
IT'S ME, SERENA!
I bounced through the first years of my life in a hippie gypsy wagon, hand-built by my father, wandering the back roads of the U.S., Canada and Mexico. My family eventually settled into a tiny cabin in the woods on property that was once inhabited by Native American Indians.
I spent my childhood days searching for arrowheads, teaching myself to sew on a treadle sewing machine and to bake in a wood-burning stove, with no running water, refrigeration, or electricity in our home. My family lived frugally and early on, inspired by my parent’s thriftiness and style, I gained a knack for thrifty creativity and turning ordinary objects into something useful. And I dreamed of the home I would create for my own family someday.
Now I’m married to my husband, Colin, and our children are all grown. After 24 years of producing The Farm Chicks Vintage & Handmade Fair, I'm spending time visiting other markets around the world. You can watch episodes of Serena Goes to Market here.
I share more about my life story from time to time, here on my blog. You can also find me on Instagram, and Facebook.
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COPYRIGHT 2026
THE FARM CHICKS
P.O. BOX 9866
SPOKANE, WA 99209
The stone work on the buildings and street are to be admired for their workmanship!! You certainly have found some amazing examples of everyday life in that ever so lovely Portugal!!
It’s so true, Elaine. Their workmanship is incredible and it’s so special to see that it’s still very much carried out to this day. I’m so glad it’s not something that’s been lost with time here. Thanks goodness!