Alentejo self catering cottage, Portugal
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Concerning wildlife and other living things, we promote and defend the link to trees, plants, herbs, insects, animals, birds, bees, frogs and toads at Horta Vermelha. We provide Guests with information on these and guide in how to link with them. We invite Guests to do this in the farm grounds, around the farm, with neighbours and in the region.
Regarding waste, we ask people to separate their garbage, organic, paper and plastic, for later recycling. In the preparation of the Cottages, we ourselves have reused and refurbished many of the things in the Cottages, mainly furniture. We reduced all building work to the minimum necessary, keeping old materials and walls. Our site provides further information about this. In the fields, we are on a quest to keeping the farm clean of PVC, metal and plastic (always leaving these for recycling), in favour or organic waste and organic weed control. Some local people and general classical agricultural old habits have still not acquired these better habits yet, but are following our guidelines in the farm.
In keeping water waste low, we have showers in the WCs, toilet flushes have a full water bottle inside for permanent use of less water. All watering of plants is done with controlled drop systems.
For heating, we have safe and efficient wood burners in each Cottage. The Cottages are well isolated, for their construction. We use low consumption bulbs and low-consumption electrical heating. In the Summer, we don’t resort to AC, since the Cottages are well isolated. We have a no TV or DVD policy.
Inside the Cottages, we have kept the traditional whitewash, for its good properties in keeping the old adobe walls. The ceilings are also either of wooden beams and timber boards, or made of the original terracotta bricks. Also for the floors, we have kept the old materials and stone as possible.
In terms of transport, we provide information on how to get to Horta Vermelha in public transportation, as well as contacts for local public transportation.
We try our best to work with suppliers that worry with the environment, as well also guide them in order to do so.
Community
Since we know the region, the people and their habits like the palm of our hands, having worked there since long, our concern has naturally been of linking with such community, the region and local culture. It is our way of being, anyhow. With our knowledge of the world, perspectives and communication means, we help our Guests in making part of the bridge between local/regional and global/international. We want to take action in this, sustainably and respectfully doing so.
We provide our Guests with information on several local activities, restaurants, visits and museums, as well as wonderful local markets and even our neighbour's lovely kitchen gardens. We work only with local people, helping in their income and lives. Our site shows how much we favour humanising all actions. We invite our Guests to contact with the economic and cultural activities in the region, e.g., promoting wine tasting, grape picking, direct contact with local people and their habits, the landscapes and wildlife in the region, through photography, walking tours and respectful visits. We know that people in the region are still not used to this, but themselves also know that they need such development links. We are gladly engaged and helping in this. The people are also happy with our work.
Horta Vermelha is also a result of joint effort from several professionals and friends working for us, which agreed to be paid in the form of lodging in the Cottages. They are fairly mentioned in our site, too.
In running the place, we directly work with local people that benefit from our involvement, compensate them quickly and fairly; we worry about their happiness, lives and families; we personally guide them in learning what needs to be done, including in their safety and security; deserving our trust, they work independently in the Cottages and the farm and we are in direct personal contact with all of them. They are also enthusiastic with Horta Vermelha.
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