I headed south!
The twins completed their first lap around the sun and, in the current scenario, the idea of having a party for no one when I had made a thousand plans to celebrate their first birthday with a big party started to seem too sad.
So I headed south!
I wanted a cozy and beautiful place, where we felt at home.
The choice was Sobreiras Alentejo Country Hotel and it did not disappoint.
Being back to Alentejo is always that comfort in the heart, it is like to meet a hug that awaits us, always.
My dear great-grandmother who has ingrained me the Alentejo from the ribs to the soul!
Sobreiras is closer to Grândola, in the Herdade do Vale das Sobreiras that gave it its name, halfway between nowhere and no place. Exactly where we wanted to be!
In a few kilometers and a few minutes, we are in Grândola, a little longer will be the drive to Melides, but for those who go there to enjoy and relax quickly everything becomes closer. And sometimes we really need this, to be as far away as possible, to be closer to us!
We were welcomed with open arms, so I decided to share the experience.
We chose a suite because with the girls having a bedroom and a living room is always an asset in terms of space... and messiness! So the room was always in a room mode while the living room was a bedroom, but also the girls' dining area and play area. You can't even imagine!
Both from the bedroom and the living room, the eyes got lost beyond the glazing, suspended in the mists when waking up and in a real paint of spectacular skies at dusk.
I think that even the twins, still so tiny, were dazzled by the morning milk given with all the four of us, in the same bed, contemplating the landscape, listening to the birds, breathing Alentejo.
The suite had a balcony with a spectacular view where we did not linger, after all, it was winter and we had some cold and rain, but the view from the inside was all that our eyes could ask for. So much peace, so much emptiness, and silence.
We chose to stroll during the day and always have dinner at the hotel, so as not to disorganize the girls' schedules.
What about the dinners? I don't even know where to start… for me that usually eat just a soup, I ate beyond measure. But it was all so delicious! So immensely delicious! I think I ate more in two nights than in a few months, with no exaggeration.
They were kind enough to make special food for the twins, who are switching, with no hurries, to our food. Of course, the smart girls could not resist the Alentejo bread, and we saw them devour crust and crumb and still cry for more.
Surprisingly was the love with which, at breakfast of their birthday day, they brought me to tears with a homemade cake and a happy birthday song. I must confess that if sometimes I have the shape of a stone, this couldn't have touched me more.
I really felt the struggle of having two already one-year-old daughters and, above all, not having the freedom to share this very special moment with all the people who love us and who we love!
Then there was a giant balloon in the car that I couldn't inflate, a candle that I forgot to keep as a souvenir… I really needed that moment, that happy birthday song, that love from those who didn't even know us.
Dear employees who received and cared for us, who made us feel at home away from home, my deep gratitude for having contributed to this day that we wanted and that was so special!
I still look at these photos and I sigh for missing these moments so badly!
Of course, like any other place, it has its less positive and good aspects, but for me, it will forever be the special place where I celebrated Alice and Benedita's first birthday!
We will be back for sure… when the weather allows us a good dip in the pool, because, we already know, these girls love having their scales soaked!
