First up north, at Quinta de Santa Teresa and the second in Beira Interior, at the Cerca Design House, a very contemporary rural hotel. With a panoramic view over the Douro River valley, Quinta de Santa Teresa, located in the Vinhos Verdes region and belonging to A&D Wines, invites nature lovers to a passionate picnic amongst regional wines and flavours. With the surroundings of the gardens, lakes, swimming pool and the forest, this new wine tourism programme of the estate promises to reveal the best of Baião, from the terroir, the gastronomy, to the stunning and quiet landscapes, according to a communiqué sent to SUPERCASA News . Accompanied by the stories of the estate, the centenary trees and the organic wines that respect nature, the pic-nic programme consists in a tasting of several typical and local flavours. Cheese with homemade jam, Baião alheira sausage, onion tart, salad with vegetables from the Quinta de Santa Teresa vegetable garden enriched with ricotta cheese, radish and sultanas and organic strawberries are some of the snacks that promise to complete this unique experience. This wine tourism programme at Quinta de Santa Teresa complements the already existing offer of 4 special tasting and visit programmes, ranging from £15 to £50 per person: Without Limits, which allows a totally personalised experience at the Quinta. By opting for this wine tourism programme, visitors can taste the wines without limitations, while exploring the entire portfolio available. The Top Range package gives access to the Estates best wines, consisting of a special selection of the highest quality whites and rosé that benefit from the unique location and geography of this place. The Avesso Experience option allows wine lovers to explore the Avesso grape variety in all its expressions: ripe fruit, elegance and texture, as well as complexity and marriage with French oak barrels. The Standard visit and tasting will introduce you to two examples of the regions mono-varieties with the Monologue range, Espinhosos and the Singular from Old Vines. In addition to the flavours, wines and scenarios that make you dream, Quinta de Santa Teresa also has a series of points of interest, with nature spaces of great aesthetic harmony, buildings of architectural value, statues that accompany you on your walk through the Quinta and enchanting landscapes in every corner. Aromas and flavours of the mountains in the right dose At Cerca Design House, in Serra da Gardunha, you can take your picnic basket to the garden, or to one of the swimming pools, or choose the shade of a pine forest, the freshness of a river beach or one of the many belvederes with generous views of Serra da Estrela or the green of Serra da Gardunha. Alternatively, choose one of the many historical villages nearby (the nearest is Castelo Novo with its medieval tower). Natural orange juice, regional sausages and cheese, fruit, quality bread, homemade jams and, of course, rosemary honey, are some of the treats youll find in the wicker baskets they carefully prepare for you. Cerca Design House is a small paradise located in Gardunha Mountain, where tranquility and serenity prevail. The rooms are named after plants of the Gardunha and Estrela mountains. The cushions are lined with burel and the centuries-old flower-shaped window is the trademark of this Beira manor house with stone walls. At Cerca Design House there are two possible accommodation options: the charm of the manor house or the design of the contemporary villas, with an exclusive pool, where you can take your four-legged friend. In this house, whose origins date back to the 17th century, there are 10 rooms available in the main house and 5 villas with a double bedroom, kitchenette and living room with a sofa bed for two people. In the villas, besides a cosy living room with fireplace, there is also a small fully equipped kitchen.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: Our emergency plan to reduce gas demand across the EU is now in force and several member states have already taken valuable, voluntary steps towards our goal: together, we aim to reduce gas use by at least 15%. These measures go along with the premise that saving energy is vital for the energy security of the European Union (EU). Currently, in the face of the war in Ukraine, Russian supplies to the EU have been cut, so energy saving is vital for Europes energy security, says the leader of the EU executive. The safeguard for a possible disruption in gas supply from Russia is to reduce consumption in the EU to at least 15% by spring 2023, thus storing the maximum in member states. The regulation came into force following a political deliberation in Brussels, where the 27 met and reached an agreement around the proposal presented by the European Commission. The Council of the EU approved and formally adopted the regulation. It provides for the possibility of creating a Union alert in the event of shortages, a scenario in which a reduction in the demand for gas would become mandatory. Portugal, according to Duarte Cordeiro, Minister of the Environment, states that, can deduce a set of circumstances in which it also faces, such as the production of electricity in the security of the system or the need to use gas as a raw material in industries or indispensable sectors.
With the start of the next academic year just around the corner, students studying away from home are looking for rooms to rent during term time. However, circumstances are not the best, supply has fallen by 44% in the last year, and prices have soared in the countrys two largest districts, Lisbon and Porto. Porto has seen a 20% increase to 350 euros per month. This was followed by Aveiro, with a 19.8% variation to £300, and the capital, Lisbon, saw an 18.1% increase, to £420. There was a drop in supply, which fell by 60%. The city of Oporto was the one that registered the most falls, (-84%), Lisbon with (-77%), Leiria, (-71%), Aveiro and Setúbal registered a fall of (-69%), followed by Faro, with (-67%) and finally Coimbra, (-39%). Of these cities, none showed an increase in supply in the last year.
