Guest Book
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GUESTS, FRIENDS & Relations who have visited Rio Torto
I spent my Spring break in Portugal. It was a great adventure. My job as a teacher in US is really a demanding work. So when I had a chance to visit Portugal I grabbed the opportunity. I need a break from my stressful job. Portugal is a very nice place to visit. Life there is a bit laid back, good for people who are working in fast phased environment.
It was great feeling not to worry that much about the time. You can really appreciate the beauty of nature when you're not in a hurry. The surrounding area of their home is awesome. Their house is just a few minutes away from Spain, so I was able to visit the northern part of Spain. I really love my stay in Portugal because of the historic places that I've been to and the Pilgrimage site that I was able to visit. Noeme and Norman Judge were great hosts. I love their food. I'm looking forward to the Christmas Holiday, hopefully I can go back there to get my much deserve break.
Melie Sabido. USA, March 2008
My holiday of two weeks in October was quite amazing, it was so different to what I expected. I left the UK where it was cold and damp and arrived in Porto to a warm welcome. Porto is a city with many contrasts, the old part of the river Duro was a complete contrast to the journey on the new Metro which whizzed us from the airport to the town centre. From there we took the train to Norman & Noeme's house just 7 klms outside Valenca. A most memorable journey. On my arrival I was given a most comfortable bedroom with outstanding views of the countryside. The bedroom had a DVD player and satellite TV outside the room there was a ample supply of ice cold drinks.
The food and hospitality was an experience that I will always remember. There was plenty to eat and drink never the same thing every day. Fish was the local speciality. . During my stay there I met another guest from Sweden who I know also really enjoyed him self at Rio Torto and we had some great evenings with Norman & Noeme. I really admired their lifestyle so laid back, with not a care in the world .
Norman & Noeme are by no means isolated from outside news. With their broadband and satellite TV I was able every night to keep in touch with events and the news in the West Midlands, Wolverhampton, especially when it related to Football. Leaving them was a sad fare well, and I hope to return back well before Wolves return to the Premiership !!!!
David Southam, Wolverhampton UK, December 2007
We visited Norman and Noeme at their home in Portugal in July 2007 and were immediately made to feel very welcome at their home. The house overlooks corn fields and is absolutely gorgeous especially in the summer months when we visited. The surrounding countryside is a pleasure to explore by car or on foot. There is a vineyard on the walk down to the village heart and a local post office at which life runs at a sedate pace, a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of the UK.
Even when it’s hot outside the house is nice and cool inside with all the modern luxuries not normally associated with rural Portugal, including satellite TV, good quality internet access etc. We were especially taken with the local markets which have an abundance of local fish and fresh fruit at exceptionally cheap prices. One of our memorable days was shopping at the local market for seafood’s like prawns and Bucalao (a local fish delicacy) and lots of fresh cherries. We brought our produce back to the house where Noeme cooked up a delicious meal including freshly harvested garlic and other fresh produce from their garden. All served out in the kitchen overlooking sun soaked golden fields to the rear. You can explore Spain as we did one morning by just nipping across the border, 15 minutes drive away and we were in Spain to enjoy an excellent breakfast in the bright morning sun. At a time when most of the UK is covered in rain and mist you can be sure of good weather here. The warmth of our hosts, Norman & Noeme’s hospitality and magnificent company will last with us both for years to come. We can both heartily recommend a visit to see Norman and Noeme at their property in Portugal.
