14/02/2026
Happy Valentine's Day everyone.
We have not posted for a while and our hearts have been warmed by lots of concerned messages from guests and friends.❤️ We actually took a holiday to start the year off, but we returned the day after Storm Kristin made landfall and decimated many parts of Portugal, so it didn’t feel appropriate to post happy holiday pics.
Despite living in a village named Good Wind, we and our Quinta are fine and fully operational and even have honeymooning guests cozied up with us right now. But poor Portugal has been ravaged by a constant battering of a run of named storms, and the region around Leiria and Coimbra were the worst affected. Some dear friends that live and work there have had catastrophic damage as winds were hurricane force compounded by torrential and unrelenting rainstorms which has caused widespread, life changing flooding.
Local charities have been busy garnering supplies for affected families but we would specifically like to share 2 links that are dear to our hearts in the worst affected areas. Those that have stayed with us know that we carefully choose EVERYTHING that we furnish our apartments with, be that linens, lotions and even the olive oil that we leave for guests to enjoy. QBV has had a connection with Passeite olive oil since we opened not just because their extra virgin olive oil is delicious, but the passion and ethos from Marije and Gui just spoke to our hearts as well as our mouths. We have had memorable olive oil tastings and parties there and many guests visit during their stays with us. Marije has even held an olive oil workshop at QBV. It is heartbreaking to see the photos of their beautiful farm, home, ancient precious groves and life sinking in front of our eyes.
Many of you may also know of our friends who appear on the TV series “Help I Bought A Village”. New arrivals at QBV often comment that we have a small village, but Sarah and Steve embarked on restoring an actual whole village that used to be an important stop on the olive oil trading route. They have dedicated the last few years to bringing Chumbaria back to life in the most sympathetic and sustainable fashion with a focus on permaculture and community. They have already faced more personal hardship than anyone should have to face in multiple lifetimes and were finally beginning to rise above when they have been so terrifyingly and cruelly smacked down again by hurricane force winds and torrential rain.
Please share, please care, thank you.❤️
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-passeite-olive-farm
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-chumbaria-rise-again-after-a-devastating-storm
Hello everyone, I’m Erika and here I am again with GoFundMe, th… Erika Riposati needs your support for Help Chumbaria Rise again after a devastating storm ⛈️
