It's pretty new - we live in the large stone farmhouse next door and built the pool and Pool House during the course of 2017. Firstly, the view is spectacular - over the hills, vineyards, distant houses. The house has sloping wooden ceilings, large glass sliding doors onto a long veranda which looks over the pool. The veranda has a table, chairs, sofa, a wall-mounted TV for night viewing. And a woodburner, with logs provided. The rooms have fabulous views - it's a delight to wake up in the front room and through one window you see the pool and through the other the mist rising over the mountains. The bathroom is pretty- heavy glass wash-hand basin, large shower, piping hot water from a heat pump. The kitchen is a place of tranquility, with a window at the back overlooking the back garden and light from the front, overlooking the pool and the superb views over the hills and mountains. We love nature and feel we have the perfect compromise between city life and country life - Braga is 15 mins away, Guimarães 25 mins away, but here we're surrounded by the sounds of nature. We also have a little flock of Cameroon sheep, which guests can see from the Pool House. Night time is magical with the garden lights, illuminated pool and the twinkling lights from distant villages. There is a fire pit and guests can roast marshmallows, enjoyed with a glass of port, of course.

I was born in N.Ireland, studied languages at Cambridge and then lived in England for 15 years. I met my husband, who is Portuguese, in England and we got married in 2000. I've been living in Portugal since - we have three children, 2 dogs, a cat, chickens, sheep. I love living in this area as it's got everything - beautiful towns, cinemas, lovely scenery, good walks, amazing churches, Celtic settlements, restaurants and cafés. Speaking of cafés, Portugal is such a good place to eat out - the food is marvellous, beautifully presented and at a very reasonable price. Overall, as a mother of three I'm kept busy, trying to juggle lots of balls in the air. I not just rent out the Pool House but also an apartment (for 6 people) on the ground floor of the farmhouse. It has its own swimming pool, a minute or two from the house, at the end of the garden. I am very sociable and do my best to ensure any guests at my house are happy and aware of what there is going on in the area. I have a file filled with my gems of what there is to see and do in the area - and where to go and eat. Nothing pleases me more than when guests come back again.

We're totally in the country but near Braga, Guimarães, Porto, Ponte de Lima, Viana do Castelo, the beach at Esposende, the national park of Peneda Gerês. The village of Longos has a bakery producing hot bread all day long. Down below in the village is our popular restaurant, Tio Luís, serving food 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Taipas, 4 kms away, has everything - 3 large supermarkets, a spa, shops, cafés, banks, pharmacies, restaurants and a Monday market selling everything from fruit and vegetables to live chicks and ducklings. It's well supported - being the meeting place for many of the locals. There's also a beautiful river-walk in Taipas. It passes old disused water mills - and you'll be sure to see a cormorant, fishing for its dinner. It's possible to walk through the forest to Sameiro and Bom Jesus. Citânia de Briteiros, the biggest Celtic settlement in Portugal, is only 13 minutes away. There is lots to see and do in this area - or just sit and do nothing!