“Congratulations,” said Pedro as I introduced our latest guest and his partner to the valley, explaining how we fell in love with the view at first sight and how it was all a eucalyptus forest just a few years ago.
I’d just explained their arrival had brought us a full house for the first time – all rooms full and one hopeful guest sadly having to be turned away.
It was another marvellous milestone on our journey to running our own little eco-luxe lodge in Alentejo.
All seven units are occupied by an interesting mix of Dutch, Portuguese, French and British people who somehow stumbled upon us and arrived curious about what we’ve done, or just in need of some well-earned summer rest.
In the country, on the coast and off the grid … as we sometimes put it.
And it’s brilliant.
So far at least, all have been wowed by what we’ve created and are kindly leaving us wonderful reviews.
They hang out by the pool, drop by to dip into the honesty bar, try a bottle or two of Alentejo wine and head to the beach … or back to the silence of their rooms to ponder nature.
We’re actually doing it … we built it, and they are coming.
It’s been five years since we arrived in Portugal in the middle of COVID and the diplomat/journalist couple who’d bounced around the world for decades decided to give up their old lives and try running a business.
In retrospect, the first few years were easy: we just had to spend money – now we have to make it.
It’s funny to write down those retrospective words, given the challenges we faced applying for funding, battling bureaucracy for permissions, project managing the construction and working out how to do it all with only solar power and groundwater.
We almost gave up a couple of times as inflation soared, paperwork stalled so long we almost lost our funding and we battled to keep control of our budget.
Naivety has certainly been our friend.
For three years worries, over water kept us awake at night, but now there’s lovely, soft mineral water running from the taps and the off-grid systems are holding up well to the high demand.
There’s still plenty of DIY work to do, tweaking the occasional leaking pipe and putting in some extra infrastructure, but the focus has switched to something we’re more practiced at: providing people with a warm welcome.
It did lead me to the realisation I didn’t have any nice clothes left, having trashed them all working on the land.
Thankfully Ana discovered a hidden box of the smart shirts I used to wear while reporting for the BBC – crisply collared shirts worn with the sleeves rolled up in whatever war zone I’d been thrown into.
Now it’s a fabulous roller-coaster ride of guests arriving and departing as a new and steeper learning curve of invoicing, payment systems and booking engines is providing the stress we’ve been missing since we got our license.
We take turns leading a little tour explaining what off-the-grid means … urging people to try and beat the 5-minutes’ worth of sand in the hourglass when they shower.
Anyone showing a brief flash of additional interest soon regrets it, as I get into the weeds on pipes, pumps, LPWAN monitoring systems, pH regulators and salt sensors.
I officially bore myself now when I enthusiastically dive down the water-filled rabbit hole and confuse people with TLAs (three letter acronyms).
Amid busy and creative breakfast-making – and the fun bit of getting to know our guests who’ve somehow discovered us from all over the world – there’s a new sea of bureaucracy that any small business owner will recognise.
Invoices, IVA rates and books balancing has taught us how we’re just one part in a complicated system of helping other people make money … out of us.
Everyone gets their cut, but I guess that’s just how the world works.
Luckily, the local parish council levelled our dirt road just in time for the summer rush – still providing guests with a suitable amount of adventure, but without as much risk to their vehicles.
Thankfully the guests who I accidentally massively undercharged the other day came back to say they owed us money after realising my mistake.
Business basics.
They say ignorance is bliss … and we enjoyed being “Off-grid and Ignorant in Portugal” for ages … but now we have to step up and know what we’re doing.
There are laundry and recycling runs – to drop off the empties from our wine tasting events –, visits to the local butcher and the lovely lady at the little cheese shop to show off all the wonderful things we’ve discovered since we arrived.
And there’s something strangely satisfying about one-day turn-around of rooms as one set of guests leave just as another group arrives.
Our marketing education resumes whenever we come up for air, and amid the demands of high tourist season, we make plans and put out posts for painting retreats and walking holidays in the autumn and spring.
It’s a new and fun stage in our transformation from international travellers to hosts and professional entertainers.
We took a bet on our beautiful view and so far, everyone seems to agree with us … that this part of coastal Alentejo is something very special with its wild beaches, hidden coves and great restaurants.
We’ve still got a long way to go, but I think we’re heading in the right direction.
