Every time I see an ancient building my mind locks with it instantly. A fleeting moment shows me the lives that might have conspired behind those run down walls and the face of a woman peeking out at the outside world with anxiety and a bit of melancholy. The high ceilinged roof of the magnificent structure might have witnessed the wantonness of breath that breathed there and simultaneously some dense spirituality by another.
The Only Olive (theonlyolive.com) – is my latest find in this direction. A beautifully evocative Portuguese 3 bed room villa restored and maintained in its pristine elegance.
This deeply stirring villa, lovingly and tastefully restored by its owner and his family, Adrian Pinto, will liberate you to just be the way you’re, throwing all your calculated thoughts on “value for money holiday making” right up to the winds that caress the Olive Tree that smiles down at you so benevolently.
As much as we need Zuckerberg and his clever hypnotism on the tech age, we also need something called “going back to basics”. It’s not a ground breaking thought at all but definitely one that got waylaid in the exponential growth and spending power most of us have happily experienced. The Only Olive ever so lovingly bestows you another different journey inward to your stillness and perfection at reasonable rates ;)
An unhurried drift through the gallery of photos here can leave you dazed as much as it revived some burned and buried ashes in me. If you thought Finding Fanny did not feature scenes on the beach, The Only Olive would also retrace your steps from the beaches to the benign aura of a rustic village flush with green foliage and discreet mounds of earth.
Finding Fanny sets wound their way right up here to this villa tucked on a hillock in the magnificent village of Aldona!
Some family heirlooms are preserved and used as accent pieces to adorn the villa. It’s extremely well maintained and would make you experience may be the first and the finest slumber you’re destined to have on mother earth!
The owner on his availability there would take you on a high ride through the dreamy splashes of greenery and robust village air. Keeping up with his jaunty pace you would experience all the rural charms of ambling along the riverside or fishing in it, knocking down some locally brewed feni or being witness to houses that roll out the best tasting Goan sausages.
The caretaker and his man Friday is a mascot sent from the realm of Gods and demi Gods. He could just lure you completely with his culinary skills and with his innate skills and unassuming mind win you over with his service to you.
Honestly as I wandered through The Only Olive website forming visceral impressions and falling in love over and over, the distractions there, were that there are Summer Special Offers and the crudely invasive green tab of Book Now and the sheaths and sheaths of cherry picked info on Rates, Location, Testimonials and Contact! Albeit it had this euphoric effect on my leaded finger doodling through it right up to “Book Now” ;)