Wednesday: Casa do Campo, an 18th century manor house near the town of Celorico de Bastos in the Minho region of northwest Portugal. An evening walk through the camellia gardens, the oldest in Portugal and an attraction for camellia lovers from all over Europe. Accommodation in one of the estate’s modern apartments, across the courtyard from the private chapel, where weekly mass is still celebrated.

Friday:  Moinho de Estorãos, a converted granite water mill beside a Roman bridge close to the town of Ponte de Lima. The tumble of water through the mill is the only sound to be heard. Fishing in the Estorãos river, a log fire, home-baked bread delivered fresh in the morning.