Love story between a man and his home

"My Portuguese House: A Palace" is a book written by former journalist Herbert Dabello, in which he tells about his experience of buying a house in Portugal as a Briton. Dabello's interest in Portugal arose when he met two Portuguese children thanks to his passion for antiques. He taught them history, geography, and English culture to help them with their studies and integration into British society. In the end, they invited him to spend the summer holidays in Portugal, and Herbert was so attracted that he looked for a house there."

Searching for a house in the Algarve

He had been searching for a house in the Algarve for many years but couldn't find the right one. Finally, after many years of visiting the Algarve, Daybell found himself on a plane to Lisbon. In the waiting area, he met Martins. "We talked to him, and he told us about an amazing house he had just bought, and I thought, 'Oh man, that's exactly the house I should have bought,'" Herbert explained.

Buying a house

Nothing special happened in the next three years until Martins' friend mentioned the house again in conversation. It turned out that the owner of the house had fallen ill and decided to sell it. "We bought tickets as soon as we could and went to see this house, which was in a deplorable state at the time, but still remained a magical place and was part of the old palace of Sera-d'El-Rey," he said. Herbert fell in love with the place and decided to buy it.

Description of the book

The book mainly tells about the process of moving into his house, as well as the many stories he heard and saw during his time in the country. The first chapter, as he admitted, is the only serious chapter in the book, providing an understanding of the realities of the colonial war through the story of a woman he met during his first visit to Portugal. On the other hand, Daybell shared a story told later, when a couple he met went on a trip to Portugal, but the girl started having stomach pains. Her boyfriend went to the firefighters, hoping to get help, but they mistakenly took her pains as a sign of labor. The couple spoke poor Portuguese, and the firefighters also spoke poor English, leading to a misunderstanding. In the end, everything was clarified, and the girl was able to go to the police hospital for help, but after that, they "had a good laugh about it."

Impressions of Portugal

“I appreciate the openness of the Portuguese people; they welcome me in this small village when I’m there, inviting me to various events,” he said, discussing the pros and cons of being here, but he also criticizes the bureaucracy in the country. “If you remember, Portugal went through a time of fascism when people were kept under control and education was limited.

Palace of D. Pedro and Inês de Castro

The house is part of the old palace of D. Pedro and Inês de Castro, a story that Herbert regrets is not well-known outside of Portugal.

He still lives in the UK and uses this house as a vacation home. "Before COVID-19, I used to visit him about 3 or 4 times a year and used it as a base for my travels," he shared. Daybell's stays in the house usually last from 10 days to two weeks. Explaining his relatively long stays, he said that Portugal has "so many hidden treasures that can be discovered almost by chance. The little village where I live has an amazing church; beautiful tiles, a gilded altar, it's a tourist attraction that very few people see."

Herbert Daebell is working on another book, this time about life in the English countryside. "From the perspective of social history, it's important to document unusual things. For example, in 'The Portuguese House,' I met wonderful people and saw very strange and unusual things, and I tried to record in the book instances when something unexpected happened. If you just want to relax by the sea, like in Albufeira, you'll have a great time, but if you venture a little further inland, to places where there are still no tourists, you'll discover amazing adventures and experiences. Portugal is a very rich country in terms of adventures and discoveries."

The book "My Portuguese House: A Palace" can be found on Amazon, in hardcover and in Kindle format.

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