The story of an American and a Belgian who chose to live in Portugal, as reported by CNN Internacional. And that shows how Portugal is counted in the US, where more and more immigrants are coming from.
At first they were just looking for a vacation home. However, Alan Andrew, originally from Pennsylvania, USA, and his Belgian husband Vincent Proost eventually moved to Portugal fulltime after buying an abandoned farm in the Alentejo region.
The couple, who met on a blind date in London in 2006, had been living in the UK for almost two decades when they began looking for a new home in Europe.
Although neither had spent much time in Portugal before, Proost, an interior designer, felt this might be the right place for them and suggested they spend some time together exploring the country.
“To be honest, I was more interested in a place like Italy,” Andrew tells CNN. “I didn’t know Portugal well.”
After traveling around the country for a few months, they fell in love with Alentejo, in southern Portugal, about 190 kilometers from the capital Lisbon, and decided to look for a house there.
Adventurous project Alan Andrew and Vincent Proost bought a rundown Portuguese farm in 2019. Unable to restore the house, they decided to demolish it and build a new estate from scratch. Photo by Vincent Proost
“Each direction has a beautiful view,” adds Andrew, who works as an educational psychologist. “For me it’s like a cross between the African savannah and Tuscany.”
They had seen about 80 properties in the area until they came across a ruined farm in the rural village of Figueira e Barros.
However, it quickly became clear that restoring the house would be impossible and that this would turn out to be a much larger project than planned. “It was abandoned for about 50 years,” explains Andrew. “So the roof was completely gone.”
“The house fell apart. We knew it had to be built from scratch.”
They realized that in order to immerse themselves in the construction industry and fully devote themselves to running a farm, they needed to move to Portugal permanently.
“Suddenly it became a project,” says Proost. “And I was like, ‘Okay, let’s change.’ And that’s what we did.”
“We built the house from scratch even before the pandemic, which was quite an adventure.”
After buying the property in the summer of 2019, they officially moved to Portugal and rented a house nearby while completing the sale and going through the residency process.
The couple also began meeting with architects and contractors to finalize plans for their new home before construction began.
They decided to start by renovating the barn on the property and converting it into a ‘pool house’ so they could live there while the work was underway.
New beginnings Alan Andrew, originally from the US, and Vincent Proost from Belgium are starting a brand new life in Portugal and say they couldn’t be happier. Photo by Vincent Proost
But when everything was going well, the Covid19 pandemic hit. Countless countries around the world, including Portugal, have been jailed and the couple who had been ordered to leave the rented house had nowhere to go.
“All the hotels were closed,” explains Proost. “We had to sleep in the tent for two weeks.”
In the end, they were able to stay in the barn, albeit initially without electricity, while they waited for the renovations to begin.
Luckily the barn was completed within a few months and they continued to live there while work on the main house continued. The original farmhouse was demolished in September 2020.
“For a long time we couldn’t leave our village area,” says Andrew. “And we had just moved here, so we didn’t know anyone.”
“On Thursday we were two almost around the clock. In a way it was great because we had a lot to do in the fields.”
The couple’s land covers around 30 hectares and includes around 1,500 olive trees that had to be pruned. And they also had animals to take care of.
“It’s such a big outdoor area,” says Andrew. “There’s always social distancing here.”
Construction work on the house has slowed down significantly due to the Corona restrictions and the couple had to adjust their expectations.
“The construction should take a year,” says Proost. “We’ve just finished, that’s almost three years. So it was a bit longer than originally planned.”
Modern Country Home Dubbed Casa Baio, the couple’s new home has its own swimming pool, five bedrooms and a barn converted into a pool house. Photography Duarte Bivar
The house, which they named Casa Baio, has solar water heating and is also equipped with solar power panels.
“It’s very well insulated,” adds Andrew. “In old traditional houses, the windows are small because of the climate, and thanks to technology we can now fit larger windows.”
They had to comply with various regulations and liaise with the local authorities to ensure that the house met the specified requirements, particularly with regard to the height and location of the buildings.
“We couldn’t build more than two stories,” explains Proost.
Although they describe Casa Baio as a “modern farmhouse,” they say they’ve tried to incorporate as many traditional local materials as possible, including handmade clay tiles alongside local marble tiles.
The main house has five bedrooms and an outdoor pool, while the pool house has a studio bedroom with a kitchenette.
They declined to reveal the amount they spent on construction.
Proost says what he likes best about the 9,000squarefoot home is the view.
“We bought the property for the view and the quiet,” he says, adding that he particularly enjoys watching the sunset through the huge windows.
“It is one story, so there are no upper floors. Everything is pretty flat. And it’s brown. It blends into the country. It will not be seen.”
The only part of the original house that could be saved was the gate.
The couple have now happily arrived in Portugal and spend most of their free time looking after their animals, including chickens and sheep, and working in their olive fields.
“None of us had any idea what farming was,” adds Andrew. “So we were lucky enough to meet a Portuguese olive oil producer who kind of mentored us and taught us how to do it.”
They also produce their own organic olive oil which has won awards in several competitions including the London International Olive Oil Competitions.
Andrew and Proost say they try to use regenerative organic practices on the farm, which is certified organic.
“We had to learn all this on site,” says Andrew. “We had no idea. In that sense it was a great adventure.”
“It’s like learning something completely new. It couldn’t be any different than London. It’s just the opposite.”
Variety Casa Baio is located in the village of Figueira e Barros in the Alentejo region of Portugal. Photography Duarte Bivar
Now that the house is finished and they already know the area, the couple feel at home in Figueira e Barros, where they have been welcomed with open arms by the locals.
“The Portuguese are extremely open,” says Andrew. “Two gay men live on a farm in inland Portugal no problem”.
“It seems like they really want people to come here. They appreciate people investing in the land and trying to take care of these old farms that are decaying.”
Casa Baio is currently run as a bed and breakfast. Four of the ensuite rooms can be booked for a minimum stay of two nights.
The couple have become friends with many locals Andrew is a member of the local running club as well as other expats who have moved to Portugal.
“As soon as we bought the house, all the neighbors invited us to dinner,” says Proost. “People are just wonderful.”
However, they admit that it took some time to get used to the change of pace, explaining that things seem to be going much more slowly in the Alentejo region.
“Everyone here has time,” says Andrew. “When we’re in line at the supermarket, it’s normal for the cashier to have a 10minute chat with the person in front of us and nobody cares. And yet”.
The nearest town, Estremoz, is about 30 minutes away by car.
In recent years, Portugal has become a popular travel destination for US citizens looking for a new life.
According to the government, the number of Americans residing in Portugal has increased by 45% in 2021 compared to the previous year.
Andrew and Proost say they have definitely noticed an increase in the number of people from the US moving to Portugal, particularly in the Alentejo.
“It’s a region that hasn’t been discovered yet, but is being discovered now,” says Andrew.
“Many Americans come to this area from the west coast of California because the climate is very similar to California.
Andrew also points out that there has been very little development in the region for years, so there are “no areas that are overdeveloped”.
“It was probably the poorest region of Portugal for a long time and therefore there was no development,” he adds. “These are authentic Portuguese villages.”
Andrew explains that Portugal’s “Golden Visa” scheme, a fiveyear residencybyinvestment program aimed at thirdcountry nationals, “has attracted a lot of people”.
“Many of them first came to Porto or Lisbon, the big cities,” he explains. “But they ended up getting the golden visa in those places because it got too out of hand. Now people are coming further inland.”
Portugal’s prime minister confirmed earlier this year that the government would stop issuing golden visas to “fight property speculation”.
In addition to the climate, he believes the relatively low crime rate in the country Prime Minister António Costa described Portugal as “one of the safest countries in the world” the “affordable” cost of living and the friendliness of the people are his biggest selling points.
“People really make the place,” says Andrew. “It’s a very welcoming place. And I think as the country’s population is declining, they’re really proimmigration.”
Big changes The house has a solar system for water heating and is also equipped with photovoltaic systems. Photography Duarte Bivar
The house has a solar system for water heating and is also equipped with photovoltaic systems. Photography Duarte Bivar
“There are so many good things about Portugal. She [os portugueses] They don’t sell any of it. You are very humble.”
Although the couple had hoped to continue living in their new home for the foreseeable future, news recently reached them that forced them to completely reconsider.
Andrew has been diagnosed with ARVD/C, a rare heart condition that can increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest or death.
Due to the nature of his illness, he has had to limit his physical activity, which precludes him from much of the manual labor required to run the farm.
“We will put the house up for sale,” explains Andrew. “Because it’s too much”.
“I could hire someone else to do the work, but I’m not the type of person who wants to sit around and tell people what to do. I really want to do the work.”
“It’s one of those things. I’ve never had any health problems. And suddenly… it changes everything.”
While they are undeniably disappointed at the prospect of having to sell and give up their life made in Portugal, both say they have no regrets and are looking forward to their next adventure.
The couple are constantly asked for advice for other travelers looking to start a new life in Portugal or anywhere else, and they say they always encourage people to take the step.
“Go on,” says Andrew. “Life is short, we don’t know what’s going to happen around the corner.”
“But keep your eyes open. And when you go to a new place, don’t expect things to be like they are in the US or wherever you’re from.”
“Be open to differences. Try to find ways to adapt and don’t expect things to adapt to you. Why should they do this?”