Go Back to the Blog Livingtourians with Wings - Silvia Freitas
Vítor Bezerra |

Livingtourians with Wings - Silvia Freitas

Where are you from? Tell us a little about your city or region!

I am from the city of Peso da Régua. I think that almost everyone must have heard of this city so important for the production and distribution of the famous Port wine, especially in the past. Located in the Douro region, so talked about and publicized recently that there are few things I can say that have not been said.

When did you join the Living Tours family and what is your role?

I started working in August 2019 as a guide.

Why Living Tours? And why Tourism?

At first, I think it was a lucky break for the destination, because for a long time I wanted to work as a tour guide. But the reason I stayed at Livingtours, as far as I'm concerned, was because being a guide is something I really like to do, it's a job that also gives me personal satisfaction and here at Livingtours I feel that my job was also and is valued. Tourism is an area that puts us in direct and daily contact with people living in other realities, with completely different cultures, which translates into a constant challenge and learning. Furthermore, I am a person who likes to communicate and who loves Portugal, so it is a great pleasure for me to get to know our country.

 

How is your working day?

My workday is never the same, which is fantastic. Although there is a script with mandatory stops and a more or less planned speech, there are always situations that surprise us. When I take a tour, at first I like to establish visual contact with tourists, because for me it is important to create, or at least try to create, empathy with people, so that this human aspect will never cease to be present, after all , we will share several hours together. Throughout the tour I try to understand the group's preferences and adjust myself whenever possible. For me, it is essential to keep an open mind, that is, without preconceived ideas, because human beings react differently to stimuli. For example, the fact that a person does not ask questions does not mean that he is not interested in knowing, he may just be a shy person. And the most important thing, in my opinion, is to keep the focus on the group, on what is best for the group, while giving importance to the individual, but I never forget that I have a group of people whose well-being is my priority. And these are basically the essential points in my work day.

 

What are your hobbies, how do you like to spend your free time?

I especially like to learn new things. Besides, I like listening to music, movies, reading and doing yoga. Whenever I have the opportunity, I like to explore our country a little more and take lots of photos! And I love to travel, it's my personal luxury!

Uma imagem com água, montanha, exterior, natureza

Descrição gerada automaticamente

 

How many countries have you traveled so far?

8

 

Of all of them, what was your favorite trip and the one that most marked you and why?

New Zealand. It is a country with a "supernatural" natural landscape, with sounds, smells, colors and shapes that really seem to be out of this world. It is in fact a country with an incredible nature, which makes us feel like children again and believe in magic again. It was one of the last countries to suffer the effect of civilization and this is easily understood, because it maintains a large part of its territory in a natural state. I love nature and outdoor walks and in New Zealand I was able to enjoy it all safely.

Uma imagem com exterior, água, praia, cão

Descrição gerada automaticamente

 

What is the best experience / tour you had on a trip?

Visit to a colony of penguins, more precisely the blue penguin, which is the smallest penguin in the world. At dusk the penguins return from the sea to their nests and the tour consisted of watching them arrive at the beach and go to the nests. They are very small creatures, with little more than a kilo and about 30 centimeters, and it is impressive to see them come out of the waves and overcome obstacles in such an energetic way.

 

What is your dream trip to take? And what experience are you looking for on that trip?

My dream trip consists of witnessing the northern lights, being able to see and hear this show of colors that is a natural phenomenon.

Uma imagem com água, sentado, exterior, homem

Descrição gerada automaticamente

What is the best company on a trip for you? with friends, partner, family or alone? It's because?

I think it depends a lot on the destination, but in general, I really enjoy traveling alone, because I can get more out of the trip.

 

Cultural destination, beach or nature? And what activities do you like to do?

Especially nature, but there are also cultural destinations that attract me. I like to go hiking, I think it's the best way to explore and get to know something, whether in the middle of nature or in a city. I like to carry out activities that allow me to know a little more about the destination in question, be it gastronomic, musical, tours, etc.

If you could travel back in time, when would you travel and why?

For the time of discoveries! Because it was an adventurous time, full of new things to discover and explore. It was a time to question the knowledge we had and test new possibilities.

Uma imagem com texto, fotografia, mesa, bolo

Descrição gerada automaticamente

What is the best gastronomic experience you have had on a trip?

It is difficult to answer this question because, until now, whenever I have traveled, I have come back longing for Portuguese food. The only place I ate every day that I liked was when I was in Morocco.

What means of transport do you like most to travel? Car, train or plane? Why?

For me, it depends on what the destination or purpose of the trip is. The car gives me total independence and freedom to stop and visit whatever I want, for as long as I want, but it is more tiring and expensive. The train or bus allows us to enjoy the scenery, without having to worry about driving, but we are limited in terms of schedules and destinations. The plane has the great advantage of being the fastest means of transport when traveling to distant destinations.

Uma imagem com exterior, relva, árvore, montanha

Descrição gerada automaticamente

What is your favorite place to visit in Portugal or Spain, why recommend it?

I love the Douro valley region. Despite being born and living a large part of my life in the heart of the Douro valley, I still feel an enormous fascination for the region. It has a scenic beauty that is unique in the world: as we walk along the banks of the Douro River, we can observe the terraces that shine on the mountains, which on sunny days are reflected in the river and on foggy days, they can only guess its contours. If we look at the Douro from one of its many viewpoints, we can see it meandering among the mountains full of vineyards, and at sunset, in some places, we can understand how the name suits the river. In addition, it is a region that changes with the seasons, as if it were a fashion show: green / spring predominates; already in autumn we saw an amalgam of impressive colors, as if it were a canvas of a painting filled with brown, red, orange and gold leaves. And if it is still not enough, I recommend it for the typical gastronomy of the region, accompanied by one of the best wines in the world and served with the genuine hospitality of the people of the upper Douro. Not to mention that it is the ideal place for wine lovers.

For you, what is the dish, drink and experience that nobody should miss when visiting Portugal or Spain?

Portuguese stew served with typical oven rice. In my opinion any Portuguese wine. The experience is the visit to the Douro valley, as it is the place where the vineyards producing the best known wine in Portugal are located.

What is your favorite Living Tours experience / tour and why?

Historic Douro. It is a tour with everything, in my opinion. It has a bit of history, tradition, natural beauty and at the same time created by man, visiting and tasting a very important product for the economy of Portugal. And very important: lunch is excellent, in a place with fantastic scenery and typical food.

| Living Tours




Did you like it?

Average votes: 4.25 of 5


Go Back to the Blog
X
logo living

5% DISCOUNT

ON YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH US

On selected products

newslatter image
Manage cookie preferences
Your privacy
Strictly necessary cookies
Analytical Cookies
Advertising Cookies
Your privacy

This tool allows you to enable or disable various types of cookies on the site. On the left, you can browse through the various cookie groups and enable or disable each group individually. For more information on how we use our cookies, see also our privacy policy

Allow All
Confirm preferences
Manage cookie preferences
Your privacy
Your privacy


This tool allows you to enable or disable various types of cookies on the site. You can browse through the various cookie groups and enable or disable each group individually. For more information on how we use our cookies, see also our privacy policy This tool allows you to enable or disable various types of cookies on the site. On the left, you can browse through the various cookie groups and enable or disable each group individually. For more information on how we use our cookies, see also our privacy policy

Strictly necessary cookies
Analytical Cookies
Advertising Cookies
Allow All
Confirm preferences