Our Story…
In June 2001, the Klebers (Jordan, Deb, Austin & Drex) kissed Seattle good-bye and moved to the family’s ancestral Portugal to work with Habitat for Humanity/Portugal.
Soon afterwards, in an attempt to protect themselves from the crashing dollar, they decided to panic — no, wait — they diversified into €uro-zone real estate with Casa Joaquina.
They couldn’t be more pleased with the result: sharing a love of the Portuguese people and culture with thousands of guests from around the world has been a delight.
Almost 20 years later, Austin (Kleber) da Silva Mota has permanently re-planted her Portuguese roots and married a Portuguese man, Vitor. Drex also recently returned–after a time in the US–and will also be in Lisbon for the forseeable future.
So while Jordan and Deb are currently pursuing new, separate, adventures back in the States, Austin & Drex are managing VisitingPortugal… with a little help from some friends!
Our historical holiday homes include:
- Casa Joaquina (2004), our first house in Lisbon, located on the same cobbled lane as Casa Villa Serra;
- Casa Santana (2005), 3 minutes from Lisbon’s bustling Rossio (and 5 minutes from Casa Villa Serra & Casa Joaquina);
- Casa Armona (2006), originally purchased as a family getaway on Armona Island in the Eastern Algarve, this charming cottage was just too good not to share;
- Casa Villa Serra (2009), across the street from Casa Joaquina, with charming neighbors and breath-taking views over Lisbon.
When you come to visit, you’ll meet:
Team Lisbon
Austin and Drex care for the Lisbon houses directly, receiving almost all guests. Drex lives just around the corner from the properties, and both he and Austin are always available to answer questions and help with any problems that arise. On the weekends and during school holidays, there’s a good chance you’ll meet one or two of Austin’s kids, as well.
If Deb or Jordan is in town, they’ll be your neighbours there in bairro da Pena, too. There is a good chance you’ll see them around!
Team Algarve
Paulo Nunes and his family have been our friends for years. When they moved back to their hometown of Olhão, we knew they would be the perfect people to care for our guests at Casa Armona.
Paulo loves his city, and is happy to provide tips about what to see and how best to see it. And if there’s a problem, he’s only a boat-ride away. Besides the fun of helping guests discover the best of the Algarve, managing Casa Armona gives Paulo and his wife Ema the flexibility to care for their daughters Tamara, Taíssa (who has trissomy 18) and Tabita. You can read more about their hopes for Taíssa’s health on their Facebook page.
Many thanks to all of our guests for their support and encouragement.
We look forward to seeing you someday soon.
Until then, Godspeed.
Austin Silva Mota & Drex Kleber
VisitingPortugal.com
