Breakfast · 8 October 2026 · 3 min read
The bread arrives at ten to seven
How a baker named Albano, a van with a bad clutch and a woman called Marta decide what you eat for breakfast at Casa Vellum.
The journal
From the house
Short pieces from the house, written by the people who work here. About bread, tiles, light and the hill.
The house · 21 September 2026 · 3 min read
How to read the tiles on our stairs
A short guide to the blue and white azulejos on the staircase at Casa Vellum, what they show, how old they are and how to tell old from new.
Light · 30 August 2026 · 3 min read
Where to be at sunset, and where not to
An honest guide to watching the light go down over Alfama, from our terrace, from three viewpoints, and from a bench you will have to find yourself.
Walks · 14 July 2026 · 3 min read
Walking home through Alfama after dark
What Alfama is like at night, how to find the house, and what to wear on your feet. Practical advice from a house that has welcomed late arrivals for years.
The house · 18 May 2026 · 3 min read
What we found under the floor
The two years it took to restore a 1760s townhouse in Alfama, with the things the builders found and the decisions Inês and Tomás made about what to keep.