A fantastic chalet waiting to be discovered

Welcome to my first post in this community!

Since I've been following @slobberchops, I've seen his posts in this community, and it's absolutely amazing and exciting to be able to discover real worlds inside abandoned buildings.

I recently posted in the #iloveclouds group about a sunrise in the Penhas Douradas region. I woke up very early that day in the third day of December (in fact, it was still dark) and decided to go early to make the most of the morning. I parked near the Fragão do Corvo viewpoint in Manteigas. As it was still dark, I took the opportunity to rest in the car for a while until the first glimmers of sunlight appeared. I noticed that I was parked next to an abandoned house.

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^{Disclaimer - This is not a very urban exploration... and it's not even a proper exploration... I hope you don't take this the wrong way 😅😅}

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The house didn't show many signs of abandonment, so I don't think it stopped taking people in more than a couple of years ago. Or it's because it's often visited to keep the surrounding vegetation cut back and tended. The window panes gave away its condition, but the wires that used to limit the garden (nowadays just gravel) showed a "concern" to warn passers-by that it was private property. Being just a few meters from a house that was certainly inhabited (as I saw light inside), I didn't run the risk of entering and being caught trespassing.

I just took the opportunity to take some photographs of the exterior.

I just took the opportunity to take some photos of its exterior. And its very cinematic appearance was more than enough for me to at least record this experience, almost by chance, in photographic form, as you can see.

From the zinc sheets that covered the walls of the second floor of the house, to the granite walls, tinged with brownish-orange hues from the water run-off, which is certainly concentrated in iron oxide crystals, from the outside pipes and fittings exposed to the harsh weather conditions.

This chalet did indeed have its grace, with its marked Alpine (Swiss) architectural inspiration, leaving someone as simple as me, who only stopped by to admire the sunrise, with the dream of one day being able to buy a property with an impressive view and location.

Located in the Serra da Estrela Natural Park, the surrounding landscape is incredibly stimulating for the senses.

^{I parked there when it was still dark and I couldn't see my surroundings very well. After dawn, I noticed the chalet next door... excellent!}

^{The house with its garden and the fantastic view of the clouds over the Fragão do Corvo valley}

^{The moon was already high, as you can see, and in daylight, the zinc sheets covering the walls of the second floor
gave the house a certain mystery...}

^{The main entrance door shows signs of disuse. It's only attached by a few metal wires. I didn't dare enter, as this door faced the property of the next-door neighbors, less than a mile away}

^{We can already see some signs of degradation in the gutters. The window on the second floor, with no glass, is of little or no use in this location. I'm sure some birds already use this house as a shelter for the coldest or rainiest nights, or even for nesting}

^{The entrance to the garden, now in oriental style... Very Zen 😅}

^{The leaky pipe may be a sign of more than just a few years of carelessness}

^{The reflections of the trees on the surface of the still intact windows}

^{The neighboring chalet I was talking about. As you can see, I didn't want to be approached by the military police (this area is patrolled by the GNR (Republican National Guard)) or to be greeted by a neighbor wielding a hunting rifle!}

^{You can still see some small ice crystals in the moss... it was a really cold morning, but very sunny!}

^{The lower cladding layer on the second floor appears to be wood... interesting option. Maybe it was a floor that was added after the initial work}

^{A simple stone table is the only element in this poor garden in front of the chalet. But you can tell it's been visited often, as there's no accumulated garbage or vegetation covering everything}

^{Moss grows very well in this area. There is enough temperature and rainfall for it to spread at this time of year}

^{The fantastic view from this chalet... I briefly dreamed of being able to spend at least one weekend here}

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I hope you enjoyed this, my first publication.

I really want to venture out and discover real pearls that have been abandoned. Maybe I'll see if, instead of visiting them alone, I can find some company to make the experience safer... And I'm sorry for being a bit of a wuss and not having explored the inside of this chalet, but I didn't think it was the wisest thing to do. It was my first time visiting and I didn't have an "escape plan" in case something went wrong... 😅

I will soon be publishing a post about the Penhas Douradas, so that you can see some of the natural beauty of this region🗺

Bem Hajam🍀

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Photographic edition with PhotoScape X