Tell us about you Júlia, what inspires you?

I’ve always enjoyed travelling and finding beautiful places, in faraway destinations but also near home. When travelling I’m inspired by aesthetics (a very subjective term) and authenticity but mainly I love to discover beautiful projects led by great people. In 2020 I created my website outliersguide.com where I bring together my finds of beautiful places to stay around the world. I haven’t been to all these places but I wanted to share with others my travel wish list and it’s that continual sharing and learning that inspires me to keep travelling.

What’s your favourite way to travel?

I’m a big believer in swapping tips and recommendations - I’ll always ask the Outliers community for their help too if I’m travelling somewhere new. Outliers has never been about a one-way exchange but a free flow of ideas and tips from a collective of like-minded travellers, and I find it to be the most enriching, sustainable and authentic way of travelling.

Okay, so we’re in Portugal with you.

Where are we waking up?

Casa no Tempo in Alentejo. My family and I have been admiring Silent Living for many years and when I had the opportunity to meet João, the leader of this beautiful and unique project, I knew we had to spend our weekend at the house. João is a very generous person, with great sensitivity and whose eyes shine when he talks about his project. There are very few places like his, with this approach to hospitality and delicacy.

How are we spending the morning?

We’re having a good breakfast with homemade bread, orange juice, some fruit... and then walking around the surroundings of the house for some fresh air and revitalisation. When we were very young, my parents wrote a book about beautiful rural stays in Catalunya, the region we’re from and it’s been ingrained in me from a young age to savour time spent in the countryside.

It's lunchtime, where are we going?

We’re not leaving Casa no Tempo as it’s so difficult to do so once you’re there. The house is serviced with the most wonderful housekeepers and cooks who will prepare us a local and traditional meal. I’m a vegetarian which is difficult to cater for in this region of Portugal, but the team at Silent Living made us a delicious soup and tomato salad - everything comes from the garden.

Sounds, lovely! What are our afternoon plans?

Reading by the pool, my favourite travel book at the moment is Sustainable Travel by Holly Tuppen. I’ll also spend time taking pictures of the house and perhaps we’ll go on a little bike ride to see one of the villages in the area. Domingos who is the groundskeeper of the house grew up on the estate and he also looks after the horses there - at golden hour we’ll take them out for a ride with him and listen to some of his stories.

Where are we going for sunset...?

The reflection of the pink sky on the unique pool at Casa no Tempo is one of the best images one can dream about and all we need.

How about dinner...talk us through it.

As you can already tell, this is a destination itself so just as at lunchtime, we’ll cosy up in the house for dinner. I would set the table outside with candles, linen tablecloths, some flowers from the fields and ceramics from local makers. We’ll enjoy a glass of wine and of course good company. My brother joined us for the trip and I always love to travel with him.

After dark?

We’ll get into some meaningful conversations or play a board game. If it’s cool, we’ll light the fire and nestle into the sofas while going through the books at the house. I often find places to add to my collection through books I find on my travels, magazines, social media, and dozens of other sources that I check regularly.

What did we collect on our travels?

I’m not really into shopping and souvenirs, although when I find something I like I really go for it; one of my favourite finds is a small bag from Myanmar I bought in 2015 and I take with me when I travel. For me, I like to collect phone numbers - meaning new friends! I enjoy many things when travelling: design, architecture, food and nature, but what makes every trip special is the people I travel with and the people I meet along the way. Collecting photographs is a way I can remember some of those personal moments and stay connected.

At home time, where are we going?

Barcelona. It’s where I was born and raised. It’s a city with amazing weather, endless good restaurants to choose from, we have the sea, a rich cultural scene… so I couldn’t ask for more. The best thing about coming home is hugging my parents, eating at home, reflecting on our journey and planning the next one. I love home exchanges & it’s one of my favourite ways to travel to make the most incredible experiences and connections so that’s what my family and I are exploring for next year.

My favourite room in my house is…

The living room around 4pm. THAT light.

My dream holiday home would be…

Designed by Aires Mateus and surrounded by nature or perhaps a sustainable and self-sufficient place that I built with my own hands, something that can only be carried out by someone who is convinced that things can be done differently. I love entering a house and being surprised by details, such as a branch of a tree hanging from the wall, dim indirect light at night or a list of recommendations from the owners that feel personal to them - what really moves me is when the human quality surpasses everything else.