About Us
Our new Home
After our hearts reunited in 2017, we made the decision in the autumn of 2020 to leave Switzerland behind and start a new life together in Portugal.
Since then, we have been living in the mountains above the village of Monchique, surrounded by cork, pine, and eucalyptus forests, with an indescribable beautiful view of the ocean – our dream.
Joia da Foia in the media
The Renovation has been completed
Our home has not only been transformed aesthetically into a true gem, but also undergone several technical upgrades. The electricity produced on our roof is stored in batteries and used directly in the house. Additionally, almost all of the hot water is generated with the help of the sun. A heat pump keeps our home comfortably warm during the cooler months through underfloor heating. High-quality windows and doors, along with an exterior façade insulated with cork, contribute to a pleasant indoor climate. Each room is equipped with modern zip screens that can be controlled with a remote, and the saltwater infinity pool is fitted with a countercurrent system.
Silvia von Burg
I was born in Porto (Portugal) and spent the first four years of my life there. In 1974, my parents decided to return to Switzerland, and in the following 46 years, I came to know and love my new home.
I am a proud mother of two wonderful children, now adults. For the last 20 years of my professional life, I worked with great joy and passion as a teacher. However, when my job fell victim to a reorganization, I found myself asking: Keep going as is? … Or is this the perfect time to take a leap into something new and go “back to the roots”?
Romain Hayoz
I was born in 1968 in the Bern (Switzerland) and grew up in Bettlach and Solothurn. After completing my education, I worked for over 30 years as an operator at a nuclear power plant. I’ve always had the desire and intention to move to a warmer country by the time I turned 55.
The decision of my employer to shut down the nuclear plant at the end of 2019 provided the final push. The fact that my journey has now led me to Portugal is thanks to my wife, Silvia. She showed me this beautiful country with all its wonders, and I immediately fell in love with it.