24th May CASTELO BRANCO (still!)

We’re starting to get a little bit bored waiting to get access to our property; there’s so much work we want to do and we feel like we’re wasting time. OK, we can compare the price of things we need to purchase; but we can’t actually buy anything until we’re there, as there’s no unused storage space on the van. The two ring stove we bought last week has to be moved to the front when the van is parked, to the back when we’re driving and every night the gas cylinder has to be moved so that we can make up our bed.

We’re still looking at walking tractors, so today we went back to Fundao, Brett had seen some when we were there last week; unfortunately they were all second hand, and not much cheaper than new ones (everything keeps its value here). We don’t want to risk buying second hand as we are not mechanics.

While we were there we had an explore of the town; there’s a main street which is quite modern then there’s an older area which is a maze of cobbled streets with more shops and lots of restaurants and bars.

Fundao old town

The cherries are ripe!!!! All along the road on the approach to Fundao there were stalls selling boxes of cherries; we stopped at a house and the lady was literally picking the cherries, for the box we bought, as we arrived – it cost 5€ for a 2.5K box, that 2€ (£1.64) a kilo. And they are absolutely delicious; we haven’t got cherry trees at the farm – I will be planting some.

2.5 Kilos of Cherries

I drove back from Fundao!!!! I haven’t driven since we left home so I thought perhaps I ought to get some practise in before we became a two car family! It was absolutely fine; I don’t know why I had this mental block about doing it, I’m used to driving big vehicles and I have driven abroad before (but never the two together). Being a passenger for several months has helped as I am familiar with road positioning and road signage.

We were driving (Brett) around a roundabout this afternoon when we heard something metallic bouncing away from the van and into the verge – it was the end of our exhaust, the two rivets that held it on had rusted off; it’s not an important part of the exhaust, just the last 18”, the exhaust still sounds the same, but it’s another job for when we get back to the UK.

Poor old Brett has caught my lurgy so now the two of us are coughing and spluttering in unison.