8-9th September
So after lots of tests (MRI scan, blood etc), masses of
medication (steroids, anti-virus, antibiotics - at one point I was taking 36
pills a day plus ear and eye drops! it turns out I'm fine (still look freaky
though), it's just a virus which will hopefully improve given time.
It's been great catching up with family and friends (and my
crafty bitches did us proud in the cottage, thank you all so much) but we were ready
to return to Portugal so after my 'all clear' we tried to book the ferry for
today (8th Sept) but the crossing was full, so we had to settle for the 15th
and hope that we might be able to get a cancellation for the 8th. Will and Gill
have (conveniently) moved close to Plymouth; so we went to stay with them
.................. Sunday morning came with no cancellations (we've been
checking the website regularly), so we phoned Brittany Ferries at 10 a.m.; the
lady said she would ring us if there was a cancellation .............. 11.00
she rang - we had to be at the ferry for 3.00. It was fantastic news, but
equally it was a blow as we'd got used to the idea that we'd be with Will, Gill
and the children for another week.
The crossing was uneventful - we're seasoned travellers now,
we just take the ferry crossing in our stride!
We had a six hour drive (poor old Brett doing all the
driving) from Santander to Pedrogao and then we were back.
Good old Pam & Mark fed us, it was so good to see them;
they had so much news we couldn't take it all in!
10th September
So now we're back and we have so much work to do (1) as we
have visitors (so excited) arriving soon and they'll need somewhere to sleep,
(2) the grapes are ripe and the wine needs making, (3) we still have to order windows
and doors before the winter ...................... the list goes on and on!!!
We also want to get dogs, cats, pigs and chickens (we'll need housing and
fencing for the pigs and chickens) - so we shouldn't be bored (and neither
should our visitors!!!!)
First things first, we picked up our new inverter (hoorah),
set it up and plugged in our lovely new fridge (at last), I even filled the ice
cube trays.
Then we started work reorganising our living accommodation,
so that we can build a sleep platform in the kitchen; first we took all the
tools from the living room and put them onto shelves in the kitchen (we've
sectioned off an area so it doesn't impede into the room), we dismantled the
bed we've been sleeping on and moved ourselves into the cupboard bed, we moved
all the sofas and coffee table etc into the living room then rearranged the
kitchen space, we are actually eating at our large kitchen table at last.
It was a full on day and we didn't finish everything we set
out to do; after work we settled down to a nice cold beer from our fridge!!!!
Then before we went to bed we sat outside with mugs of hot
chocolate and watched shooting stars (we have a huge sky overhead with
practically no light pollution).
11th September
Happy Birthday Gill!!!
This morning we finished rearranging the kitchen; our living
space is so much more homely now (it's looking less and less like a shed!); all
we need now are doors and windows, plasterboard on the walls and tiles on the
floor ... oh yes and paint on the walls etc etc.
Our swimming pool was disgusting after five weeks, the water
was thick and green!!! So we emptied it out
overnight then I spent the afternoon scrubbing it clean (while Brett organised the
water tank for the house); the paint is coming off the floor quite badly (the
walls are fine) so we're thinking we might tile it (just the floor) when we
empty it for the winter; but for the time being it works so we can live with a
bit of peeling paint.
The work we've been doing doesn't sound like much, once it's
written down, but we are absolutely shattered by the end of the day!
12th September
Today we took a trip into Castelo Branco to get supplies and
do a big food shop (which is possible now we have a working fridge and freezer)
so that we don't have to use the truck too often - we're getting into
'smallholder mode'!! We would like to limit trips in the truck to once a week; it's
probably not practical but we can give it a go.
The weather is perfect, about 27
which is very comfortable, night times are
still too hot and sticky, we sleep with two fans going. Everywhere is still dry
and golden, but the fire risk is down to green - Pam and Mark were evacuated
from their quinta, whilst we were away, as one of the wild fires got perilously
close, their outside fire alarms were going off!!! The scorched earth is highly
visible from our quinta, it's very close - I would have been petrified (and
panicking!). Today when we drove into Castelo Branco the Bomberios (firemen)
were stopping cars to sell raffle tickets - we gladly gave them a donation! We
can't believe that in a country with such a high risk of fires the firemen are
all volunteers.
We had a relaxing evening watching Dr No
(the first of the box set of twenty seven James Bond films I bought last year),
it was very cheesy and the acting was atrocious; but it was quite nostalgic for
me as my great uncle Ted worked at Pinewood Studios, as a fireman, and he was
responsible for the pyrotechnic (and water) stunts in the early James Bond film
- he used to regale us with tales of all the stunts that had gone wrong when he
came to visit.
13th September
P&M came over this morning and, while
Pam and I had a natter, Brett and Mark emptied the wine vat (into 5L bottles,
not onto the ground!) in preparation for next week when we make this year's
wine.
We finished filling our swimming pool, it
looks so very inviting - but it's bone achingly cold at the moment!!! It will
warm up in a couple of days.
This evening we entertained P&M, we
brought garden furniture back with us from the UK so we can now sit comfortably
outside(as long as we remember mosquito protection) which is lovely (before we
were sitting on cheap fold up chairs that had a tendency to collapse, so you
were on tenterhooks the whole time!).
14th September
We had a good day today, we went to
Alpedrinha festival with P&M; the
festival has grown up around the tradition that on this particular weekend all
the sheep are brought down from their mountain grazing. The villagers
open up their homes to sell food, drink and crafts, there is music from local
bands, lots of which consist on one person playing a bagpipe and the rest
playing drums - it's actually really good, the music vibrates deep within you.
Fighting with sticks?
There was cheese tasting with cheeses made from sheep's milk, our favourite was
one that was runny at room temperature, a bit like a baked camembert;
unfortunately they were priced at festival prices so we didn't buy any. We met up
with Josh and Jamie, Nick's great nephew and his friend plus another couple
(Kieran and Jamie) with their daughter (Gypsy) who have recently bought land
locally - so it was quite a party atmosphere. Unfortunately we missed the sheep
as they don't arrive until tomorrow morning!!!!! You are invited to join the
chocaderios (the translation is rattlers, I think they make noises with bells)
in a three hour walk up (and back down) the mountain to fetch the sheep, but we
might go for just their arrival in the village.
15th September
We did go to Alpedrinha this morning to see the sheep herded
into the village and we have decided that next year we'll do the three hour
walk to fetch them in from their summer grazing; it was quite an impressive spectacular
with the sheep, bells ringing, drums beating, men with sticks and the magnificent
dogs.
Traditionally the herds were guarded by Serra Estrella dogs, fabulous
looking beasts with hair like a lions mane
(I want one!!!) they are fierce
animals and their job was to fight off wolves; nowadays they disappointingly
use border collies to herd the sheep, though some of our local shepherds still
use the Estrellas. The Estrella is obviously popular in this area as there were
lots being paraded around on leads, there was even a dog show
and I chose the
winner correctly. I'm so glad we went back.
I went for a dip in the pool this afternoon - it was still
quite cold!!
16th September
Brett started building the pillars for the sleep platform in
the kitchen.
We (us and P&M) have decided that this year we're going
to make white wine between us (we're going to start this Wednesday); so today I
have been trying to find ways to make use of the red grapes. I made some grape
jelly, which will do the job of redcurrant jelly, it's a fabulous deep purple
colour and it would make a terrific dye for fabric (I know this to my detriment
as it's all over my top!). And then I found the juicer I bought from Lidls about
10 years ago, I used a few times and since then it's been sitting in the
cupboard along with the popcorn maker, sandwich maker and deep fat fryer!!!
Anyway today it came into it's own juicing the grapes (it made hell of a mess!),
the juice it absolutely delicious, it tastes a bit like a smoothie (it's frothy
and cloudy) and I think it would make a fabulous drink mixed with sparkling
wine.
17th September
I woke up in the early hours muttering "shit we haven't
paid our road toll" (what made me think of that?), we incurred it on our
drive from Santander and you're supposed to pay it within five days (or so
we've been told); so first thing we went into Penamacor to pay it - it was fine
(phew).
Brett finished his pillars, tomorrow we'll order the joists
and floor planks.
A few days ago we found a purple fig tree
quite close to
the house; we were very excited as all our other fig trees are yellow. The figs
were ready to pick so, as I had found my ice cream maker at the same time as
the juicer, I decided to make some ice cream - caramelised fig ice cream to be
precise. It took me most of the morning to make the caramelised fig jam, which
is absolutely delicious, and an egg custard - they're cooling in the fridge
waiting for me, to buy some thick cream tomorrow, to finish the recipe. Then
I'm going to experiment with fig chutney, I'm going to buy Kilner jars (or
their Portuguese equivalent) tomorrow.
We picked 2 buckets of red grapes this afternoon and made 5L
of grape juice.
I went in the pool this afternoon the temperature was
perfect!
18th September
We ordered the wood for the platform today, then we went
into Fundao for a bit of shopping (we were more than halfway there at the wood
merchants).
I finished the ice cream - it is rather tasty, though the
pieces of fig were a bit big; I will experiment.
I started picking grapes, while Brett trained; I picked the
ones growing around the pool whilst I was in the pool! I picked 21/2
50L drums just from around the pool.
19th September
OK I have to admit it we're having problems with the
inverter!!!!!!! It was installed last Tuesday, on Thursday we went out leaving
just the fridge on, when we came back it was off and the light on the inverter
was flashing red and it was beeping - we switched it off, unplugged everything,
waited 20 mins switched on and it came on again. Then this Tuesday we were
sitting with a fan on and it stopped working, the fridge light was flickering
but after a while it all started working fine. But then last night
.................... we went to bed with the fan on (and the fridge) we were
woken at 1.30 a.m. by the fan making a strange noise, and the fridge clicking
on and off, we turned on a lamp (energy bulbs - we're very green here) and it
flicked, then was ok for half a minute, flickered, ok, flickered, ok, so we
turned everything of, waited for 20 mins and it wouldn't turn on again !!!!!! We managed to get it going at 6.45
a.m.
Then we made our wine, we have over 300L of crushed grapes
in the drum and we fished most of the stalks out this year, so we think we
could have twice as much as last year.
While we had bodies here (P&M and their workaway Joss,
plus Chris and Di) we got the beam for the sleep platform installed (it's a
very impressive beam).
We went to the pool this afternoon, when we came back the
inverter was off - we are more than pissed off! We have spent over £800
purchasing two inverters and we don't have one working one - it's absolutely
ridiculous, and of course our fridge is no longer working and the freezer is
full of food - shit, shit, shit, not happy.
While we were at the pool we collected half a bucket of
broad bean seeds (from the bed where we grew broad beans last year), so we
won't have to buy seeds. And, does anyone know, if you buy dried beans and
pulses from the supermarket you can sprout them - so presumably that means they
could be used for planting? I will experiment, apparently a popular legume to
grow in Portugal is chickpea, can you eat them fresh? Yes you can (googled it),
it says to use like petite pois; and I found out why they are popular - they
tolerate drought conditions.
We spent the evening in candle light, which is not nearly as
romantic as it sounds!!
I put a post on facebook this evening asking for olive
pickers in November, and fingers crossed, we have a possible candidate ....so
pleased.
20th September
So we unplugged everything, including the leads attaching
the inverter to the battery bank - it's back on (for the moment) and we think
we have worked out how to reset it (it's the unplugging from the battery bank),
but we daren't use it for anything but the fridge (Brett plugged in an
extension cable with a lamp on it and it blew!!); what a ridiculous situation a
4000W inverter and all we dare switch on is an A++ fridge.
This afternoon I'm going to start planting vegetable seeds
(in trays) for growing over the winter; we have been practising how to ask Joao
if he knows someone who can plough our land for us to grow vegetables in
....... "conheçe alguem que pode cultivar o nosso campo para podemos
plantar uns legumes". Our language classes start back this coming Tuesday
- I'm actually quite looking forward to them.
The wine is fermenting vigorously and already smells winey -
even I can smell it!
This afternoon the inverter started making strange noises
(like it was about to burst into flames noises!), so we turned it off. Nick has
been away all this week and isn't due back for another week so we're in rather
a fix - we are questioning our sanity ordering another cheap inverter via Nick
(in our defence it was from another source) when we're having so many problems
with the first one we purchased (well two if you count the fact that we had a
replacement that broke too); now (at last, I hear Mark (and Glenn) muttering!)
we are contemplating spending money on a proper reliable inverter (Victron,
Sterling or the like) which will cost well over £1000, but will be worth it
just for peace of mind (and a functioning fridge). Our BIG problem is - will we
get back any of the money we've already invested in the crappy ones (over £800)?
Our kind, generous friends, P&M, have loaned us their
travel fridge again; I don't know what we'd do without them. We have stored as
much frozen food as they had room for in their freezer and the rest we'll have
to eat as soon as possible or throw away (like my ice cream!!).
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow ......... when we went round to
P&M's this afternoon we saw this massive twister;
I was so excited I
couldn't manage to work the camera for ages so we haven't got a brilliant
photo, but you can see by the trees in the fore ground how large it was.
I planted masses of seeds this afternoon - mange tout,
french bean, sweet pea, cabbage, onions, leeks, swiss chard, lettuce, scarole,
comfrey, sweet cicely, florence fennel and
all these will grow this time of year (amazing) ...... now all we need is
someone to turn over the land to plant the seedlings in.
Our wood (for the sleep platform) was supposed to be
delivered today - it wasn't.
21st September
Happy Birthday Helen
I have been suffering quite badly with cramp; hands that get
stuck in a claw position and my calf muscles when I was stretching up on
tiptoes to reach grapes - so I 'googled' it and apparently lack of Potassium
salts can cause it (and I know I'm low in Potassium as I had blood tests last
month!), so I'm making a concerted effort to eat more bananas. I had a smoothie
for breakfast (banana, grape juice and yoghurt); delicious and very, very
filling ........
I might leave out the yoghurt tomorrow - unfortunately we have
rather a lot of yoghurt which is not going to last long as we can't use our beautiful new fridge!!!! so it needs using up
asap.
We ate with P&M tonight, Nick came round and in his car
was the replacement for our original inverter!!!! It's been back to China and
repaired; let's hope this one lasts longer than the last one - like a few
years.
22nd September
So for the umpteenth time we have a working inverter, it's
running the fridge at the moment - please, please, please let this one work! We
are a bit worried that the fan doesn't seem to be working ..........................
2 hours later ................. we went out for about 10
minutes, to stir the wine, we came back opened the door to an electrical
burning smell!!!!!!! Yet another inverter bites the dust; it's not us, our 400W
inverter which we had in the camper van works perfectly well on this system -
it runs our fans over night quite happily.
Mark (and Glenn) arrived back today, he's here until mid
December; he came for lunch.
23rd September
Nick came to check our inverters, he says one thing we haven't
considered is that one of our charge controllers might be the problem; it looks
like one is spiking and therefore blowing the inverter - I'm not convinced but
we changed the charge controller and fitted yet another inverter
.................. watch this space!
WE NEED OLIVE PICKERS
MID NOVEMBER!!!!
We've had a few positive replies to the 'Olive Pickers Wanted'
post; but so far no one has confirmed that they can definitely come. We have
nearly 300 trees, fully laden with olives, it would be such a waste if we can't
get them picked; and if you pick enough you get your own olive oil back rather
than some of the communal product.
