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Adventure - 5

Mon Apr 1st

Cliff says today we “piddled and poddled…”! We went for a little drive to the Baragem (dam to you and me). Most exciting thing we saw was another roadblock – of the Equine variety this time! Then out for a stroll around the village here – San Antonio Das Areias. First thing you see on entering the village is the Bullring - not the shopping centre but a real bull ring where they fight bulls! I’m told they don’t actually kill them any longer, well not in the ring but afterwards out of sight from the public – Oh, So That’s Alright Then (not!). A little old lady lives in a little house which is part of the building, we assume she is the custodian – whenever we’ve passed she’s been on the doorstep watching us! Anyway on into the village – typical Portuguese architecture, lots of the houses have the beautiful tiled pictures on the front wall.

Equine Roadblock --- Bullring --- House with tiled pictures

We found the little wash house – don’t know if this one is still in use but we have seen others that are, judging by the bowls of washing that were lying around. Lots of Cafés but we can’t take Sammy inside and in the ‘winter’ they have no tables outside. So no coffee sadly. Later on we took Sammy for his usual ‘poo’ walk – very pretty countryside all around. We came across this elderly Portuguese lady filling up her water containers from the local spring. Back to Brian just in time – managed to avoid a very heavy shower with hailstones! Can you guess what the brown object is in the third picture below? Answer at end of document.

Wash house --- Getting water --- ????????

Tues Apr 2nd
Into Castelo De Vide first thing to get the washing done. On the way yet another Ovine roadblock. I was surprised to see just two people with the sheep, a lady at the front and a chap at the back – no dogs. Cliff tells me they have a Bellwether at the front, meaning a sheep wearing a bell! The rest of the flock then follow the Bellwether. We also use the term bellwether to mean a person or thing that assumes leadership or that indicates a trend. Interesting eh? Sure enough at the front of the flock was a sheep with its bell jingling away, accompanied by a tiny lamb. Then on to Portalegre to order dog food from the vet and into supermarkets for shopping, trying, unsuccessfully, to find bacon and low-fat yoghurt! Anyone for Octopus? – found plenty of that! This one (pictured) was enormous and was priced at 34 Euros (£29). Needless to say we didn’t buy it! Met Amelia (an elderly sister in her 90’s) in town, she directed us to a café where we could sit outside with Sammy. Had coffee and cake – yum.


Sunny today so after lunch we went for a very nice 6 mile walk. We started at top of the hill overlooking Castelo, walked to a village called Carreiras where we stopped for coffee then back UP a beautiful medieval cobbled road. Back at Castelo we collected the washing, all freshly ironed. This evening we went out for tea with Gary to a little restaurant in Portagem called Chinchico’s which he recommended – excellent 3 course meal with wine and coffee for three of us – just 30 Euros (£25)! We are still amazed at how inexpensive it is to live here.

Wed Apr 3rd
Sleepless night for both us – too much rich food too late methinks. Raining again this morning so invited neighbours around for coffee – Margaret and Barry the couple who have been full-timing for 18 years. We picked their brains about exciting things such as insurance and they told us some of their exploits in foreign parts. After lunch the sun came out so we walked into the village and then back for Portuguese lesson – this time all about pronouns and reflexive verbs – oh joy! I recorded Joao reading from Branca Da Neve (Snow White) on my Iphone so we can listen to the recording and practice our pronunciation. I’m afraid Snow White is about our level at the moment and that’s too hard in places! After tea we drove up to Marvao as we thought it would be a nice sunset, sadly there were too many clouds although the approaching rain showers look impressive! Ho hum…

Thurs Apr 4th

Guess what the weather is today?? You got it - rain of course! Cliff took Sammy out first thing and saw a pair of bee-eaters! So they are beginning to return after the winter. Hope I get to see them before we leave. A day spent food shopping, doing Portuguese homework, jigsaws and piano playing! Portuguese lesson – more rolling of Rrrrr’s – the R is pronounced differently depending on where in the word it appears – is there any hope for us??

Fri Apr 5th
Hooray – sun is shining! We went for a walk up to Marvao – this time following a different medieval cobbled road. Cold wind but bright sunshine. Back to Brian for lunch then went out for a sputter in the truck along tiny little back roads, all lined with granite walls, looking across to the Spanish border. Beautiful wild flowers everywhere – purple heather on the hills and the yellow broom is now beginning to come out alongside the white. Out for tea this evening at the Pau Da Canela. We had Picanha – steak and chips to you and me. But what a vast quantity – 5 pieces of steak between the two of us! Sammy had a very special treat for doing good guarding tonight!

 

Sat Apr 6th
Woke up to a beautiful cloudless morning so went for another walk, about 7 miles. We’d done this walk before (remember the stepping stones?) but this time did a little detour up to the Spanish border. Before we left we heard a woodpecker drumming – and there he was – a Lesser Spotted woodpecker at the top of the telegraph pole opposite the campsite! Back to the walk – some of the trees are just beginning to burst into leaf – so pretty when they first come out. We saw a Bonelli’s Eagle soaring above us and when we stopped for coffee – a pair of Blue Rock Thrushes, very uncommon even here.

 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker --- Young Leaves --- Blue Rock Thrush

OK – so now we arrive at the stepping stones, there is a lot more water in the river than before. Sammy very bravely gets onto the second stone, hesitates for quite a while – then turns around and comes back! I start to take off my boots to wade across with him and he, very bravely, decides to go for it, in seconds he’s at the other side. By now I’ve gone right off the idea of crossing on the stones, so off come the socks and boots and I wade across – nice and refreshing!! I’m sure that both Cliff and Sammy think I’m daft but I’d rather have a controlled entry into the water than end up falling into it! Back at Brian we get the loungers out and sit in the sunshine reading our books – first time since we’ve been here. And what do we see coming up the road? An elderly chap walking with his mule and cart! The cart is full of large stones so he’s going very slowly. When we go up the road to the village later – there he is, having emptied his cart he’s ready for the return trip. He kindly let us take his photo and told us his mule’s name is Bernard – with much rolling of rrr’s. Into the village for some groceries and a coffee at Pau Da Canela and then back to Brian for tea. A very enjoyable day!

Sammy on the stones --- Chris NOT on the stones --- Berrrrnarrrrd

Sun Apr 7th
A sputtering day today. Went into Castelo De Vide and, after a stroll around the steep, narrow streets, we sat for the rest of the morning outside a very nice café doing our Portuguese homework and drinking coffee. Back to Brian for lunch. I attempted to go to the meeting at the Kingdom Hall this afternoon. I say attempted – got to the Hall and found it closed. Aha, I thought, Special Talk today so it will be in the Town Hall where the Memorial was held. Managed to drive around to the Town Hall – and it was closed as well! So, not knowing where the meeting was, I had no choice but to return home – very disappointing but at least I’d made the effort! Sun shining most of the day, very hot in the afternoon. Went for a stroll down the lane from the campsite before tea. A pair of Bonelli’s Eagles were soaring and displaying overhead – beautiful birds with huge wingspan and recognisable by their bright white underparts. Skype call with my sister Elaine in the evening rounded off a relaxing day.

 

Answer to: What’s the picture?
An elderly Portuguese chap carrying a huge pile of bracken!! (Presumably bedding for his animals.)

Contributed by Chris &Cliff

(Published 2nd Mar 2013)

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