We have been busy ...................!!!!!!

Hi folks, sorry we haven't updated blog recently but we have had a busy time schedule. We had a delivery date for the sofa and chest freezer for the 12th April but the week before the store rang to say they could deliver that day. Hey ho, no chance! we hadn't even laid the floor tiles, in fact we hadn't got any even though they had been on order for 3 weeks, they still hadn't arrived. So off we went to find a tile warehouse in Castelo Branco so we could choose some and bring them back with us. We did get lucky and bought the tiles which meant we could start laying them 4 days before delivery date. We chose a terracotta tile for a border and a plain cream for the inset. As delivery day approached we were still grouting the last half of the room, but time waits for no man so we had to grin and bear while the delivery men put together the sofa (walking on my wet grouted tiles which hadn't even been wiped clean). At the end of the day it was all worth it because after four weeks of sitting on a naff old sofa when the old bones are creaking it was bliss to be able to put the old pins up and relax in comfort!

Our next mission was to go and buy the TV. Very easy, went into store and walked out with new T.V. Lovely, lovely, can now lozz on our new sofa and watch the T.V. Now, bored with the five portuguese channels we arranged for the satellite man to come so we could have english t.v. channels through freeview. Unfortunately, (for us) Portugal changed over from analogue to digital on the 26 April and we have to wait now till first week of May to have satellite installed. So, nice new sofa and t.v. but from yesterday, no signal means no telly!!!!! We are now addicted to watching the logs burn on the fire for entertainment!!!

__ Rob got lucky 2 nights ago (Portuguese Bank Holiday) and was at 8.30 pm invited to a party (men only). Off he trotted with my new umbrella (it was pouring with rain) and came back looking very happy. The party was in a local man's wine cellar where wine was flowing freely and the food prepared by his wife was home roasted barbecued pork, home-made bread and home-produced goat's cheese. The entertainment was the guests singing and playing accordians and various percussion instruments. He came home a happy chappy and had made lots of new friends.

"Nipped down to Ikea for some bits and bobs"!!!

A trip to Ikea has been on the cards since arriving here but with being so busy we have kept putting it off plus Rob was secretly dreading it as it wasn't a favourite pastime of his when we had one on the doorstep!

Off we set last Friday morning with me at the wheel (in the van, not my pedal pusher!!!) I haven't done much driving here as I'm not used to driving on "the wrong side of the road", but as we are in our english van somehow it seems easier with the steering wheel being on the usual side. A lot of the motorways in Portugal are on tolls, and the major motorway down to Lisbon (the A23) is an unmanned toll which means as you pass through the tolls your number-plate is filmed on camera and you pay the tolls locally. On a manned motorway you can pay the toll direct on the motorway but as we have a british number-plate we are unable to go on the A23 without shelling out 60 euro to have a costa verde box fitted on the dashboard. So off we proceeded on the "B" roads with our (not always to be trusted Sat Nav, especially in Portugal)guiding us. Well, I will cut the story short there and just say that it took us 4 and a half hours to get there. After a 3 hour mad shop we filled the van and set off back home. We took a different route this time using a motorway which we could pay on and got back home 3 hours later!! At least the ordeal ended with us being happy chappies with our goodies. Apparently when we can use the A23 the trip would take us 2 hours!!!. Can't believe we had to endure that ordeal when we used to live 2 mins from Ikea at home!!! How ironic!!!!

That evening the winds got very strong and during the night the much awaited rain came lashing down (sounded worse than what it was) and the rest of the weekend the weather was very windy. The sun came back on Tuesday so we treated ourselves to a 2 hour break and sat in the garden relaxing. With bright red faces we decided we had better head back indoors to get back to some hard graft (decorating the front bedroom). We still had the need though to light the log fire in the evening.

The next morning's work schedule was another day on the "electrics" the kind of day which Rob wishes he could hide under a rock as he dreads the horrors of the portuguese wiring techniques. After several hours of pulling out his own hair (and there isn't much of that) he has now discovered that a portuguese electrician will often use any spare wire lying on the floor as a "make-do" so sometimes what you perceive to be an "earth" could be a "live" and a "neutral" could be a "live", but after plenty of fun and games (translated means cursing and swearing and the occasional kick) the job was a "good one".

Pulling Power!!!!!!

Instead of buying me an egg for Easter, Rob spotted this "must have" jalopy and thought I would be so happy to be its new owner!! (Forget a Prada handbag, he thinks this is more me!!!) At least I don't have to insure, tax or M.O.T as it is exempt because it runs on battery power!!!!! and if it runs out of juice I can always pedal it home!

One of it's great advantages is that I can park it on a sixpence, it also has great all-round visibility and I am sure Jeremy Clarkson will be well jel!!

I know it is not quite (max power) but I am sure I can pull one of the old chaps or the odd stray dog or goat!!

Honk if you see me, ha ha!!!!!

Domingo day (Sunday)

Hi all at last a long awaited day off on sunday, our first one since arriving three weeks ago,and well earned we think.We spent a lovely morning chilling out at some friends house,and then they came back with us for a quick view of our new home,then out for drinks at our local bar, and afterwards had dinner out,grilled marinated chicken with all the trimmings,followed by pudding, a litre of wine and beers for two all for 15 euro, amazing and, scrummy delicious food,there will be more sundays off were sure!!!!.
Whilst eating we met up with some very nice dutch people who had been driving for two days solid, and were on their way to open up their campsite for the new summer season,it was lovely to meet you and we hope you are reading.
We are currently in the midst of re-tiling our lounge, and ordered the three types of tiles we are using two weeks ago, but so far only the terracotta tiles have turned up, but it doesn't really matter that much as we still have plenty to keep us occupied for the next couple of years!!!.
Our delivery of the pedra (stone) for the patio terrace did arrive though the same day we ordered it (see attached pictures) and we are sure it will look fantastic when we get around to laying it.
By the way if you single click all the attached photos they will expand to full page size.
On tuesday rob's new besty, called Joakim (batatas man)brought us yet another 5 litres of vino ,thats 10 litres in total now!!. He,s a lovely chap in his 70,s and our nextdoor neighbour, his hospitality is amazing love him to bits.
That's all for now, keep viewing to see how we are getting on!