Summerhouse finished in time .........

We struggled to complete the summerhouse in time for our first visitors in May but was determined to do so. And a good job it was finished because we have had quite a few heatwaves this year, making this year the hottest we have experienced while being in Portugal. With very little rain during the winter it's most likely the river beaches will suffer as a consequence, not to mention the lack of water generally which is normally collected from the winter rains by the farmers to irrigate their land, we have also have a shortage in our well and are having to use mains water to do our daily garden watering and refilling the fish pond.
Looking back on our blog in April as to the stage of build on the summerhouse we still had a lot to do. Cladding the pillars in stone, finish rendering the walls internally and externally, stipling and painting them and the last job was to tile the floor.
Rob (being the artistic one) wanted to create a backdrop on the back wall. He designed a piece of art depicting the cherries which are symbolic of our village. I was slightly unsure it would work but, we think it looks rather nice and the locals loved the idea!

For some reason we didn't take photos of the next stages of work so the pictures below show the summerhouse as it looks now. Perfect for relaxing in the shade during the day and eating in straight from the BBQ. I am in the process of making a pair of curtains for the front open spaces (picked up some lovely fabric from the market) and netting for the sides to keep out the annoying flies who think they have a God given right to help themselves to our food and bodies!!!!

Exploring the Silver Coast - Starting with Nazare November 2014

Last November a little birthday celebration was in need so we decided to start our exploration down the Silver Coast by spending a few days in Nazare. This picturesque seaside fishing village is famous for it's world recording breaking largest wave surfed at a 111 feet high by Garrett McNamara in January 2013. It is a beautiful bustling little resort full of history and still on a daily basis you can see the local fishermen's wives dressed in their numerous petticoat skirts waiting on the beach for their fishermen to come onshore with their catch for them to clean and dry out the fish in preparation for selling on to restaurants and shops.
Nazare beach - the rockhead where the highest wave was surfed. Anyone who wishes to see the highest wave being surfed look on youtube where you will see several surfers riding the waves at Nazare.

Overlooking Nazare is the little village of Sitio which is a tourist spot which has historical legends and has a beautiful church called the Nossa Senhora da Nazare.

Overlooking Nazare from Sitio












Sao Martinho do Porto

We went on to this nearby resort and was smitten with it's laid-back touristy style, it's huge bay of a beach and it's prettiness. I can imagine in the summer months that this is a thriving bustling resort, even with a few more international cuisines, still remains very portuguese.

Camping in Porto Covo in May 2015

We decided to have another stab at a camping holiday in early May to the Silver Coast and discovered the beautiful resort of Porto Covo. The coastline is naturally beautiful and somehow it feels more serene and relaxing than the Algarve, maybe because it is more "Portuguese" and less spoilt by too much commercialism!!! With the Atlantic ocean crashing in on the coastline it gives lots of potential for surfers and sea sports lovers a chance to enjoy their sport! The Silver Coast attracts a lot of touring visitors in mobile homes, and there are many places where campers and mobile homes can set up easily, and almost on some of these beaches with amazing scenic views.


This holiday was mainly for a relaxing break so we mostly found a nice beach in the daytime and took advantage of having a rest. Now we have seen more of what this coast has to offer and how much we like it, we have made plans to go later in the year.

Rock Festa in Montes Da Senhora !!!!

What better way is there than to begin the festivities for 2015 by having a rock concert in your own village!!!

The Social Committee for our collective villages in Montes da Senhora organised a Rock Festival on the 3rd April, kicking off at 10 pm on the friday night with 4 live bands. The idea came about, if I am correct, from an event which occurred at the last summer festa in Montes. A group of musicians from our local villages (whom mostly have moved on for work but come back home to Montes for the festas) got together last year for an "impromptu" gig and it was a huge success. And so they came up with the idea of putting on a Rock Festival and widely advertised it, bringing in lots of people to enjoy the gig. Lots of the locals all muck in and help with the organisation, giving their time in serving behind the bar, setting up the gig, designing and printing flyers, etc., etc.,
Four of our English friends living here joined us for a fantastic night out. After watching two bands we had to call it a night at 3 am in the morning, as sadly us Brits are not as "hardy" as our Portuguese amigos who can party on till 7 or 8 in the morning!!!!!!
Unfortunately my camera wouldn't obey my instructions on the night and my photographs were rubbish to say the least but I have downloaded others taken to use for the blog.

And so, a great night was had by all, and big thanks and congratulations to our local guys for all their hard work who made this event a truly fantastic night for many to enjoy - Salude guys!!!

Living the "summertime dream" ...........

Having almost completed our major renovations we are now reaping the rewards of what Portugal has to offer us.
With the weather being really good since March it's beginning to feel  like this summer is everlasting. We began by taking a week away in April down on the  western side of The Algarve, basing ourselves in Carvoeiro and driving to some beautiful tranquil natural beaches along the coast towards Sagres, and, I even managed a swim in the sea which surprised me as it can be very cold in spring. One of the bonuses of holidaying out of season means the resorts and beaches are less crowded and you can even find "your own little piece of tranquil paradise!". Some snaps of various beaches tried and tested !!!!!

Blissful summer .......... starting with Froia River Beach

We are now finally finding the time to wake up each morning eager to enjoy the day and feeling able to take full advantage of the hot summer days! Although we have had a few torturous heatwaves, we have now learnt how to conquer those days by swimming and relaxing in the shade down at our local beautiful river beach at Froia. It's an absolute gem to visit if any of our readers are in this region, along with it's numerous other local river beaches. We must admit the Portuguese certainly know how to maximize their abundance of beauty spots!!! And to top it, it only costs your petrol money to get there - no car parking fees, no entry fees, picnic areas with BBQ's for free use, sun-loungers, chairs and parasols all for free use! Cafe and restaurant on site too! It's amazing to have all these naturally beautiful amenities, we feel so lucky and privileged to be experiencing living such a happy lifestyle in Portugal.