Rain Rain and more Rain

Well over the last week we have had a drop of Rain, It's rained now for three days. Not like at home a few clouds and they drop there load and it gets better. Well here it rains so much trees have been blown down by the high winds. The bark from the eucalyptus trees is all over the lanes that i use a lot. The lane from Vale Boa to Martinho is for me a short cut down to Gois passing a house being prepared for friends of mine who are due to move in to there house before Christmas.

The lane out of Vale Boa is narrow and it bends to the left and the right and if that was not bad enough it also goes uphill quite steeply. But on this day Monday of this week i followed the bread lady up the hill only to find the lane blocked. We have a lady who delivers bread three days of the week. The lane is to narrow to turn even for me so i had to reverse down about 500 yards. Ok no problem but i had behind me my big box trailer, well i managed to reversed all the way down the hill without a stop all in one go. It certainly is a challenge to reverse in just a car but i had a big box trailer behind me and nowhere to reverse and go back to where i came from.

The reason i had my trailer was that i had a flat tyre that needed to be repaired also the spare wheel i have with the trailer was flat and needed repairing.

Getting on with the kitchen.

Over the last few days i have been busy getting all the pipe work installed into the walls ready for when i get the kitchen wired. The walls have to be cut into and a plastic pipe has to be fitted so that the cable can be pushed through them.

I went to a B&Q type shop to get some insulation for around the doors and while i was there i had a look around. Not far from me is a place called Penacova and in Penacova there is a place to buy plaster board and insulation. I got a price for an 8ft x 4ft sheet and i was quoted 25€ and that also had the insulation on the back. At the place i went to on Friday i could get an 8ft x 4ft sheet of plaster board and the insulation separate for less than 18€. The size of the sheet i am glad that i kept my Big box trailer.

I need to brick up at the top of a wall and the bricks i got cost 14 cents each that was 2.80€ for the twenty that i needed. So at that price i was happy. I will include some photos as soon as i can. Below is a picture of the hole ceiling exposed showing how big and open it will be when the rafters have been paneled.

Since i got back lots has been happening

Well we seem to be into the Olive season. Everywhere you go people are up trees picking the Olives. I don't know what it is like other years as i haven't been here at Olive time before. As i type this there is a team for want of a better word picking Olives next to my house and across the lane. There are six women all either up trees or picking Olives up that have dropped to the floor. The boss is sat in his car doing nothing.

Maybe tomorrow i will start to pick mine i have about 8 trees and none have grown very well. The land is on a step hill and facing the sun for most of the day the land is dry. From one of the pictures you can see a section that has just been cut back to allow the lane to be widened. The ground is so dry that the workers had to use a digger as they where cutting back the land by five/six feet.

After the Olives have been harvested i am going to cut the trees down. A couple will be used as a corner post for my chicken run. I want to give my chickens as much space as i can so they get a better life than in a cage. Hopefully they will have plenty of space to run around in.

While i was home to see my Mum my Mum and sister Lynne both mentioned that i had not been coughing at all. Well maybe i have the answer, On a number of the photos you will see that on the branches of the trees something growing. These things growing are called Lichens. Lichens only grow in places with very clean air. They are an indication of air quality as they only grow in clean air. So does this mean that now i am living in a very clean place that my cough is no more. Well the answer to that will show itself over the coming months. Below is a picture of my house seen from over the lane from my land " sounds good my land i am now a land owner "

I have found a ripoff garage

Before i left to visit my Mum i went to a local garage to have my hand brake fixed. The garage owner mentioned that i needed new brake shoes. As i had my own garage and a contract with Pickfords removals. Also for four years i was a night fitter for the largest haulage company in the UK. Then i like to think that changing brake shoes is something even i can do even at my age. Getting under the car for the handbrake was something i wanted not to do so i went to a garage to get it fixed. I told the owner to only repair the handbrake. I also said that as i was going to the UK i would sort out bringing new parts for the brakes with me from the UK.

I had my car taken to the garage for me while i was away. I said that i only wanted the handbrake done. Well the garage owner ignored what i said and fitted new shoes and new brake cylinders. The charge for just the handbrake had now gone up and from about 50€ to 175€.



I will be back to this later

Well it's all over now till next time

Well it's all over as the title says, back home in only two hours. Well that's the flight time and then it's down from the airport to my place in the sun. It may only be a two bedroom cottage in a little village called Vale Boa but it's mine and it's home.

As I type this at over 35,000 ft above a cloud covered UK or at least from 35,000 ft plus it looks that way. From the plane I can see small areas of lights but it's the lights of Portugal that I want to see most. The welcoming lights of home.

One of the highlights of my stay is seeing so many customers who really are and where friends I now have to leave behind. There where only a couple who I missed but I am that my son will pass on my best regards to them and maybe next time I will see them. The real surprise was the reaction from everyone that I met and was I quote “ Peter you do look well “ everybody noticed how much weight I had lost. Being me and a show off I had with me a jacket that last November I could not fasten due to my weight. Now that jacket is to big for me but it was nice to hear those comments. Lots of the people I would have liked to see had been told that I would be home for a short stay and I was able to see many. Thanks son that made the trip for me.

It was with great sadness that I had to leave my Mum who had only just had her hip replacement a week ago today. During that time I learnt a lot from my Mum. Despite the pain from the operation she didn't let use see she was in a lot of discomfort. Mum would try to do things and I just watched her struggle. Mums recovery would take all the longer if she was being helped all the time I just hope that she understands and I am sure that she does.

Soon I will be home and as Mum has a Skype phone I will be calling her to make sure that she is OK. Chelsee is so old for her eight years of age that she is. She can take instruction over the Skype phone that we use and we have when needed fix things. She even found how to play music from Youtube and use Skype at the same time. I used to text her when I was on-line so she could call me but this time I have told her to go on-line and if she See's me on-line she can call me.

As usual I get to the airport with plenty of time to spare, I make sure that I am always first in the queue at the check in so after the priority borders are on I am always next. This trip was no different than any of the others I have made. The three seats at the top of the stairs are where I aim to be for the flight. I just get to the top of the stairs and while waiting while the crew check the passports I put my glasses case on the seat by the window. As usual it worked and I am sitting where I wanted to be.

Well it's been nice but it's time to go home.

Well it's been a nice couple of weeks but it's time to go home.

I got to see mum before she had to go into hospital for her hip operation. Mum had to go into hospital on a sunday for her op. We took mum to Spire hospital for her operation and we arrived a little before noon on sunday. After she settled in mumwas taken down to have her operation. The operation was over by 4pm and she was wheeled back into her room by 5pm. It's a pity that we all live so far away or mum would have all the care she needs, plenty of family call in on regular basis. It would be nice if we where more local but there is nothing really that we can do about it.

Sue has just gone to Napal to climb part way up Everest. Lynne lives and works in Huddersfield. Diane is away on holiday in Greece. Tim lives in Derbyshire and that leaves just me well as you all know i live in Portugal. That leaves Jackie, Jackie lives just a short walk away from my Mum. Jackie i would say is very close to mum and does more than any of the rest of use. David and Laura also paly a large part in my mums life as they call in so often if going to or from work. So mum really has lots of help.

Justine and Andrew called to see mum on Thursday. Justine is a physio in a hospital in Leeds and on her day of she called and she was a great help to mum. Justine has a loverly little baby 6 months of age and what a loverly baby he is. I could go on more about family but you all are such a big help. The news from Robert that he got the flat he was viewing was a nice lift and that cheered her up. So we may not be there but we all play a part in mums life and recovery.

Laura is going into hospital in the coming days for an operation and i wish her well and if you red this Laura good luck and i will be thinking of you.

I got to see Chelsee a couple of times, as usual she is so excited that she comes out without her coat. On one occaision she didn't even tell her mum she was with me. It was only that her mum called to check that she was with me.

I didn't get to see Sean even though his mum and dad where in Liverpool visiting his dads mum. This was the one thing that i return sad about.

I got to see my mate Dave. Dave and i have been mates for well over thirty years. I helped Dave extend his garage and we had to sit on top of my van to get to the height of the walls we where doing. Dave & Margaret i will miss a lot but i will get to see him next time i get back next year.

Well i fly back on the 16th to Porto and due to getting into Porto late in the evening i will be staying in a local hotel.

Sean and Chelsee

I have two grandchildren Sean 5 who lives in Scotland and Chelsee 8 who lives in Liverpool.

Today i was lucky to see Chelsee. I had sent messages as i had not seen her on Skype and i was getting a little worried. Well i got a reply today, it seems that she had been away on holiday with Mum and Dad in Egypt. So it seems that i was worrying for nothing. Chelsee wanted me to pick her up after school.

I used to get to see Chelsee a lot when i lived in Liverpool but now i have moved i have to speak to her on the internet via Skype. Chelsee always seems to be doing something else  so all i see is the top of her head but at leaset i can still see her. As my mum has been in hospital getting a new hip i wasn't able to see Chelsee as i would like.

This week Sean is down from Scotland with his Mum and Dad visiting an ex relative of mine. Sadly I won't get to see him while he is at an ex relatives of mine's because he is staying with Chelsee's nan. I have only seen Sean a few times in Scotland and a few times down here in Liverpool. With relations between his mum and i well i can't see how i can get to see Sean at the moment. Maybe his Dad will bring him to see me but as he has been here almost a week now he has had plenty of time to come and meet me. He has spoken to my Youngest son and seen him twice but me well seems he only has one parent or only wants to see one.

I got to see Chelsee

Yesterday i had to decide either see my mum or see my granddaught Chelsee. As it truned out i was able to see mum and then go and see Chelsee. Chelsee like all children seems to think that she can have her own way they don't understand that sometimes you have to say no. This time i was able to see both her and my mum. Today i went with my sister Jackie to see my mum only to be told that she is able to come home tomorrow on Thursday. We don't know what time she will be released but it's great news. Laura my sisters daughter has arranged for a car suitable for mum to be able to come home in.

I had not seen Chelsee since i left for my new life in Portugal and i must admit i did miss her. My thoughts where with my mum who dispite making a great recovery i felt i should have been there instead of with Chelsee. I did see Chelsee  and it was a great time and one i will remember. When i lived in Liverpool i would see Chelsee often and when i did we would have curried Chicken. When we have curry Chelsee comes with me to buy all the ingredients that are needed. Chelsee normally does most of the cooking and i stand next to her just in case. This time we had to have white rice as we had no turmeric to put in to make the rice yellow.     

I will be back to finish later

Proud of my Mum

I am back in the UK for a very short break. I wasn't going to do this one till i got back home in my place in the sun. I love my new life in Vale Boa and during my short time there i have changed. I am more relaxed, i have lost weight, i am eating so much better as everything is fresh. So i do want to go home as soon as i can. Enough about me.

My Mum has had to go into hospital to have a new hip. Ok but mum is in here eighties but need it she did. Sadly the local hospital waiting list was so long that one in Fazakereley couldn't even put her on the list. My youngest sister has the sense to ask about other hospitals namely private hospitals that are allowed to do NHS work. Mums doctor agreed but it seems that you have to make contact to have the job done not the doctor. So Jackie called after seeing Mum she had a date for the op. Sadly due to an infection the op was delayed till the 9th October.

We took mum in just before noon on the day of the op and shortly nurses and doctors came to see her. Well by 2pm mum was taken for her op. Yes in before noon and ready for the op by 2pm not what you would expect from the NHS. Well as you would expect we waited but not for to long by 5pm mum was done and back in her room. We stayed for a little while and then left mum to rest.

Mum was told that the next day would be her worst as the drugs have worn of. Next day i went to see mum and she was in a little discomfort but she was looking so well. I am looking forward to seeing her today the 11th October sister Sue's birthday also the day before was the day that 44 years ago i passed my driving test and i passed it first time.

Ok more later

45 Commando have returned from Afghanistan

Much is happening but this week i am only reporting on one thing.

The Royal Marines of 45 Commando have returned from a tour Nad-e Ali. All parents, brothers, sisters etc will like me be very happy to here of there return. They returned home without loosing any Marine.

That's all i need to say on this good news. My news will wait for the moment.

A bit of what i did this week

Tuesday i collected a couple of friends from the railway station at Coimbra who are staying close to me. Friday i took back to Porto airport a friends family who had been here for a holiday. My friends mum is a young 92 year old and a nice lady to have a chat with. I now look forward even more to my own mum coming out to see me for a holiday. Maybe not in the Algarve where my Dad loved to go but in the most beautiful part of Portugal. Well i would say that woudn't I.

Thursday night i went for a meal with the lads i picked up at Coimbra, on the menu was wild boar. Yes i had wild boar and boy it was incredible and i will go back there again for some more Mmmm.

Now this brings me to Saturday a day to do my washing and some baking. First i did a loaf in my bread maker i am very good at making bread but then again all you do is measure things out and switch the machine on. I use the timer so it's ready before my evening meal and it was perfect to have with a Turkey curry. For only 4€ i got enough turkey for 4 meals anyway the chicken breast for the same weight would be double the price.

Apple crumble should be no problem, should be but i was making it. Where did i go wrong well i measured everything out into my mixer. Well that is where i went wrong, i shouldn't have used a mixer. Instead of coming out as a crumble the mixture came out as a dough.

Well work is well under way now on the kitchen

Over the last few days I have had to get help to take the chimney down well that is now down and the roof has been repaired. I have a few pictures showing once the chimney has been removed and one where the batons have been put in place and then when it's all complete. If you look at the first you may just be able to see the moon in the distance.

 

We went out yesterday to get a new marble sill to go under the door. We went to a huge factory that makes just about everything out of marble. While we waited my sill was drawn for the machine man to make the sill. It took about half an hour from going in to the machine man giving me my new sill. The cost including tax was 7€ Yes that's less than £7 and it was made to measure and while we waited.

The door and window company are coming today to fit the door and windows. It was nice that the window guy arrived as arranged. He only left the door and window as the gap for the door was the wrong size. When the door was measured the company owner wrote down on the wall the size to make the opening. This we did but in the mean time he changed things so we could have a sill under the door. Well we had a bit of changing to do but the next day all was Ok and the window and door where fitted.

Work has restarted again on the Kitchen

Well as you can see from the title work in the kitchen again. Work had stopped because until the window and the door for the veranda had been fitted. The window company tell me that they will be ready to fit the door and window tomorrow Wednesday the 21^st. The same day the phone company are also due to call and repair the line so I can have my phone working also my internet. It's only been three weeks waiting for the phone man to call. In the UK you don't know just how lucky you are if your phone is off it can be repaired the same day by a man and his little van. Hey but this is Portugal you have to take

the good with the bad.

There is one thing I know will be done on date and on time is the chimney will be taken down tomorrow. One of my friends is going to take it down as it's one job I don't feel comfortable doing. Also where the chimney is taken down from that part of the roof needs to be tiled and my friend will soon sort that out.

I had to take down part of the wall under where there was a window, also the window needed to be taken down as well. Once I marked the wall and used the cutting disk it was quite easy to remove the wall section. After using the cutting disk I was covered from head to toe is brick dust and my hair felt like sand paper.

A quiet time at the moment.

At the moment I am waiting for the window company to install my new window and veranda door. Until they are made and fitted everything else is held up. The window and door are due for fitting on the 20^th of September. Like many stories there is always a but. When the company installer came to measure up so that the window and door fitted correctly he measured from the top of the frame and down to the floor for the door. He never asked about what was to be done with the floor. I met the tiler later on the day of the Porto trip to check about the floor. It seemed that we needed 20mm gap for the floor tiles, I am having the door open in and there was no way that this could happen. I went to the door company who as luck had it the door was not made yet so I was able to get the door made so as I could have the floor tiled.

Today the 14^th I did a trip to Porto airport to collect a family coming to stay with a friend called Celia from Cabril. Cabril is not very far from Gois about as far from Gois on one side as I am on the other side of Gois. One of the family I am picking up is Celia's mum who is 92 years young. So if she can travel then I look forward to my mum coming to see me next year sometime. My mum is a young 85 years of age.

As I need to use all seven seats in my car I had very little room left over for luggage. So I really needed to use a trailer to carry the bags but my trailer is so big I could have carried the bags for a whole plane load of people. I asked Richard if I could use his trailer as mine was to big. Richard said I could but it may need a clean out. The last time the trailer was used was for Horse manure. Yes it did need a clean but lucky for me it had all dried out so I was very lucky. It was not a messy job.

One little ting I did find in the trailer was three Wasps nests. Yes and they where active and wasps could be seen coming out of them when I opened the trailer top. Loads of Fly and wasp spray soon got rid of them. It didn't take long to get the trailer cleaned and ready to go and I was on my way and clear blue skies, I normally use my air con but I tried to drive with the windows open but with the temperature at 36c as I put my hand out the air was very warm. I was driving at 60mph and the heat coming in was to much so it was back to the air con.

A quiet few days

The weekend started with me being a guest on a English radio program that is on air Saturdays from 10am till noon. John decided this show was about me and my move to Portugal.

After the show we had a look around the record library and as John was 64 that day we looked for the Beatles " When i am 64 " but what we found was the Beatles " Live at Hamburg " this was recorded before Ringo joined and Pete Best was the drummer. Pity the cover was not in good order or it would have been worth a good few bob.

In the cellar was a number of big wooden boxes and i decided to start to take them apart as the timber will come in handy to panel one wall in the master bedroom. I will put some pictures up as soon as i can and explain how difficult it was to take just one apart.

I had a call from Anthony who had someone to speak to me. It was a lady who was the first customer when i opened my Video shop in 1985. Since then she married, had two daughters and two grand children. Over the years a lot has happened and she is still a customer of the shop now it is a Bargain Booze franchise.

A little later the phone went again and this time it was so i could speak to someone special. It was Jeff an ex sargeant from the Parachute regiment. Jeff is now well into his eighties. We used to joke about his wife who is a nurse. If you know the program Open all Hours you will know about Nurse Gladys Emmanule. Well Jeff has his own personal nurse. It was so good to be able to speak to him.

So many people where a part of my life while i was in Liverpool and i must admit i do miss them but this is now a new chapter. So it's the future i am looking forward to.

I do look forward to speaking to more of my friends still in Liverpool. Anthony can't begin to understand the pleasure i got speaking to old friends. Thanks son. 

Well the air con is now done

Well i have gone and done it i have installed my air conditioning and it worked right away, no problems.

No Problem well that's a lie as i now have to keep cleaning as there is dust in the air but i can live with that. As you can see from the first photo the temperature was 28 C but it didn't take long and after setting the temperature to 20 C it was nice and cool. well cool enough for me.

Well as you can see from the photo i had to connect the inside unit and the pipe work up and then pass through a 65mm hole in the wall. Now the pipe you see has 2 copper pipes in it and the main cable and a sensor cable. I had to lift the unit complete with the pipe up and climb a step ladder. This was not an easy thing to do and aim the pipe to go through the hole in the wall. Well i did it and boy am i proud of myself.

Considering in the past if i needed anything doing i would always get someone to do it for me. It was an easy thing to do all i had to do was pay. Well as you have seen from the kitchen and now the air con there are things i can do. I will admit to being a bit concerned  but you can't imagine the pleasure i got having completed what i consider was a big job. I was also concerned as to how i would get the pipe and unit up without an extra pair of hands but i managed.

This unit is to big for what i wanted and i mean in effective output. I got this unit as i have 2 bedrooms next to the lounge and by leaving the doors open they also would get a benefit from the air con. When i tested the unit the temperature also went down in the bedrooms as well so all was achieved in one go. Just look at the picture above that's the hole i had to pass all the pipe work through.

Today is a day for working outside

Nice as the house is there is one feature that really annoyed me was the railings outside of the house and the gates. The walls had sharp spikes on the top and the gate also was made the same. Today I got my grinder out and cut the railings down. I need to get someone to remove the chimney stack and if you look at the pictures you will see why I had to get rid of the dangerous railings. The gates do not open so they are ok against the wall but at a later date I will decide to either replace the gates or remove the top spikes.

I have been preparing the inside for the air con in the lounge and I have put a photo of where it will go above a window. This was the only place I could put the air con so as to have the outside pipe in the right place. What a crap colour on the ceiling, the doors are also painted the same but I can live with them. If I started to change bits here and there I would end up with a house with lots of bits done and nothing finished.

The reason I did the air con was because I had a weekend with nothing to do. Today I had nothing to do so I removed the dangerous railing. I can't do any more to the kitchen until the chimney is down and the whole in the roof where it was has been fixed. Then I can start to insulate the roof and then start to panel the ceiling. So while that is waiting to be done I am doing little bits, but that's all.

I was going to edit the picture of the chimney so as to show just the roof and chimney but just look at that sky, it's a day like this that I play the came I came up with and it's called Spot the Cloud.

I am going on this beautiful day to confirm the order for my window and veranda door. For the door and window double glazed and fitted 562€ that's not bad when you consider they are not standard sized windows or doors.

About ready to start rebuilding the kitchen

Well the title says it all, the demo is all done so now it's putting it all back together. Well not quite. I have one bit to finish and that's below the window this and the window has to come out so I can fit the door that will lead to the veranda. Monday I will go and get the wall insulation boards so I can insulate the three walls that are not insulated. I am getting plaster board that has insulation on the back of it, when I went to the builders to enquire about it he spoke English and explained that you just put the adhesive on the wall and push the panel against it. We would say that you dot and dab it. It didn't matter I understood him. At 25€ a sheet it's not cheap but it would waste having the ceiling done and leaving the walls uninsulated.

The wall below the window will not be removed until the day the door company call to fit the door they not only make the doors but fitting is part of the price. On Saturday I had nothing to do so I got the stone cutter out to make the first cut where the door will be getting fitted. Not having anything to do all weekend and saying I was not going to start any other jobs till this one was finished, well I had time on my hands so I drilled and positioned the back plate where the air con was going in the living room. I had a 65 mm hole cutter but mine was for timber or plaster board. I had to cut through stone so I needed a 65 mm stone cutter. I have a friend who has a 65 mm hole cutter so I will be using that.

Above you can see how the ceiling will be open, the little black things on the ceiling are nests.

The next step now I have the cable is to lay the pipe into the wall for the electrics to go into I will be having 4 twin sockets also a socket for the TV or Monitor above the fridge freezer.

Well the work on the Kitchen is well underway

Well as the title says the Kitchen demo has started. The reason for removing the ceiling is because by taking out the hideous vent that took up half the room I have weakened the Chimney vent. After removing the vent it was to late to put it back. A concrete beam had been cut so as to form the vent and that would have been needed to be replaced also then a beam would have to be put in place to secure the underside of the chimney. The option I chose was to remove the ceiling and have it all open with exposed beams. Two of the concrete cross beams will be retained and clad in timber for support for the walls and ceiling.

The pictures below show the various stages in taking down the ceiling and also the exposed beams. It's common in the UK for floors to be made from what is called Block and Beam construction. What Block and Beam is well concrete beams are put in place where a floor is to be put and between the beams what looks like breeze blocks are laid to form the floor.

The ceiling was formed using five concrete beams and between them special ceiling blocks then the ceiling was skimmed with concrete for what reason I do not know. Concrete seems a common thing to use in building here in Portugal it seems that it's the only thing they have to use. After the ceiling was built they just used concrete whereas in the UK we would use plaster. On the top of the ceiling guess what they had more concrete. A photo is included of the end of a block still to be removed from the wall that shows the way the blocks are made. This is common in Portugal and Spain for construction of houses walls and ceiling are made this way.

It took me a day to remove most of the ceiling blocks and there is just a bit now and it's all down. Then I have to look at sealing the roof so I can insulate between the rafters. And then face of the ceiling between the rafters with timber as you can see in the photo from a friends house. Well all the ceiling is now down apart for two beams that for safety sake I need help getting them down.

Today was crearing day in the brew house

In the cellar was brew house that had a some time in the past been used for making a lot of wine and a local brew called aquadentre. Now as I am never going to grow enough grapes for making wine on the scale of the past the contents of the brew house has to go. In it's place will become a guest accommodation. I have the space to create a bedroom with en-suite and a small lounge. As I move into the last room in the cellar to clear it out I will take photos and explain in more detail my future plans.

The contents of the brew house being a big barrel that was used to crush the grapes and I have enclosed a picture with a tin of beans on top to show the size. All the other barrels will be cleaned and put on Ebay. There are five barrels two quite big and three a bit smaller. If I get the price I want then I will deliver them to the UK when I come back to sell my trailer but that's another story for another time.

I have two grapevines below where the veranda will be. It is my plan to train the grapevine to go over the top of the veranda it is common here to train grapevines to form shade. At this time of year the grapes are nearly finished so I will wait till the vine is ready for pruning and get help from someone who knows about vines etc.

I went today to get some of the bits for the electrics for the kitchen.

Well today Saturday the 27th i went to a shop a bit like B & Q but bigger and with a better selection. It's called Leyroy Merlin. I went to get some double sockets for the kitchen and a light switch. I got the four sockets and a double light switch but also i got a socket to connect a Computer monitor in the kitchen. The cable for lights and sockets here in Portugal has to run through a tube sunk into the wall I got a roll of 100 mitre for only 18€ i was happy at that price as i had expected 100 mitre roll would have been much more.

I also priced up the windows for the kitchen and they are on special offer at 99€ i need a new window for the kitchen so i may go back before the offer end the window is a Mitre and the same height as the picture below.. One window that will be going is the one where the veranda door will be fitted. The window that you see in the picture below is the one that will become a door onto the veranda that i intend to have fitted soon. The veranda will be the width of the wall that you can see, Ok i know it's not huge but it will be in proportion to the rest of the house. 

I have been to a company called Alumnorma it's a door and window manufacturer to get a quote for a new window and a new door for the veranda and i am waiting for a reply as to the price to supply a window and door.

Letters of good luck

Well this is a little overdue, before i left i was given some cards from family and friends from the shop. I was asked to wait till i had arrived and this i did. In fact i waited till my first night in my new home.

I in fact waited till i had made my first cup of tea. I opened the shop ones first and to see just how i would be missed nearly had me in tears. It's a time like this that you realize that people do care.

The hardest was to open the ones from my mum and sisters. Well i was reduced to tears, i may be a long way from home but they are in my heart and with me always. I hope to get back sometime before Christmas as a surprise to Mum so girls keep  quite. I will keep you all up to date with my blog. At the moment it is not easy as i am waiting for my Phone/ Internet connection. Once i get these i will keep up to date almost daily.

The Kitchen has now been started. Pt1

Well you will see from the following photos how work has got on in the kitchen. I have included first before photos and then as I go along the photos of work to prepare for my new kitchen. I may say from here on that all you see was done by me, no stunt double. If it hadn't been for Anthony I could not have got so far in a short time. Anthony had a power tool commonly called a Jack hammer and without this I could have demolished the kitchen. All you see is made from concrete with steel inserted for strength.

The first thing I did was to remove a work surface at the side of the sink, I only have a picture after I removed the work surface but you can see where it was. This was the first time that I had to use a Jack hammer.

Next came what had been some kind of cooking platform as above it was a huge air vent. This was easy as I now knew what I was faced with concrete and steel for support. Even with a Jack hammer it was slow work but it did come down in the end. Thick concrete and steel is not something that you would find in a kitchen but I am in Portugal and things seem to be built to last.

Well it's now the air vent the part I left till the last above the cooking surface. I had packed a step ladder with me when I moved and it's just as well. The vent like all the rest was concrete and Steel. From one of the photos you can see the extent of the steel in the vent. This took a good two days to take down but not without some drama. The step ladder decided that it had had enough it decided to just collapse with me ending up on the floor. Pity that happened as I had had that ladder quite some time and I expected to be using it for a long time to come. As luck had it in the cellar I found another step ladder but the one I found was not made from aluminium thank god at least this will support my weight they seem to have a love of steel here in Portugal. Well what I had started to do was to remove a section of the air vent at a time and this seemed a good choice. But because it was so hot work was slow and bit by bit it was down and just a bit of tidying up to do.

I need to have the kitchen ready to have all the electrical work done. As the kitchen stands there is only one ceiling light and only one socket. How people lived like this is beyond me but the old lady who lived here before me must have had a hard life in each room there is only one socket and a ceiling light. In the kitchen I want to have in the ceiling four LED spotlights and in the walls four twin sockets. Unlike the old lady I have all the things that make life easy. From my bread maker to mixers etc. Now all that is left is to remove the sink but in the mean time I need to make a temporary sink on a work surface. I have all my base units for my kitchen with me that I got from the UK. I will put them together in the lounge so that I have somewhere to prepare

The cost of tolls to journeys end in my new home

Tolls and the cost of travel from the UK to Central Portugal. We all have to pay the cost of tolls or go on the A roads. Some A roads are in fact very good in France and Spain. But it was my choice to use the Tolls.

After coming out of the Port of Le Havre there are a number of short stages where the cost is small the first was only 1.60 Euro then I went over a bridge this was more 2.20 Euro and the last at this point was 3.20 Euro. Not bad for this part of the journey. These tolls I paid using my Caxton prepaid card. At one toll booth I had to wait because the card reader was across the other side of the line of toll booths. We the assistant got the card reader the fee was paid and I was on my way. They seemed to have no problem at the manned booths taking payment by card.

As I got a little further south the next stage was a long stretch perhaps 200 miles or more plus the cost was 27.60 Euro ouch and 

they had no card reader or so they claimed. I thought that the assistant was just to lazy to get a reader so I said I had not cash and to get her boss. When someone came over I explained that I had no cash until I could go to an Atm at the next town I was going to stop at. Her boss then instructed her to fill out a form and told me I had 10 days to pay the Toll fee. The next toll was for 10.30 Euro and again as was the case with the next two tolls where all paid with my Caxton prepaid card. It was only the one stretch of motorway where I had a problem, or was it just that it was the assistant being unfriendly who knows or cares. It really was that easy from Le Havre to the Spanish border.

Crossing into Spain was no problem at all you just carry on driving with no border control. The first toll fee was when I came to go into a town for a break and i had to come of the motorway. The fee was just 0.73 cents. After a short break it was time to get on my way to my next overnight stop at Valladolid I only came to have to pay at two more tolls the first being 1.38 Euro and the last being 9.90 Euro.

In total the cost of travel by toll roads from Le Havre to Gois was 85.71 Euros. A driving distance of 1392 miles but that was from Liverpool to Gois crossing at Le Havre. I stopped often and took many breaks off the motorways. I could have saved a lot of mileage if I had just driven through and only came off the motorway from my nightly stops. The thing is I enjoyed my trip and I made the trip all on my own. Would I do it again Yes that's an easy answer because I love driving. Would I recommend driving well it's got to be yes, I got the chance to see part of the Cognac region. I went into Poitiers, Bordeaux. This is the second time I drove over the first time from Postsmouth to Santander with a Transit van and Big box trailer.

Almost from the ferry terminal it was motorway until I came of at the motorway end in Portugal. After crossing the border into Portugal there was little difference to the motorway I had been on for well over 1,000 plus i enjoyed every mile covered.

The cost of fuel to move from Liverpool to Gois in Portugal

Let me say from the start that I drove from Liverpool to Gois and stayed at 60 miles per hour as much as I could I never drive over 60 so as to save the cost of fuel. I also wanted to enjoy the journey and not get into a race.

My journey started of from my Mums in Liverpool almost next door to an Asda. Asda sell Lpg auto gas, so it was here that I filled up for the start of my journey to a new home and a new life. I put in £25 of petrol and Filled up on gas app 58 litres at a cost of £40.34. I only put in £25 of petrol because I had hopped that I could get through to Gois on Gas.

My gas ran out after 342 miles not quite as I had hopped but still good. It was 52 miles before I could get refilled with gas and at this point I was running on petrol. Gas is easy to get in France but the motorway service areas are much further apart than in the UK. My first fill was £53.69 and then I was on my way again. My next gas was for £27.01 this time I filled because I was at a service area with gas and not because I needed it. My next fill was just over the border into Spain and the first service area had gas so I started to fill and got just £1.27 yes that's right the service station had a power failure. Just my luck I could have filled enough to get me through Spain and into Portugal. I decided to push on and stop at the next service area that sold gas. Just my luck to need gas in a country that is only just starting to use gas and i found no more gas till i reached Portugal.

I crossed into Portugal at 11am in the morning on the 4^th August a little ahead of my expected time for this point in my trip. I came across gas part way to Gois and filled up with £35.50. Due to the heat gas expands and where in the UK I have had 61.3 litres in a 60 litre tank here I could get less than 50 litres so that's why a fill was much less than before.

Now I am here in Gois I have no problem filling up with gas. What I do is fill up each time I pass a garage that sells gas. Would I recommend gas Yes at 71 cents per litre against petrol at app 1.60 Euro that's less than half price. Prices I have found in Portugal are from 65 cents to 77cents. The one I use most is 71.5 cents per litre. Just a little way past Lousa.

When I first got my car converted I went to a local installer who was a Uk registered installer so insurance was ok, car tax was a little lower and after over 100,000 miles I would not change.

So in total my mileage was 1392 miles travelled. Gas I covered 1087 at a cost of app £117 and milage was 305 on petrol at a cost of £91.68 now the petrol figure is not quite correct for the mileage because before I crossed into Portugal I filled up as the petrol was a lot cheaper that in Portugal.

Well I hope that I have been a help to others planning the trip like me.

Todays is signing day and moving in day

Well it's arrived today is the day to sign the final papers and move into my new home. I go to the Notaire's office at 3pm in a place called Arganil. Arganil is a lovely town about 15 minuet drive away. By about 4.30pm the keys will be mine and i can move in. I am going to get the van and try to unload as much as i can tonight. Every box has been labeled so it should make things a little easy.  This morning i went to Lousa another town in the opposite direction from Arganil. Arganil is north and Lousa is to the south.

Today really is the day where if i had any doubt then it's at this point i should say no i want to go home. Well sorry, i have been up to the house so many times i have not had one reason to think that i have made a mistake. I know in my heart of all the things in my life i have done this is one that feels so right.



I went for a meal with Nigel and Ann last Sunday and with the meal we had wine. Now i am not a wine drinker but it was very nice. I think i will get into the habit of having a glass of wine with a meal in future. Today i got a bottle of Mateus with a free half bottle. Cost 3 euro now that's not a bad price. That's less than £3 for a bottle and a half. Now to drink wine you need to be able to open a bottle and who doesn't have a bottle opener, well now i have. I also got some fruit, my mum has a bowl of fresh fruit after her evening meal well i am going to give it a go. The shops here are full of local grown fresh fruits and vegetables. The selection of fresh fish would make Asda look a bit silly. Lots that are available is fresh that day.

I was showing pictures of my house to John in the Internet Cafe and he tells me his Godfather lived in my house many years ago. It is a small world.

I will be about a week before i have the Internet up at the house but when i do i hope to update every couple of days and to include photos.  This is the end of one part of my life, Tomorrow starts a new day in life.

Well i am now into the first week of the rest of my life

Well since I arrived it's a bit like being on holiday. I arrived on Thursday the 4^th August and it's now the 10^th August. It seems a waste but you can't hurry up the legal process. After all it's the legal process that ensures that every thing is done correctly and it's for my protection.

Where all the final Legal bits are done is in the office of the Notaire and that's the last stage and it's then I get the keys and my house. The Notaire's office is only open on a Tuesday and Friday and it has to be booked in advance. We have booked to see the Notaire on Friday the 12^th at 1pm in the afternoon the Notaire has to read all documents in case of any errors. The land registration has to be paid and proof for the Notaire also

When all that has been done it's of to the Camara “ Council “ and when I register I get 8 years rates free. The land tax is less than 20 euro per year. I can then apply to have the phone connected and to get broad band. Then I am in contact with the outside world. Each day as it passes seems a waste as I should be in the house unpacking all my bits and bobs.

The things right now I am missing is my nail clippers as I have a couple of broken nails and they are getting on my nerves. My shoe polish because my shoes need a good polish and lastly a belt. I have just put a clean pair of jeans on and they need a belt, does this mean I have lost some weight well who knows but I still need a belt.

Yesterday as I drove down to Lisboa airport the temperature was 38.5c outside up to now that is the hottest I have drove in. Good job I got my air con sorted before I left.

The first job after unpacking is to prepare the Kitchen to have all the new fitting put up and the tilling done. I don't intend to have wall units instead I want a nice wood shelve above the base units in the same wood that i shall choose for the doors and the plinth below the base units will be the same.

Today I got the name plate for the house that I had made by in a local craft shop. The house will be called Casita Amellia as the Lady who passed away before I found the house was called Amellia.

The drive and the Hotels

Well the drive down to the ferry went without any problems and i got to Portsmouth in plenty of time to catch the night ferry. It seems that all cars that are not normal height those with a roof box etc are not loaded till last so my getting to the ferry early did me no good. Well never mind on first or on last didn't matter but getting on did.

On the ferry i booked a reclining sleeper seat for £5 it was not a bad deal comfy seat and only a fiver, for those who can sleep anywhere they would have got a good nights sleep, me if it's not a bed i can't sleep. But i did get some rest and it was needed for the next day for the start of the drive to my new home.

I had planned to stop at a place called Poitiers but as the weather was so good i only stopped for a break and went for a walk round a huge Auchen hypemarket. After a break i started on my way to a place called Angouleme another 110 km's in total the first day i did 553 km in total or 343 miles. While i stopped at Poitiers i used the Wifi at a McDonalds to book a night at a Formulae 1 hotel. The easy way to find a place to stay is from the " find on a map " on the left hand site of the site page. I clicked on an area i new i would be and it showed 6 hotels. I wanted the hotel that was further from Le Havre it came up with one in Anglouleme. The price per night for up to 3 is only 31 euro and that is very good value included in the price was free Wifi. During the booking process the hotel Longitude and Latitude are given for the Tom Tom sat navs. I always travel with a sat nav so this was invaluable. There is a link to the Formulae 1 hotels below.

Formulae 1 Hotels

I was in bed early so i could get a good rest after the ferry crossing and the first leg of the drive. I started the next day a 8am and started to drive south. The skies where blue and with not many clouds to spoil the view as i drove south. I intended to stop for the night at Bilboa and i took a well earned break in Bordeaux after a break it was back to the roads. As it was still reasonably early by the time i got close to making my way to Bilbao i decided to carry on to a place down the main motorway to Portugal and a place called Valladolid. As i entered Valladolid i could not find a McDonalds to use there Wifi so i connected my mobile to my laptop to get online i soon found that there where no Formulae 1 hotels here but there where some Ibis hotels and all part of the same hotel group. Ibis are not as cheap as Formulae 1's but abed for the night was needed so i booked and got the sat nav setting and soon found the hotel and paid the 56 euro that was charged for the room. I soon settled in and got my laptop out but only to find that the Wifi was 5 euro. I am not mean but if at 56 euro and no free Wifi against 31 euro and free Wifi i could do without going on line for one night.


Ibis hotels in Spain

Well the next day was it the day i arrive in Portugal, It was 11am as i drove over the border from Spain to Portugal well not far now. All went well until i got onto the new roads outside of Tabua and i seemed to get lost. I was using an old Tom Tom and the maps are more that 4 years out of date. I have a new Garmin that i left in my van when i first came over with most of my belongings. But never mind Tabua is not far from Gois and. I arrived in Gois at about 1.30pm on a beautiful sunny afternoon. Well the journey is now over and it's time to enjoy a buy new life, first to do is a new kitchen.

I am not hiding in this chicken hutch

When i was small it is said that Mum and Dad had the police out looking for me. Well i was found and it would appear i was in the shed we had for the coal. Well i now have my own coal hole and the picture is included. 

Do you notice the shadows on the left that's from the sun, we get plenty in Portugal sorry for those in the UK but this is what i want in my life Sun and more of it. 

Back to the drive tomorrow when i describe the places i stayed during my drive to the sun.

Now i am here lets update things a bit

Well this is the first time i have had since i arrived on the 4th August, i crossed the border into Portugal at just 11am in the morning. At this point the journey felt like it was about over journeys end was in sight. Well from here it  was just about another hour and a half to go. The pain of the last few weeks was now just a memory. The pessure was just something that happened but i was glad now that it was all over.

The drive down through Portugal was slow and relaxed because i wanted to really enjoy every minute. I was glad to see that Lpg gas was now on sale. From crossing the border from France into Spain i could find no Lpg gas for my car so i had to use expensive petrol. When i stopped for gas it was 65 cents a litre. Probably about 55/58p in sterling.

The story of the drive from Liverpool and the arrival i will post next time as i want to give as much information as i can in case it is of help to someone else doing the same trip as i have just done.

Well this is it a new life awaits me.

Well a new life awaits me in Portugal, in a little Hamlet in a place called Vale Boa. As i type this i am in the shop i have now finished with. I was able to say goodbye to a really nice couple i have known over the years. It's sad that so many very nice people i was not able to say goodbye to but it would be another six months if i waited to say goodbye to them all.

I leave my son Anthony behind but i know that we are only a Skype call away. One thing i regret but i may get to do is say to my son that i love him. I have never told my children how much i love them and i am sure that many who read this are like me. Relation between my daughter and I have been strained for quite a few years now and it would be nice for things to change. My son Lee is away in Afghanistan and it's so sad that i go without seeing him and saying goodbye.

My two grandchildren Sean 4 and Chelsee 8 i will only see on holidays. Sean lives in Arbroath in Scotland and at 4years of age he hardly knows me or should i say is very shy towards me. . I would have liked to have taken my now Ex wife with me as was the plan all along but she wanted a divorce. Sadly she has become bitter and twisted and shows nothing but hatred to me and others. I have got on with my life shame she can't.

I posted a message on a Forum i am on about my leaving and i received lots of good will messages. To those i will say that i will report back with as much information about my drive through as i can. I will keep a log of mileage, fuel used fuel prices Tolls etc.

I have stayed at my Mums from when i returned to collect my car at the beginning of July. It's no different now than it was when i was a young man making my way in the world. I was welcomed back as if i had never been away. I will miss my Mum in the coming weeks but i have just got her a new phone one that has Skype on it so we can keep in touch, probably daily i hope. I am sure that i will have lots to tell her.

There has been much happened in the last few weeks that i need to put here on my Blog but that will have to wait for now.

The next time i come back to my Blog will be from Gois Internet Cafe. It will take a little while before i get internet access at the house so it's the Internet Cafe for a short while.

For now that's it.

Well it's now the last few days before my move.

Well it's now the last few days before my move. The last of the paper work over the shop sale is now complete. The only thing is now the stock in the shop has to be stock taken and when the figures are correct then the stock is transfered from my account to Bargain Booze. Then the stock is transfered back into the name of the new Licensee of the shop and i am clear to move.

The last week has been very stress full, first waiting for the solicitor to draw up the bill of sale for the business, then the new lease seems to be taking forever to be ready for signing.

Sunday night i am getting the ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre. Then drive down to somewhere past Poitiers for the first stop. the second stop should be down at Bilboa or past there. Then it's down to Gois to enjoy the rest of my life. 

I have offers of some part time work and some driving jobs so i think i will be kept busy.

I had hoped to be posting day by day now how i was getting on with my new life in my new home. I came back on the 3rd July to complete the final transfer of my business to my son Anthony. It would appear that all the paperwork was not complete and it had to happen at the change of a new promotion within the Franchise organization we are in. Well today 18th July one of the last documents has been signed. Tomorrow the last document will be signed and then all is complete.

I am at this time watching the Euro as i have to transfer money to Pay the balance of my house and money to live on.  I will come back to this later

First few days in Gois

Well it's been almost a week since i started the drive over to Gois with my Worldly belongings. As Gois is not a big place driving around in a big van and trailer was not really an option so i parked the van and trailer down by the river. My friends Richard and Patricia where away for the day so i booked into the local hotel. This was all well and good after leaving my bag in the hotel room i was free to roam around Gois on foot and enjoy a drink and a meal.

Gois at this time of year is such a beautiful place with flowers in bloom, trees full of fruit nothing like you will find home in the UK.

I met my mate Nigel and spent an afternoon with him while he acted as a translator for a couple needing work done on a house. Somehow i don't think i will master the language as good or as quick as Nigel has.

Back when i get more time.

Just a quick update

 I am present in Portugal, i have just driven over from the UK. I came over from Portsmouth to Santander and then drove through the night to Gois. I drove through the night because it was such a nice night to drive after getting of the ferry. I had intended to drive to Salamanca and then stop for the night. I arrived at about 6am taking the whole night for the drive and taking regular stops along the way.

It is a drive i would if i had to do again maybe if the weather was not so good i would have stopped. As for cost from Liverpool to Portsmouth i used app £65 of diesel. When i got of the ferry i put in 65€ and that would have been enough but knowing that across the border into Portugal from Spain the cost of fuel would be more so i put in Another 10€. This was enough when you consider that i was driving a long wheel base Transit van with a trailer behind. A picture of the trailer is on this blog. I am aware that i was driving overweight but looking at the van it was not sitting any lower than normal.

I am sorry that i have neglected my Blog

Hi All

It has been a while since i last updated my Blog and i can only say Sorry for that. My move is happening soon so it's about time i started to bring things up to date.

About twelve months ago i was days away from selling my house, the buyer had a massive heart and passed away. Not wanting to have that happen again i have been actively working to sell the house.

Well lets look at some of the things that have happened since i last posted after i got my trailer.


I had my van for my trip to Portugal parked up on a mates drive. On night someone decided to blow my van up. Inside i had my cement mixer, new battery, starter, alternator and a charger/ started. Everything was lost.

The following night someone put petrol through the letter box. They where chased of before the petrol was lit.

The next night a Land rover was driven through the front of the house causing my mate to have a heart attack. Good news he has made a full recovery.

It seems that the people who lived in the house before my mate moved in where Lets say not very nice people. So in a revenge attack my van was destroyed.

More later

Just got myself a new toy and it's name is No6 a free man "cool name" for a trailer

I have just got myself a nice big trailer so that when i make my move to my place in the sun Vale Boa i can take my belonging in my trailer. I will have to do two trips to get everything over to Vale Boa but it will be worth it in the end.

Wait for an update to this story.

A trip to a Royal Marine Commando Base.

Saturday the 5th February was a day that i learnt a lot about the work that my eldest son does he is a Royal Marine Commando.

We got to spend a day at the base he is stationed at. We got to learn about the proposed next trip over to Afghanistan and going to a place called Nad Ali. Nad Ali is said to be the most dangerous area in Afghanistan.

During the day we got to see some of the weapons that will be used and i am glad that my son is going fully propared for the job they have to do.

For a long time whenever we had a problem at work during the night if the alarm had a problem then the alarm company would call. just as you wake your first reaction is has something happened to my my lad in the Marines. Always it was the alarm company but who knows one night it could have been to report something that as a parent you don't want to here.

The commanding Office gave use all a talk about the mission they where to be on. During the talk he started to talk about what would happen if anybody was to be injured. It seems that at no time would they ever call anybody, they have a team on all the Commando bases who make face to face contact with you no matter what happens. It is reassuring to know that should anything ever happen then it's a knock on the door and not a phone call.  

A trip to the Military ward in Queen Elizabeth hospital

Wednesday the 9th February was a good day in fact no it was a proud day.

In my business a long time ago we started to charge our customers if they wanted a carrier bag. We asked for a donation for the local hospice, we raised up to maybe £12,000/£13,000.

We have a customer who comes in who was at the time still in the Army. Due to four operations on his shoulders he has now been discharged from the Army and is now in civvy street. He still needs operations to get something like better mobility than he has now. I know of Royal Marines who also are injured.

We have decided to raise money instead of the local Hospice a place that looked after my Dad when he needed it most. Now we are raising money for the Help for  Heroes.

We have a big plastic bottle of the type that is used in office drink machine to dispense water. When recently filled a bottle and after counting the contents we found that it had £1,408.17p. Our previous best for the Hospice was £1,300 app. On Wednesday i took down to the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham a cheque for £1,408.17 i felt proud af what we had done for the Heroes.

I took the money to the ward where when Soldiers return from Afghanistan injured this is the first place they come for treatment. We are now 2/3rd's of the way to filling another bottle so lets hope we can do as much as we did last time.