49 year record gone

Today I was driving round a car park and instead of stopping to point something out to my granddaughter I carried on driving slow. Big mistake as I turned to go down the next row of cars I hit a sign pointing to the exit crunch I hit the post OUCH.

We all like to think we are perfect drivers but i was only a year of 50 years driving without a single bump. So here it is all my own work.

A real treat

Today on my way to Coimbra I called at what was called Pete's bar but it's now been refitted but it will still be referred to as Pete's bar. I had a look in the new English food section and the one thing that did surprise me was Blue Dragon stir fry sauces plus lots more.

In the bar is a fridge with pies, pasties and mini pizzas along with this was Pukka pies and Warburtons Crumpets. Crumpets and a six pack was only 1€ a bargain so I had to have them but I ordered four more packs to keep in my freezer.

I had two with butter on and they where just like Mum does for me. Mmmmm

Grandad it's raining

Grandad my granddaughter shouted it's raining but only when she called again did I look out and yes it was. By the time I went to look out from my veranda after picking up my IPad to take a picture it had stopped. I live in an area covered in forest and after little rain since early 2016 the place is tinder dry so any rain is welcome.

This is as much as i found when i went to take a picture of the rain and as soon as it came it was gone.

Driving through Vila Nova de Ceira the heavens opened and i got my granddaughter took this picture so you can see it does rain even in Portugal.


















When i was sat on my friends veranda in Serpins suddenly there was what looked like a light show but with Lightening followed by thunder. The thing about lightening was that it happens so fast you can never time it to take a picture.

One stop shop

For a while at least since I have lived in Gois one problem is translation. It's OK if you know the translator to use that doesn't translate in Brazilian Portuguese it's really Google Tradator.

Shortly a One stop shop is opening not just for translating from Portuguese to English but English to Portuguese. One problem for new English is finding Plumbers, Electricians, Joiners and much much more well the One Stop Shop will hold a register of local recommended tradesmen. Also the One Stop Shop can act as a go between should you need communication between builder who only speaks Portuguese.

Childcare, the other side of the One Stop Shop will be a school run by a teacher who schools her own son but more about that soon.

No hose pipe ban

You have seen on the UK news when it's not rained for 12 hours all over the news it's time for a hose pipe ban. You will have seen it all before wrong type of leaves on the train track or its the wrong kind of snow or even in London it's the wrong type of water.

Now let me tell you a little story. When it rains here in January, February, March and April we have rain rain and more rain until early this year someone forgot to book the rain and what we received was not worth mentioning. So what happened well the sun has been out constantly and the temperature has been nice but we need rain.

From Gois at this bridge you can normally see the river flowing very fast. The river has dried up and the locals say this has never happened in living memory.

But i am glad to say there is not and will not be a hosepipe ban. Why it's not the UK.

This is the river Ceira and the water here should be flowing towards Coimbra  through Serpins

Land I don't want

I was lucky someone who comes back to Vale Boa a few times a year took over my plot of land why I don't know but he is happy having a plot of land to tidy up and do stuff on. I tried when first moved here to make use of the land and plant trees Orange, Lemon and lime to start and then plums, cherries and more but in the baking sun nothing happened the ground was like concrete.

But I had family stay and they wanted to sunbathe so the pictures below show just what they did. This is the lane outside of my house, the lane is not a through lane it comes to an end just past my house.

As only my neighbour and i use the lane it was safe to sunbathe in the middle of the lane . Yes i have a veranda but it's covered with Plant pots with Orange, Lime, Walnut, tomato and Black cardamoms growing. Pots i can deal with as there is no digging involved.

My new coffee table but I drink Tea

I found that I could remove the top of my old wardrobe and to leave the base complete with the draw and the top opens. I wanted to have the mirror of the wardrobe door in the top of the coffee table and I don't have the tools to make the top. I got my friend Robin who has a workshop and the tools to complete the job for me.

Looks great now i need the timber to do around the windows and make a new sill.

Come back Chicco

It's one thing Chicco no longer being able to work due to his injuries but he is sadly missed. I thought I was ok when I found someone who could get me supplies of Chestnut. After taking down a wall I then had to make good the wall I had cut. I have some timber but I still needed more but I have now waited four weeks and still have no wood. It seems the promise I had of timber was just that just a promise.

I found a place that supplies roof timbers so I went to ask if the had Chestnut timber but sadly they don't but they told me of a place I could try. I tried this company and found that they spoke great English so it was easy to tell them what I wanted. I emailed the sizes I wanted and waited for a reply and then it came and what a shock I got. After buying from Chicco for the last five years the price I got was a shock 96.40€ for that I would expect half a tree.

Chicco I am sure would have charged no more than 40€ if that but 96€ sorry I am not prepared to be ripped of. The picture below shows what I am doing I just need to face of around the opening and finish by the fire so not a lot.

One way to sunbathe

Apart from having my Daughter and partner  here my Granddaughter was also here visiting me. On our way back from a day by the river my granddaughter put her feet out of the window to sunbathe.

Much has happened and also not happened

The last three weeks has been difficult to say the least. I have had the Internet of for much of that time and at one point for a straight seven days. I will now catch up and I have much to post about so let's start here with the most unusual thing that happened.

My Daughter had been to stay and I was taking her to Lisbon airport, after getting up at 4am to get her there early and in plenty of time for her flight. Driving back home I stopped for a break and closed my eyes for a rest But and this is a big But. I opened my eyes and looked around and saw an Ambulance nothing new but this was a UK Ambulance including lights on top.

Now imagine waking up to see this it took a few moments before i realised that i was still in Portugal and somebody had this as a camper. But it was creepy seeing this.

Chicco News

Great news my friend Chicco is on the road to recovery i am so glad to say. On my way back home i pass through a village where Chicco lives. Being a good driver i was watching the road as i approached where there is a supermarket. OK maybe only I think i am good but that's not the point i saw a couple of young ladies talking nothing new BUT.

One of the young ladies looked in my mirror to be Chicco's daughter so i stopped quick and reversed and it was it was Christine who i know quite well. Christine told me the extent of the injuries he suffered  and they where life changing injuries but he is doing well.

While i was in Liverpool in May i sent a get well card just to let him know i was thinking of him. from what Christine tells me he was happy to get the card and it is on show in his room. I know where his workshop is but i didn't know where he lived so i had no contact to enquire how he was doing but i can say he is getting better and is having Physio therapy and is home of a weekend.

Everything i have done in my house i could not have done without his help, I even cut out a pattern for a window sill i wanted and he produced just what i want. 

Next time you are home Chicco  Tenha um bom fim de semana

Take care my friend Chicco and thank you Christine for taking the time to let me know how your Father is. 

For Christtine i have translated the above

 
Boas notícias meu amigo Chicco está no caminho da recuperação, estou tão feliz em dizer. No meu caminho de volta, eu atravesso uma aldeia onde vive Chicco. Sendo um bom motorista, eu estava assistindo a estrada quando me aproximei onde há um supermercado. OK, talvez, só acho que estou bem, mas esse não é o ponto em que vi algumas jovens senhoras falando nada de novo, MAS.

Uma das jovens senhoras olhou no meu espelho para ser a filha de Chicco, então eu parei rápido e revertei e foi a Christine quem eu conheço muito bem. Christine me contou a extensão das lesões que sofreu e eles onde mudaram a vida, mas ele está indo bem.

Enquanto eu estava em Liverpool, em maio, enviei um cartão bem-vindo apenas para que ele soubesse que estava pensando nele. Pelo que Christine me diz que estava feliz em receber o cartão e está em exibição em seu quarto. Eu sei onde é a sua oficina, mas eu não sabia onde ele morava, então eu não tinha contato para perguntar como ele estava fazendo, mas eu posso dizer que ele está melhorando e está tendo fisioterapia e é o lar de um fim de semana.

Tudo o que fiz na minha casa, eu não poderia ter feito sem a sua ajuda, eu mesmo cortar um padrão para um batente de janela que eu queria e ele produziu exatamente o que eu queria.

Da próxima vez que você estiver em casa, Chicco Tenha um bom fim de semana

Tenha cuidado com meu amigo Chicco e agradeço a Christine por ter tomado o tempo para me informar como é seu Pai.

Pete's bar has gone it's changed hands

As the title says Pete's bar at Ponte Velha is no more. I went in today as I always do when in the area and I found that Barbara the cook has taken over. Lots of new changes are coming so watch this space.

So Pete's gone but what's new well the two things i know are that they are going to sell a good range of English food for those who can't do without English food. once they get settled in they are going to have a monthly barbeque in the car park over the road in the car park.

Amongst the range of English food is i hope to be selling a range of Organic Spices and also other Spices on request.

My suppliers tell me the reason that most of my range of Spices are not certified Organic is the farmers are so small the cost of being accredited as Organic cost to much when a farmer may only have one acre of farm.

What road narrows

I went to the tax office today to pay my business tax. Driving down the lane i use to go to town i came across this sign at the side of the lane.

The lane is only as wide as my car or van this should have been Man at work but maybe they don't have a Man at work sign.