My last to trips to the UK are Done! After lifetime in the NHS I am about to be un-employed. Strangely I don’t really feel anything. I have enjoyed my job for the last few years & feel that I have left my department in good hands; because I have gradually left by working part-time for the last few months it isn’t too much of a shock to the system & there so much to do making the farm into our home. For as long as I can remember I have hoped for a new life adventure and 2018 will be it. The idea of an allotment & a henhouse may not sound like an adventure to many people but I can’t wait to get it started with Phil & Chester. There will be another puppy sometime next year, watch this space. Feliz Ano Nova

Well I’m behind with the blog posting again, November has been & gone!

I will try to keep this shorter, but so much happens so quickly one day I will find the time to write short posts more frequently.

So Mum flew in on her broomstick on Halloween & refuses to stay in her Granny Flat. It is the double aspect room or nothing for her.

While she was visiting we spent a very wet evening taking our 96kgs of olives to the traditional press, it does not seem a lot but to us it was such a precious evening as it is the first time we have done everything for ourselves. This has now turned into 12L of precious liquid.

Phil has turned his frozen grapes into 15L of slightly sparkling Dry Rose, thank you Caro for picking them in August.

My Portuguese was slowly improving helped along by a day out walking with Chester & some new Portuguese friends, unfortunately nearly 2 weeks back at work in the UK has reversed that trend.

Making friends with the guys in the village has been a boon, Papa brought his chain saw & turned the huge Eucalyptus in to manageable chunks. The wonderful Pedro then brought his log splitter & we now have a starter wood pile for this winter.

“The boys” Henrique & Jaoa are turning into quite a team, they have helped with strimming around the baby olive trees, brought the tractor & turned over my allotment.

Phil & the soon to be sainted Pedro has fenced it in – Yes we have wild boar in Our Garden & I do not propose learning how to grow veggies just to feed them.

The biggest achievement however has been the matriculation of Sergio the Suzuki; this was very stressful fighting bureaucracy & I would never recommend trying to do for yourself unless you have amazing friends who are native Portuguese with the patience of a saint. Salsa, Pedro, Vanessa without you, I think stress might have finished Phil off before we begin this adventure for real.

And

My birthday presents are now in full use, Be Ware of a Woman with a chain saw & a strimmer of her own.

Over a month has gone by & a lot has happened - I apologise now, this edition is more of an essay than a blog.

I need to fill in the blanks otherwise I will forget forever. The purpose of writing this is for my failing memory, Louise Murray-Morris expecting Old Timers Disease any time in the future. Hopefully those who do take the time to read this will find some entertainment in my meanderings.

Sunday 10th

Phil stayed in the UK for a week & during that time his dad's condition stayed about the same. We decided that it would be ok for Phil to return to Melrica in order for me to fulfil my work obligation of a week on site in the UK. Hence the beginning of the last blog.

Sunday – full of resolve, a brand-new country (sort of) holidays aren’t the same as living some where were you don’t speakkaa the lingo!

First – let the village know that I am here, I wasn’t worried about the fires but I knew I had to be aware, the solution = I wrote postcards with the aid of good old Google Translate (currently my favourite app).

“Olá, meu nome é Louise Morris, meu marido, Phillip e agora nos mudamos da Inglaterra para viver em Melrica permanentemente.

Nós também temos um cachorro chamado Chester.

Eu não falo muito português ainda, mas vou aprender.

Se alguém está à procura dos ingleses, vivemos na casa após a casa alemã.”

“Meu merido en Inglaterra, seu papa morte!” God knows what I actually said but it was something like that. After the fun & games that we had had trying to communicate with the delivery driver who was looking for us a couple of days before; I thought that the village might help if people were looking for “the English” in the future. I got that right as it turns out – I will tell you later. Chester & I had them posted by lunchtime & unbelievably I must have spoken half a dozen of the locals on that short walk, I think I succeeded in getting my message across.

The house felt very empty that afternoon so I stuck to my resolve, I had said I would go to "The Lake" to see Vanessa at work & I did. What now seems like a short drive felt like it was going on forever getting to Fernandaires – I even know different routes there now. What a difference a month can make. Chester was happy, he got to swim & Sofia one of Vanessa’s friends fell in love with him; I also met some new people which I needed that day.

Because we didn’t know at that point how long Phil would be away for, I had decided to take the bull by the horns & find a Portuguese teacher even if I had to start lessons on my own.

Monday 11th September - Cleaning the annex, more cleaning the annex & cleaning the annex some more. Well I had wanted to get it sorted for nearly 4 years, now it is fit for guests – it isn't perfect but it was as good as it going to be ready for Mike & Cynthia who arrive a day after I get back from the UK.

Walking the dog & swimming keep me sane(ish)

Wednesday 13 September – Invented the superblock holder Possibly too much time on my own?

Friday 15th September – Vanessa’d – it is a new word. We went out to get Chester registered at the camera (the local coucil house) & I came back a Portuguese resident! Didn’t expect that one. We had the worst lunch at the hotel in VDR as well; I won’t be going back any time soon.

Saturday 16th September - Macieria - a little adventure by myself looking for new swimming places

Monday 18th September – Baking – Almond & Hazelnut Macaroons just because!

Tuesday 19th September – Phil Home, Yeah :) :) :)

Wednesday 20th– meet Carla for coffee in VDR, Serta shopping. Anita brought her girls round for playtime we went back Macieria

Thursday 21th September – Took Phil to the camera he is now a Portuguese resident too! 1st Portuguese Lesson with Carla - our brains hurt.

Friday 22th September – leave for UK on bus from Abrantes

Saturday 23th September – don’t want to be in the UK

Sunday 24th September – meet Caro

Wednesday 27th September – Mave got the come to the hospital phone call -Ron (Phil's dad) passed away

Thursday 28th September - Compassionate leave on the grounds of working with dead bodies would not be good for my mental health,– so I managed to get my hair cut 😊 silver linings . Definitely drank to much blame the lodgers & the Moats as usual but it was the Beiroa that finished me off, road to Kates on my bike – it wouldn’t have hurt if I had fallen off.

If you do come to visit; beware of the Beiroa, it is a sweet liquor that is very easy to drink but kicks like a mule.

Friday 29th September – more time at the Vodafone shop! Slept it off at Kates. Girly night with the gang but took it easy as I knew I had to drive in the morning.

Saturday 30th September – Kenilworth with Mum to see Mave, left my car there for Phil. Kate came & collected us. Back to Kates for leftovers & an early night.

Monday 2nd October – back to Portugal

Wednesday 4th October – Mike & Cynthia arrive our first guests to stay in the annex.

Thursday 5th October – Phil leaves for UK, Mike & Chester hike on the mountain, school lesson number 2- it’s no easier

Friday 6th October – boat trip on the lake at Dornes just as peaceful the second time around, tried the café there & with hind sight we decided we should have had lunch it smelt so good but we went Georges in Serta for a farewell dinner that evening

Saturday 7th October – Mike & Cynthia left for Spain

Sunday 8th October- evening swim at the lake

Monday 9th October – sewing just because. It is a door stop in case you are wondering.

Tuesday 10th October- an hour with Vanessa then an evening swim at the lake

Wednesday 11th October –the possibility that the post cards to Melrica worked deliver all English people to Quinta Do Centro.

I now have a little routine for solo living.

Get up when Chester wakes up, go for an hour long walk while it is still cool, breakfast, shower, log into work, chores, lunch, sunbath/siesta.

Any small interruption to the routine can be classed as interesting. – well it is the quiet life here.

I had got to the time of day when I was on my lounger with nothing other than suntan lotion on when I think I hear a car coming down the drive.

I wasn’t expecting any one other than possibly the postie (who still hasn’t brought my sewing machine needles that Caro posted well over a week ago); the next thing is I’m wrapping my towel round me as a horn is peeping. There is a battered Taxi & the driver has got out.

“Nao fala Portuguese Signor. Fala Ingles?” (I’m getting good at this.)

“Villa Melrica?” says he

“Noa” says I, pointing up the valley “Melrica!, esta Quinta Do Centro” –(still going well.)

More pointing, he says “Senhora, Ingles” only now do I see the passenger in the back. I walk towards her, I definitely didn’t recognise her. Going through my head is what hasn’t Phil told me?

Then it’s her turn. “Villa Melrica?” she is definitely Inglese, I am a good Brit at heart so I tried to help she held out an email, looking pretty desperate.

Bonnie is her name she is trying to find the villa she has rented for 2 months to use as a base to house hunt from, but she hadn’t got an address, she couldn’t get hold of her husband or son who have arrived already by car, she had flown into Faro & done the Lisbon/Abrantes trip which explained the exhausted look. Having experienced the stress that the lack of mobile phone can cause I tried all her numbers to no avail but she gave me one clue without realising it.

All of a sudden, I am a native. Words come out in Portuguese, lots of gestures & the taxi driver knows where to take her – I hope. I will go & look her up as I have tried her mobile a couple of times & I would like to know how the taxi driver didfind the only English woman in the village.

Thursday 12th October - school cancelled, so in desperation I went to Aquarobics just to get out of the house

Friday 13th October – Ron's Funeral, lunch in Abrantes with Vanessa met a lovely couple called Philomena & Eurico (Eric) who have a beautiful Collie Tobias

Saturday 14th October - waged war on the Orange blossom, Oleander, Roses & Grapevines. I was supposed to go tonight but I am just too exhausted.

Sunday 15 October – Phil due home – Yeah maybe a few days of normality before mum arrives on Halloween, she is flying in on Ryan Air not Broomstick!

Today is my first international commute & to say I don’t want to be on this plane is an understatement. I will attempt to order the madness that last month has become.

Monday 4th- arrive to one of the best hugs I have ever had, followed by you guessed it, a G & T or 2.

Tuesday 5th- Pendado swimming with the puppy for the first time, well it was more supervising the Portuguese children who adopted him.

Wednesday 6th -The trip with Chester to get his papers & jabs from Ricardo the vet – he’s now officially Portuguese I registered him at the Camera before Phil or I even had residency.

Thursday 7th -While Sarah stayed, there was a lovely day out, Garry came round & we left Menina (his Portuguese rescue loon – sorry setter) & the newly discharged from the vets Lilo with Chester. Ricardo our country vet knew what the Royal Veterinary College couldn’t figure out earlier this year, she has tick fever & by all rights shouldn’t be with us any more but she is 😊.

The four of us went to Dornes for a morning on the lake, Carlos the boatman was lovely and really tried to communicate with us, then bifades & Superbocks on the way back we pretended there were no problems in our life for the day.

Friday 8th – a mooch around old Abrantes, then we take Phil to Tomar to the Table Tennis Club, I can’t say it was the most pleasurable drive I have ever done. The Via Verde month had expired so we were avoiding the toll road, 2 GPS in 1 vehicle is always a bad idea. Please learn that lesson from my experience.

My reward was on the way home we stopped in Zezere at back street Churresqueria, & had an absolutely lovely dinner & not Frango either, then on the road home we sighted the next round of forest fires & it was too close for comfort.

You can take the girls out of the hospital but you can’t take the hospital of the girls, we had a plan in less than 10 minutes, but that drive watching the flames made me feel sick with worry my boy was by himself for the first time & we didn’t know exactly how close the fire was; the wind was gusty and kept changing direction.

Back at the house, belongings were gathered, Chester’s’ cage went straight back into Victor & brought to the front of the house for a quick get away if it was needed. Then we piled into Sergio the Suzuki (including the Red One- there was no way was he being left on his own) & went to the monument to assess what we needed to do next. Worse case scenario was credit card & the hotel in VDR, fortunately it didn’t come to that but I can tell you it was a night of broken sleep. No wonder Phil ended up in hospital, it is the not knowing that is the worst bit.

Saturday 9th – The following 24hours was spent on the Fogos App following the fire & planning. However as they say life does go on so we went to VDR picnic shopping for the return road trip, more swimming at the lake, this time Fernendaires to see Vanessa & there were snails, they will never be top of my list for delicacies but I didn’t want to be rude; add alcohol either while cooking or eating most things will improve - not a bad rule of thumb

.

Sunday 10th – My lovely husband left with one of my best friends and now it’s just me & Chester and time really does start to blur. I had decided to tell Meriça that we were here & I did with Google Translates help yet again. I hand wrote postcards & put them through letter boxes but amazingly I actually saw people who spoke to me although I still can’t understand them Rosa gave me a hug & kisses.

The time warp will be the next update, I hadn’t realised there was so much to remember for 6 short days.

Prologue

It wasn’t supposed to start like this.

There was a plan, it was very detailed every penny accounted for.

It is a good job we both believe in fate, the last month has been one thing after the other that wasn't on the plan.

Part 1 of the plan, Phil & Caro leave in the Sergio the Suzuki our belongs follow them a couple of days later.

Part 2 Sarah & I leave in Gary the Galaxy a month later with the big red one aka Chester.

Today is nearly one month later & I am nearly ready to start Part 2 but I am at Lisbon Airport waiting for a very full flight back to Burwell on the busiest & most expensive week of the year August Bank Holiday & the last week of the English school holidays – not part of the plan.

Phil had been struggling with stress of the move, the loneliness after Caro & the boys had gone but the worst bit was the forest fires; it was constant; for 3 days & nights; a week later his body said “No” he had a transient run of AF but bad enough to spend the day in our rural distract hospital in Abrantes. Fortunately, the doctors are from Coimbra so they speak a reasonable level of English, unfortunately the same cannot be said about the nursing staff however good their nursing skills are. Thankfully our English friend & neighbour Anita could be the invalids escort for the day & her language skills are fab after 6 years being an ex-pat.

So after a very long day in the office my mum paid a ridiculous amount of money for me to fly out on the first available flight.

The old man was unbelievably pleased to see me but my adventure had begun. I thought I had worked out the train times from Lisbon to the country side but due to a tight time line I missed it. I then stood in Europcar queue to be offered the opportunity to pay nearly €200 to hire a car. No thank you I can do public transport!

Virgin media once again failed me no international signal – phumpppphhh.

Vodafone kiosk at the airport the most helpful young gentleman sorted it in minutes & he spoke great English.

Down to the Metro I went €1.90 for 3 stops on the Vermhla line. All the way upstairs to the ticket office €9.90 to Abrantes 2 hours later in the arms of a very relieved husband - EASY!

I was learning Portuguese already thanks to the 2 elderly nuns that were sitting next to me not speaking English but determined that the hussy with the large cleavage hanging out of her vest top would get off at the right station. They were lovely.

3 days pass including 2 nights at Fundada Festa, Phil must be ill he has given up the booze. We decide that he is fit enough to be left on his own again & that is why I am now at the airport waiting to get to Burwell so I can start Part 2 of the Plan in less than 48hours with just an 1600 mile drive ahead of me.

G&T is the answer, what is the question. Chin chin.

Less than 48hours in England & I turned it around with a little lot of helps from my friends.

I took delivery of the 54 plate Merc Van & wondered what the hell had I done? 2nd gear is over rated if you ever wonder.

But bit by bit packing started; pallets were reformed to make a stage for Chester’s big cage so he could see what was happening during the trip but also making lots of extra storage space.

It was like playing Jenga in reverse, the majority of my stuff is now spilling out of boxes in Melriça.

Friday evening arrives so does the gang & Yes there were tears but Sarah volunteered to drive in the UK so she could get used to the van.

The time was approaching 9pm by when we eventually pulled off, got round the corner (sort of out of site) & she stalled it – 2nd gear is overrated remember😊.

And we were off, by the time we were out of the village the Van had a name; well it was a girls road trip. He was Victor the Vito, wait for it we even invented the Victor Fixer by the time we landed. It is very similar to a Vodka & Orange cocktail.

Chester was suitably knackered before we left thanks to Keevagh & Mike so he went to sleep almost immediately & was amazing good for the whole trip.

We arrived at Eurotunnel with time to give him a run, a quick coffee & the 1st collection of sugar sachets for the pot.

Onto the midnight train & France was a doddle, the GPS (aka Thelma obviously) for once didn’t cause any arguments; we kept swapping until about 5am when we pulled in for a sleep. Both of us looking like Cousin It – Sarah with a blanket over her head, Me with a sleeping bag in the same place. God my back was killing me & 2 more days to go.

An hour later & we were off, Pomme D’Or here come, an idyllic Gite perfect for the Red One. Just outside Poitiers one day I will go back & explore. A local walk later to a serene spot on the river where a hot dog could swim to his hearts content we went exploring in search of food ending up in a Medieval town where Sarah’s French Vocabulary was put to good use, I would not have had a clue. We ate in a local restaurant cum bar just a snack we were exhausted by now but happy to be on schedule after the last week. A quick supermarket shop for Sarah we had a picnic for that evening & a quick phone call for me, during which Phil & I had a very sensible conversation about the sad news that his dad has acute leukaemia with 3 – 6 weeks left to live.

The road trip continued, Sarah & I had a lovely evening drinking wine, eating bread & cheese – well when in France. We crashed by 9pm, but the plan was to hit the road by 8am next stop Spain & that was exactly what we did.

Toll booths were are bit of a pain by the end of Sunday, every time we opened the passenger door the plastic facia came a drift, we knew the air con, central locking & passenger window were knackered along with the missing 2nd gear when we took delivery of our jalopy but nobody told us that the door was going to end up buggered as well. This is when we invented the Victor Fixer, one of my finest screw drivers! The technique is kick the door open with both feet then after escaping bend down whack the panel into place & wiggle the little lug with the Victor Fixer & if you are called Sarah simultaneously land on your backside. Palencia eventually arrived & here we are, the day had gradually got warmer & warmer & Sarah’s language skills became poorer & poorer the further we got from France so by the time she was trying to order a de-caff coffee at a truck stop that came out as an iced expresso which I thoroughly enjoyed we swapped roles; my pathetic Portuguese became quite useful by the end of a Gin fuelled evening. Sarah was Drunk! After 3.

The hotel was beautiful even though the car park was in the bowels of the earth, as I went lower & lower I did wonder if we would ever get out of there with our dodgy 2nd gear but the next morning I did it. Admittedly there was a little bit of lie in the next morning before we ate up the miles to Melrica. Home by mid-afternoon & so importantly for me Chester recognised it.

I am now sitting in my new home with just my amazing hound & a G&T for company. Phil & I got 6 good days together before he got in Victor with Sarah to return to England before our new life has even begun.

But you have to make the best of life because this is the reason for the move in the first place, no one knows when life will be over.