People who know, always say that the first impression is very important.
Well. We’ll see.
I do not want to be stubborn, but I really have the impression that things are a little different here.

I mean, the first impression doesn’t have to be the best

This story of friends has always stayed with me. They were on their way by boat, and had to dock. They already had some kind of plan, but in the Netherlands it is not necessary to plan everything beforehand, because there are enough marinas, and you can dock your boat for a night on the riverbed. And then you do something with your laundry in a tile and so on.

They arrived in the planned harbor, it became rather bad weather, so continuing was no longer an option.
It all looked a little neglected, quiet, and then with that imminent cloud of sky above it …
The kids were a little nervous about the fact that they did not want to stay there, but the father said firmly, “Let’s just wait for a moment, and tomorrow we will see what we think of it.” And mother said, “We’ll make something beautiful, come on guys, we’re going to bake pancakes.”

Whether this story has a happy ending, I do not even know

I found that positive attitude very impressive. It’s already an old story, and at that time I was quite stressed myself. That’s also changed a lot, with my new home and living environment. A person learns. Fortunately, however, because if I walk around like a chicken being chased by a rooster, nobody would be relaxed.

Not that you need such a positive attitude here … oh, typical …  now I’ve painted myself in the corner, I believe … how do I talk myself out of this one? Eh … maybe it’s time for some nice pictures, you can see it for yourself:

What I wanted to say with this whole story is that I strongly believe that our guests belong largely to the positive group. People who see the glass half full.

Maybe it’s getting used to it, because it’s a bit different – Termas-da-Azenha. Perhaps you’re amazed at how it goes. It’s not that different and alternative, but the informal atmosphere sometimes takes some time to get used to.

You can just enter the kitchen for a chat

If it’s calm, and you’re camping here, you can put your groceries in our fridge. If it is unexpectedly fresh, and you haven’t packed warm things in your optimism, you can borrow a vest from me. Or socks. Or both.
You can use the guitar (and if you can play: great!), or do crazy in the dressing room, call “oooooi !!” when you’re playing foossball, and sit down on the cafe terrace with your legs on the other chair.
One person does that easier than the other.

Code word: home

What I notice is, that there’re people who get it right away, and there’s people who have to get used to it. Let’s wait and see. But once that’s done, the farewell is very warm, and often it’s: “Till next time!”
And the next time indeed comes too. Sometimes after years, however, I notice our Facebook page how many people have a bond with the Termas.

Nice though. That is the most beautiful reward that a hostess can ever get. Isn’t it?

* They came back after 9 years – and remembered that the pool was being built during their first visit.