“Probably because I know what it says, but I still read “recepção” in it,” I shout across the street. GertJan continues to paste undisturbed, but Helmy comes over to see how it is.
The Bird-house is finished, and is for rent!
It was renovated in record time – we started on January 9 this year. Now a lot of things were already there, and that of course makes a huge difference. A few years ago I had already invested the time and energy to tile the walls all around, and the wooden windows were replaced with aluminum so long ago that I don’t even remember when. It has always been the “Recepção”.
My sister and brother-in-law lived in it on a trial basis during their last visit, and they described the house as a five-star stay. Nice to hear. After all, we did our best for that. And so did they, because the dining table, sofa, mattress, and that gorgeous bathroom cabinet came from the Netherlands in the Red Van. It was all shopped online, but in a very special way.
Sister Tineke and brother-in-law Dick (10&Dick) went to the second-hand shops, and when they saw something, we would app or video call. That way I could continue with the Big Work.
(We love second-hand shops, for various reasons: it helps the sustainability of things, you come across the most beautiful things, and it costs a lot less than new.)
“The bed sleeps wonderfully. That spacious mosquito net around it works fine. You only need one of those buzzing monsters after all,” says Tineke, who is a notorious bad sleeper, and really appreciates all the upgrades in that area. “The bathroom is nice and spacious,” Dick remarks, “you can get lost in there, especially in the morning, when you’re not that awake yet …” (They are not morning people …)
And then Helmy and GertJan came again
That was perfect, because they always like to make a mosaic during their stay. They have already made the loose birds on the outside wall, and now they would change “recepção” in such a way that it would no longer be legible. “We’ll just glue it over it,” I say optimistically, “with art-deco-style flowers. That’s the challenge.”
They took up the challenge, in between enjoying the view over the fields, walks on the beach and visiting the university library in Coimbra. They made something beautiful out of it. And yet I had something to complain about it again. “Yes, I understand what you mean,” says Helmy, as she comes to stand next to me. “I also know it’s there, and I can still see it. Maybe if we cover that leg of the “P”, and the “auwng” – then you won’t see it anymore.”
Now it is like this. According to us, you can’t read “Recepção” anymore. And if you go even further down, you can have a quick look around the Bird-house-for-rent online. If you know someone, dear reader, please pass it on!
We moved here in 2000 from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to the Termas-da-Azenha, Portugal. We started to rebuild one of portugals cultural heirlooms: Termas-da-Azenha, an old spa. You’ll find mosaics and paintings everywhere. Since Covid we rent the houses for a longer period of time, not as holiday houses anymore.
Each week a little blog about what is happening around us. An easy read. A few minutes in another world. A little about what it going on in Portugal. If you plan your holiday to Portugal, it might be a nice preparation.
In the weekend we publish it on Bluesky, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.