A week full of this, that, and the other. The last week the family is here. Nephew Bart left last week. It was the final day for friend J., who has headed back to South Africa. And the final weeks for the “neighbors” – neighbors in quotation marks, because they live 15 km away in Louriçal and weren’t permanent residents.
Good times, new times, old times
So, I felt a bit sad the day after nephew B. left. But life goes on, doesn’t it? And there is always plenty to do. For instance, placing an ad on Idealista because two houses are available for rent starting in October – now that B. and J. have gone.
The day after the ad goes up, not only do we celebrate my brother’s 80th (!) birthday – fittingly, on a lovely beach terrace in Figueira da Foz – but I also start receiving a steady stream of calls and inquiries about the houses. In the midst of that, I get a call from “neighbor” J., who tells me the story of what happened to their house, but also mentions she has a box of books for me.
They had heard about the stormy weather, as they usually come here to spend the summer. There is always so much going on in the Netherlands during the winter – concerts, museums, theater performances – so it’s a time for those activities. And for reading lots of books. Although the storms here hadn’t caused much damage to the house, it was still something that gave them pause for thought.
Bad times, tough decisions
It was only on the news once; Portugal isn’t *that* interesting, after all – so, well …. strong winds happen sometimes, right? But when neighbor J. and her husband heard from friends, neighbors, and the gardener just how severe and intense it had been, they really stopped to think things over and decided it was time to say goodbye to the house. Time for though decisions.
They came to say goodbye, leaving behind a big box of books (thanks a million!!). There are lots of interesting ones in there – great for reading over breakfast or before bed. And a fun surprise: a box of cards titled “Ask the Angels for Advice.” J. hands them over separately with a wink and a half-smile: “We liked these, and I thought you’d appreciate them too.”
Absolutely! I love getting advice from angels. That evening, while writing this blog post, I draw a card. Honestly: this is the only card lying face-up. It seems clear to me that the Angels have a message here.
Good angels, too few houses
Meanwhile, I was getting more and more responses to the rental ads, so that kept me pretty busy. The first interested party has already stopped by. Three more are coming tomorrow, so you’d think we should be able to find some nice new tenants.
Deep sigh. Saying goodbye isn’t fun. It’s a good thing we have so many ways to text each other silly nonsense; otherwise, it would be even less fun. Then you get those dramatic French-style situations – you know, *partir c’est mourir un peu* and all that.
And choosing between nice people isn’t fun either. At least, I find it difficult. A man living alone wants to leave Coimbra’s city center because of the noise; a couple from Colombia wants to rent a decent house, and I can leave all the furniture in place; a retired professor from the University of Porto says she’s coming “with two suitcases and her soul” – which I find beautifully said. A couple of digital nomads with serious tech skills want to get out of Lisbon. Phew. If only I had more houses ….
Good times, new tenants
Fortunately, there are things to look forward to. One of my favorite former volunteers, “Young Bart,” is hopping into his van as we speak – along with his dad – to race all the way here in three days. If need be, I’ll put names in a top hat to pick the new tenants. My friend A. is coming over to tell me about her new house; she’s moving not far from here.
That’s life, isn’t it? Good times, bad times …
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(Disclaimer: I’m a bit tired of the keyword stuff and Google’s dictatorship. So here they are, and I’m also hoping for the cleverness of AI in this matter that it will still be found and read, but that I don’t have to force myself to use the right terms in the title and headings. #goodtimesbadtimes #family #Portugal )
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.