“Olá madame!” says an older man behind his mask. You can tell he’s smiling, even if you don’t see it. “Ah, olá!” I recognize him, “Como está? Tudo bem?” Yes, everything bem; it’s just that he received another letter about his portuguese pension from the Netherlands We know each other for years. He came years …
Regular service Rotterdam – Azenha – Rotterdam, with an irregular timetable, has been restored. The Red Van is driving again, in fact: it has already driven! Always a party when the Red Van arrives Certainly not only because of all the stuff that’s in there, certainly also because of the people on board. When we …
I had just hung up the announcement, and was having lunch downstairs, when a van stopped, drove on … stopped … backwards … no, further … or just have a look … backwards … People had already spontaneously stopped by to ask if the caravan was for sale Then it just arrived. It was not …
It all went a little differently than planned. You think you’ve worked it all out so nicely, the airline throws a spanner in the works. Last minute message: “Hello dear customer, we are going a day earlier, or a few days later. You may choose.” Oh, well, thank you very much. And then the car …
I still pay for a lot of things with money Just like many people here. In Portugal, quite a lot is still paid with cash. I’m happy about that. And I get a little sad when I see people paying 3.95 in the supermarket with plastic. Why? Because I don’t think they realize that before …
Honestly – no idea. A lot of hassle with eggs, an Easter bunny, ditto branches, lots of chocolate, and for the faithful among us betrayal, crucifixion, sad mother Mary and more of that misery. Anyway: Happy Easter! But if you want to know what I really stand for, and what we stand for, click the …
I suddenly shoot up in my seat, but luckily I’m buckled up. A scream of horror runs through the plane, and I think in fiery capital letters, “I KNEW! I knew it! And yet just continue booking a plane ticket! You idiot!” You feel the plane going down in free fall. I brace myself for …
Dear readers, I’m going to teach you a lesson about coffee this week. About the real coffee. Not the dutch version, not the english variety – which is probably lukewarm with a foam head on top – not the french soup bowls with colored water, not even over the well-known italian pep. Excuse me, but …
Last week Friday, March 18, 2022 at 11:28, spring broke out here. A few days earlier than indicated on the calendar, because spring doesn’t care what we humans think – if spring thinks it should break out, then it breaks out. And with a spring break in Portugal, everything is going very fast! As a …
After some texting back and forth, he figured it out: Harald is coming on Saturday. He found it difficult to commit because if you leave at random like he did, and you’ll see what happens, well … then … then you’ll see what happens. I had warned that it might be more convenient not to …
Storms, monasteries, and all those things that bump in the night Read More »
