Preparing for the anual car inspection

When I enter the store, a well groomed young man with a neatly trimmed beard is standing behind the computer/cash register doing his thing, singing softly along with the song coming out through the door of the workshop.

I have to go to the car inspection, and some things need to be done

A pair of 5^th door supports, for example. Exactly a few days before the inspection they gave up. It falls down if you’re not careful. You don’t realize how often you use that 5^th door! And how heavy that thing is if you have to open it all by yourself, and how clumsy it is if it doesn’t just stay open.

With a broomstick without a broom it works, but it continues to be a worry.

The good-humoured young man asks if he can help me – I certainly hope so! – and what the license plate is. I don’t know that off the top of my head, but the car is right outside the door. I never recognize my car by the number plate, but always by the missing ^ on the front.

The car inspection doesn’t find this ^ important, I know that much

Yep. We drive Citroën, one of the best-selling brands in Portugal. That’s an Important Point, I learned the hard way, because then you can easily buy parts everywhere. For example, if you drive a Subaru – with which we entered the country – then you have a much harder time.

The wall behind the singing young man is completely empty except for the price list and a long, narrow package hanging from a lone screw. “Amazing” he says in perfect english, and grabs the package “amazing!”, and continues in portuguese: “Tem sorte – you’re lucky.”

I totally agree with him. You can use amazing luck from time to time, can’t you?

There’s more of that: “Shall I put them in for you?” he asks, and now I’m beginning to suspect that he must have just started a very happy relationship with a person he’s had a crush on for a while. There is no other way – although the Portuguese are generally very cooperative and helpful, this is exceptionally (customer) friendly.

Be that as it may, I naturally gladly accept his kind offer. Mira the dog thinks it’s a nice break from the waiting-for-the-mistress. With the usual: “She’s not doing anything, is she?” do they greet each other; Mira is as innocent as a newborn lamb.

“If you hold the lid open for a moment, I’ll take the first one out,” he says. A job that is done in seconds. If only you know how. Somewhere in the back of my mind I think: “Damn, Fábio charged 50 bucks or so for that a year ago, I could have easily done it myself! And it was Chinese rubbish too, broken within a year.”

During the car inspection, they don’t even look at that 5^th door

Never mind, our life is a lot easier than with that broomstick. It can be used for other things – sweeping, and flying at full moon and all that.

And the car can last another year.

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We moved here in 2000 from Rotterdam, Holland to the Termas-da-Azenha, Portugal.

A big step, especially with two small children.

We are busy to rebuild one of portugals cultural heirlooms: Termas-da-Azenha, an old spa which has been turned into several holiday houses, rooms and a campsite.

You’ll find mosaics and paintings everywhere.

Since 2018 we call ourselves the first B&B&B in the world – Bed & Breakfast & Bathrobes. You can buy a home-made unique bathrobe/housecoat with us.

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

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