The phone rings. A friend of Augusto’s, whom I know vaguely. I’m not very good at remembering names or faces (very strange: sometimes I remember a name, sometimes a face – so I don’t really have an excuse like face blindness or dyslexia or something) but since people walk around masked it’s getting more difficult. […]
A room with or without breakfast in and for August Read More »
When I walk up the village-square-stairs with my half-eaten sandwich in one hand, and my glass in the other, my eye catches a lady standing with her back to me in Casa Oliveira’s doorway, talking to the residents. I’m trying to squint to see more clearly. “Who is this … she looks like Nicole Pesch”,
Life is beautiful in the truck of the lumberyard Read More »
You have to admit, it’s a nice number. I don’t know if I’m the only one who is (always) pleasantly surprised when I look at the clock and it’s 11:11, if the Bitcoin is at 9,999.99, or if I have to pay 33.33 in the supermarket? Surprised by numbers. I don’t think I’m the only
Expectations for 2020, with special offer Read More »
The petition was offered to the minister last Thursday. Let’s hope it has an effect, because the effort has been great. Three-hun-dred-fif-ty-ki-lo-me-ters of running. I’m very impressed. I’m already bent over panting, when I’ve to run three hundred and fifty meters. Olá, nurse Duarte Barbosa, your room is ready, just lie down! Have a drink?
Run for your life – an epic marathon Read More »
When this one’s finished (well, it is, almost! Just some finishing touches), I thought it was time to do the whole facade of the bathhouse, village-square-center-side. This little corner is next to our little café. You’ll see it when you go up the stairs. Time for a new mosaic project A friend would come, and
The making of a mosaic in our BnB Read More »
Nobody knows how many times it has been. We’ve all lost count in all those years that we’ve been living here in Termas-da-Azenha. And it’s all caused by fear. O yeah? What’s up? Fear of flying, that is what’s up My brother doesn’t like to fly. Many more people have that (maybe they’ll save our
Family visit and golden rain Read More »
Her son Olle is sitting on a stool in the kitchen, radiant and at ease, and chewing a chocolate easter egg. Sixteen years ago, when his mother was sitting here in the kitchen just as radiantly and at ease, he didn’t yet exist. When she came here with her Volkswagen, she did exactly the same
The volunteer who came in a Volkswagen van Read More »
All my theater clothing went, long ago, in that big truck that brought all our belongings to Portugal. It spent the first year in boxes, because it took a while before all those things could be distributed throughout our little village. The first occasion for using it was a colorful evening by the first group
All dolled up during the holiday Read More »
It was such a day today. It was already clear last night that the kitchen faucet had health problems. The hot water tap turned loosely and made a strange sound. It is one of the 9 kitchen faucets here in the village, and the most used. Used day in, day out; just keep on running
Confidence in our (mineral) water Read More »
