Melides - Melides, Portugal
Melides, Portugal
The alarm clock went off at 7.30 and we looked out onto the start of dawn over the sea, with the navigation lights of several fishing boats way off, sailing to and fro.
After a good breakfast, in which we were the only ones in the dining room as we hardly saw anybody else in the hotel, we finished the last of the malaria tablets that we had been taking since we left Australia in the middle of August. We checked out and drove back towards Faro in the brightening, sunny morning.
Arriving at Faro airport, with its roundabout of concrete giant statues of 'people', looking up to watch the aeroplanes, we parked and went into Arrivals. We were here to meet our friend Harry, who had come out to see us in Hong Kong and who we had now persuaded to escape the English winter and spend some time in Portugal with us. His flight was due at 1040 and as we watched the arrivals board and waited .....and waited, we started to talk to another English couple. Eventually the flight and its timing came up and we commented on the delay. "Oh no, it's not due yet" came the reply. As we did a time check we discovered that as we had driven into Portugal, we should have altered our watches back an hour. With no common reference we were (more) than an hour early. Aardvarks !! All that way round the world and we now find out we don't know what time of day it is !!!!
Anyway, the plane arrives and Harry wanders into the Arrivals hall to be greeted with the signs "Eh Up", a colloquial northern England greeting, to which he responds with a wry smile.
Into the car and we head west and then north, into the sunny Portugese countryside. We opted to leave the autopista and take the IC1 road, there being little traffic at this, or maybe most other, times of the year. Around 1pm we wanted lunch and pulled off into a little village, where we were immediately the centre of focus. At the small café we managed to order beer and sandwiches (all in Portugese), joining the locals as they came in for their lunch. This was a delightful interlude and as we set off again, we noticed a pair of nesting storks on the top of an electric pole. In the countryside they build platforms for them on poles and pylons to encourage them to nest.
The countryside was low rolling hills and we turned east as we reached 'Grandola", eventually reaching the sleepy town of 'Melides' in the 'Alentajo' region. On the other side of town we arrived at a 'Turismo Rural', a small, rustic, motel style guest house owned by my sister, Susan, who I had not seen for over three years.
We settled in and immediately relaxed in the 13deg sunshine, with a welcoming cup of tea, which we drank sitting on the front square of the motel overlooking the quiet valley.
We intend to stay until early January and future blogs, which have always been typed by my own fair hand (without a Norah in sight Mr Hayes!) may be intermittent and brief. This trip is not yet completed but, before we go home to the dreadfull English winter weather, we are going to indulge ourselves here for Christmas and New Year, while we chill out after fifteen months of travelling.
We enjoyed a great home cooked meal of roast lamb and then chatted until late, admiring the spectacular display of stars above us in the winter sky.
Distance driven 267 km 166 miles
Tuesday 16th December
Quite a cold night, well down into single figures, gave way to a sunny morning, the day's temp around 15 deg. We went out shopping and started to get to know the area.
Wednesday 17th December
Another sunny morning and we spend the day doing chores around the motel. One of Susan's Portugese friends, Luis, is busy collecting pine cones, for which he climbs trees and dislodges them with a stick, so that they can then dry the cones and collect the pine nuts, a local delicacy. Oh, Luis is 76 years old (and still climbing trees) - there must be something in the water here!
One problem that shows up is that the well, the main source of water on the property, has run dry, we suspect due to the recent succession of low rainfall summers. We order a tanker of water from the local fire brigade, the 'Bombeiros' and they arrive mid afternoon. I become an honorary Bombeiro and assisted with filling the tank by hanging on to the filling hose as it jumped and kicked around. Definitely fun.
Thursday 18th December
A dull and cloudy day which slowly warmed up. We go shopping in Grandola before returning to the guest house. Conversation and good home cooking are now the main activities. As it goes dark around 6pm, we spend the evenings sitting in Susan's apartment in front of the log fire.
Friday 19th December
A very cold night and in the morning sun the valley is misty and the trees are 'steaming' until they warm up. We go for a drive to visit the nearby port of 'Sines', which has blue water shimmering in the 17 deg sunshine. Yes - this is December. After lunch overlooking the harbour, we drive back through the countryside and prepare another meal. It's all so we can show Donald that travelling doesn't make you lose weight!
Wednesday 24th December
The last few days have been spent doing jobs around the guest house, with repairs to electrics and plumbing and generally tidying around in this quiet season. There are only a couple and a family of three staying at the moment and we can plod on without any distraction.
Today is a shopping day for Christmas and we go to the busy town of Grandola and then for lunch out. In the afternoon we get round to putting up a Christmas tree and preparing for tomorrow, when we are going to have an easy day.
To all our family, friends and blog readers, we wish you a Merry Christmas - enjoy yourselves.
Wherever we have been in the world we have made an effort to go to church on Christmas Eve. We had checked on the notice board outside the small church in Melides square and had seen that there was a service at 2230. In the evening we drove into town, which was deserted and parked near the church. After waiting for twenty five minutes in the cold night air (the car gauge read 3 degs) outside the locked church, we gave up and returned to the guest house. Maybe the notice was for next year?
Thursday 25th December
A cold night and a misty morning. I opened the curtains and watched a robin, complete with a gorgeous red breast, flit about the shrubs and flowers feeding (and no snow in sight).
After a light breakfast we went for a ride out to the nearby beach, 'Praia de Melides'. We parked the car and walked through sand dunes to a navigation tower and then on to the edge of the beach, where rolling turquoise surf was crashing on to the 25 km long beach. Birds flew amongst the shrubs and in the bottom of the valley the 'Lagoa de Melides', a big freshwater lake blocked by the sand dunes, glistened in the warm 16 deg sunshine. We had to pinch ourselves that this was Christmas day.
Returning to the guest house, which is called 'Moinho Velho' (the old mill), we started on preparing the veg, etc.. We were sharing Christmas lunch with Stefan, Gabriella and their daughter Sophie, who for business reasons, were staying here. A (long) grand, turkey lunch, with all the trimmings, was served in the dining room and followed by mince pies and german cakes, a delicious combination. Afterwards was a game of Pictionary, the drawing game, which was hilarious. Late in the evening and we merrily retired to bed. This had been a good Christmas day.
Friday 26th December
A late start in the cool but sunny morning. After breakfast we had a ride out to visit a Portugese friend of Susan's and then drove round to the beach road at the other side of the lagoon. It was cool in the breeze and we didn't stay long, returning across the lower river track, where many wading birds were feeding in the shallow rice fields.
As we reached Moinho Velho we stopped to pick the fresh oranges that were starting to fall off the trees at the edge of the road.
A game of boules followed, before a 'left-over' tea and fresh cream trifle. It's tough out here!
Saturday 27th December
Cloud had developed overnight, which made it considerably warmer. The morning started very overcast with a fresh breeze and by 9am it started to rain quite steadily.
We decided to go for out for a drive northwards and the rain seemed to keep many people off the roads, but then the roads are always quiet away from the towns. We headed up to the 'Peninsula de Troia', a long, narrow stretch of land with the sea on the west and a wide tidal lagoon to the east. There is also a foot ferry across the wide 'Rio Sado' estuary to 'Setubal' on the north coast. After passing a few holiday apartments we came into a brand new multi million (pounds or euros doesn't make any difference these days does it?) project of apartments, hotel and leisure facilities, set on a marina.
It was still pouring down and we parked and walked down the sheltered side of the yacht club next to the marina. Looking across the choppy waters towards the mist covered port of Setubal, we saw the fin of a large dolphin cutting the waves as he headed out to sea. A tour round the resort, which is still being built and we set off back.
Now in the early afternoon we stopped at a small road side restaurant for a quick lunch and ended up enjoying a great fish, seafood and salad dinner. It had stopped raining when we arrived back at Moinho Velho and we just relaxed with a late, left-over tea and an evening watching tv. Yes - this is Christmas.
Sunday 28th December
A cloudy morning with the sun trying to break through and everyone decided on a lie in. Another 'pottering' day of jobs around the house.
Monday 29th December
Shopping in Grandola before lunch out. A slow afternoon of jobs and tidying up, all making for progress around the place. A last supper with Harry before an early night, ready for an early start.
Tuesday 30th December
Alarm clock at 5am, quick breakfast and on the road back to Faro airport before 6. The IP1 autopista was very quiet and we only hit traffic in Faro. We said our goodbyes to Harry as he flew back to the UK and the forecast 2 deg! Mind you it was overcast in Faro and around 13deg which felt quite cool in the freshening breeze.
We drove back along the N120, which ran inland from the coast and through rolling countryside and some twisty bends. We stopped for a quick lunch in 'Aljezur', a small town with houses clinging to the hillside and steep cobbled roads.
Continuing north through the pastures and fields of cows we reached Sines and then turned inland to Melides. An interesting days driving.
Distance driven 445 km 275 miles
Wednesday 31st December
It rained heavily overnight and the morning was cloudy and breezy. I had run the water tanks right down so that I could climb in and clean out any debris of leaves and pine needles that had fallen in and also clean the filters. Job done we breakfasted and waited for the Bombeiros to deliver the water we had ordered on Monday.
By 1230 there was no sign of them and I phoned up to check progress. In my broken Portugese and their no English, I deduced that no water was coming and couldn't understand the explanation given. We needed shopping before the early closure and drove into town, Grandola, some forty minutes away. Calling at the Bombeiros station, still in broken Portugese but with a friendly girl passer by helping us, we found out that they weren't delivering because there were some previous delivery bills outstanding. This was puzzling because all bills had been passed on to the accountant for paying. Why hadn't anyone told us instead of just not turning up?? Still - no pay, no agua!
We asked could we pay now but were told that the girl in the office had finished for New Year and so that was not possible. We explained we had no water and could they help us and we would sign in blood that we would return and pay on Friday, Monday, whenever they wanted. The officer phoned someone and then relayed that the Commandant, who was out somewhere, would phone us at 'home' in forty five minutes time. Couldn't we stay here and talk to him? No - we must go back to Melides and wait for the phone call there!
I dropped Susan and Norah off at a supermarket, with the aim of returning sometime before the new year and drove back in the rain to Moinho Velho. I passed the accountant's office on the way, but it was closed for the holiday. I reached base with five minutes to spare and waited for the call,......and waited until over half an hour had passed. One of the guests, Stefan, asked about the water and I explained the situation to him. Fortunately he spoke some Portugese and offered to phone the Bomberos, who told him that the commandant was still not there but they had found two bills and if we went in to the station and paid them we could have water. So - go back to the station (where we were two hours ago) and pay a couple of bills (which we had offered to do two hours ago) and we could have water. By now it wasn't the Portugese language I was struggling with but the principles of applied logic! This was definitely not 'joined up writing'.
Back into town, picking up the girls on the way (so at least we were going to be able to eat) we called at the Bomberos station office, where a different officer received us. Susan signed a cheque for the bills and as we came out, the tanker had already left. It was now well after 3pm.
Back at Moinho Velho the single officer was already pumping water into the tank and then returned with another load and topped us up. I did my honorary Bombeiros bit in changing the hose over between the two tanks, during which I didn't securely hang on to it and got drenched in the process, which rather made his afternoon. Still, we had water.
Showered and changed, a pizza supper and a relaxed evening watching 'Ghost' on a dvd (oh joy!) before an early night, as we hadn't found any notices around for a New Year's rave. It continued to rain and we were woken early in the evening by muted explosions somewhere in the village. Looking at the clock it read 12 midnight and then everything was quiet again.
A very Happy New Year to all and we wish you health and prosperity.
For us it will (maybe) not be as adventurous as this year but we have still to plan our return home to the UK and the weather forecast of snow, frosts, flu epidemics and economic gloom may contribute to keeping us in Portugal a little longer.
Thursday 1st January 2009.
A late start to a dull day. Now we had water we could do clothes washing and hung them out, whereupon it started to rain heavily. Happy New Year! Still we need the water and we had had a nice Christmas day.
The rest of the day was spent on odd jobs and preparing for the evening dinner, which we were sharing with Stefan, Gabriella and Sophie again.
The New Year's day dinner was roast beef and Yorkshire pudding followed by baked pears - a real feast.
Friday 2nd January
Another dull start with heavy rain showers throughout the day. We plodded on with more maintenance and cleaning jobs throughout the day, a steady start to the new year.
Wednesday 14th January
Yes - we're still here. The weather has been mostly a sunny 8 deg during the day and down to zero during the night, leaving a slight frost on the ground. The sunny, misty mornings soon warm up and the birds, especially the robins, noisily flit about the garden area. On a couple of nights we've gone to bed with a fabulous full moon, where we could see all the craters clearly, only for heavy rain to come in during the night and then be gone by morning. The weather changes extremely quickly here.
Our days are full with a late start (8.30am), a quick breakfast and then busying ourselves on cleaning the rooms and around the guest house. I'm into outside and inside repairs and maintenance, which is exercising both brain and muscles and I don't know which is a bigger shock to the system after a lazy (???) fifteen months travelling. It's usually a good dinner around 7.30 and then early to bed, tired out. What round the world trip???
We had planned to spend a month in Melides but there is so much to do here, plus we've seen the current weather (and social / financial) situation in the UK, that we've decided to hang out here a while longer.
Friday 23rd January
Another busy week has gone by in a blur. Most of the week has been cold and rainy with very little sun. On Tuesday it was pouring down with rain and sleet, what happened to the sunny Portugal we arrived in? We're still very busy on jobs and repairs round the house and finding more and more to do.
We had to change the hire car on Wednesday because Hertz had rented us a car which needed a service after 120kms - is that good organising or what? We had to spend a day taking the car to Lisbon and changing it. The weather was thankfully reasonable and dry and we managed to see a little bit of the capital, especially the two magnificently impressive bridges over the Rio Tejo estuary.
We changed the last of our travellers cheques at the airport and even though we have not yet returned home, it highlighted that our main trip was now over, leaving us with just one final 'hop' back to the UK sometime in the future. In the current financial turmoil it was an intriguing shock to change our reserve of UK pounds into euros. Where we would have had something like a third more euros than pounds in the past, now for 400 UK pounds we received 390 euros which was almost parity and reduced by the transfer commission!
We were shopping in the 'big city' for several things that the local small towns did not have and we found a big shopping mall near the Benfica football stadium. We spent most of the day in Lisbon before returning and arriving back in Melides after dark.
The German family, Stefan, Gabriella and Sophie left this week to return home, which has made the place quite quiet.
The weather forecast is for rain for several days and it seems we are going into the windy season, which should make it interesting as we are only 5km from the Atlantic coast.
Sunday 8th February
Still busy at Moinho Velho cleaning, decorating, repairing and preparing for the coming holiday season. We've decided to practically blitz all the rooms and decorate thoroughly, which is giving us a heavy workload and long, busy days.
The couple in the new cottage have now moved out and we have the place to ourselves, which is making for a very relaxed (with all the work we're doing ???) atmosphere.
The weather has been mostly wet and stormy with only a few scattered hours of sunshine, which makes doing the laundry a lottery. There are serious downpours, which have helped our water situation but also cause power cuts in the area and last for (usually) several minutes at a time. There are thunder storms, which feel low in the sky and many seem to break right on top of us. Lightning is mostly out to sea and infrequent, although when it does set off, it illuminates the whole sky in one big ball of light.
The garden and shrubs around are quite green and at our break times, if the sun permits, we sit out and watch the many birds flit around the garden. Down in the river valley the storks are returning and are building nests on the top of high poles. We can see them wheeling around in small groups over the valley, a flat area of rice fields which in the winter time has many migrant waders visiting it.
It's Sunday afternoon and we have given ourselves a few hours relaxation before we start on the next week's work, just (lots) more of the same but at least we are seeing a slow improvement. At least we don't have to brave the snowy, wintry weather that is hitting the UK at the moment.
Thursday 5th March
Time flies! We're still here in Portugal and still very busy. The travels of the previous months seem just a distant memory but in the (very) few moments of relaxation we get flashbacks of the places we've visited. There was a film on the other night and it centered around a small fishing port in Australia called 'Bermagui', yes - we remembered there.
We've had a period of fine, dry, warm (up to 20 deg) weather with blue skies. Now that was quite pleasant! At the moment we have heavy rain and serious winds again, with the daily temperature in the low teens - yes, 20 deg was nicer! ! Another enjoyable factor of the good weather was that although the nights were cold, sometimes even as low as 6 deg (mmmm yes - where would you rather be?) after our constant late evening meal we could sit in front of a great log fire, something that is now no longer permissible in the UK.
The garden and shrubs are growing well and the birds are busy nesting with the sight of many storks flying over us carrying twigs. I was surprised how big they are, the size of a turkey but thinking about it they would have to be a decent size to be able to carry a baby wouldn't they? (Baby - stork, come on, think about it !)
We're also encountering the other local wildlife. For about three weeks, on fine days there's a black flying beetle, about an inch long with a serious antenna arrangement, that emerges at dusk and zips over the ground, in search of goodness knows what. They make a very loud buzzing noise as they fly, are attracted by light and have a lousy sense of direction - bumping into things, especially windows, causing a strong thudding sound. They are quite harmless but somewhat intimidating in their numbers, about one per square metre of ground coverage. They are also unstable and if they bounce off something and land on their back then they're unable to right themselves and eventually die. Once it finally goes dark they disappear, so they musn't have night flying vision! The two cats that live here have a whale of a time chasing them.
Talking of cats, one of them looks like a miniature lynx wildcat, grey with fabulous black striped markings. He walks around like he owns the place.
There's also a more bothersome pest that has just started to appear. The trees hold a white, whispy stranded nest about the size of a packet of coffee. It holds the larvae of the 'lagarta' moth which emerges and crawls down the tree trunk or drops strands from the branches and crawls down them, like some attacking SAS team. There can be dozens of these large, hairy caterpillars that form a nose to tail procession across the ground until they reach a soft area, burrow into it and then start pupation into the eventual moth. The problem is that the strands and caterpillars contain an extremely unpleasant irritant, which if touched causes serious discomfort. Thankfully they are only active for a few weeks in this state and the final moth builds a new nest back in the trees and lays its eggs for next year's brood.
We also have a small ornamental pond which has attracted two types of frogs. A dull green one, which sits round the pond and emits a noise like a duck (I kid you not) and a tiny bright green one that looks like the South American tree frog and is camouflaged by grass and shrubbery. This second type is also poisonous. The snakes and scorpions have not appeared - yet!
Anyway, enough of this everyday story of life in Portugal, must go and do some painting!
Tuesday 26th May
What was the comment about time flies ???? We're still here in Portugal at Moinho Velho helping my sister at her guest house and have been very busy. I had managed to write some letters home to family and I am using these by summarizing below.
Late March. It is quite a special place, being so quiet and peacefull, birds of all kinds flying round the surrounding pine woods, the sea only 3km away and the weather being pretty good - we're into cool nights but around 20 deg during the day, which I gotta admit is rather pleasant.
The mornings are calm and tranquil and I can wander down and feed the horses before breakfast. Oh, I saw my first scorpion yesterday when I lifted a rock whilst tidying up round the entrance pond area, so it's be careful whilst gardening now. The clear skies give us some fabulous views of star constellations at night. Yes - it's some place!
The internet is as unreliable as ever. It's up and down all the time and Norah has christened it 'the internot'!!!
(April) Well another month (how) has passed and we're still here after four months, it makes you wonder is this the real life? We've slogged on, working the (usual) twelve hour days up to Easter and managed to completely refurbish 8 of the 9 rooms, something we were all quite satisfied about.
The weather has been quite good and after the hour went forward, apart from having an extra hour of daylight to work in(!!!!), we started to sit out for the (usually late) evening meal, which at times, although cool, was very pleasant. One evening there was a rustle in the bushes next to the verandah where the dining tables are. Sue thought it was one of the cats and told it to get out of there. So out walks this fox, across the edge of the verandah and in at the other side heading towards the tables, then sitting there as if to say "come on mate, give us a chip!". When there was nothing coming his way he wandered off to look elsewhere. It was straight out of Disney - is this just fantasy? Susan reckons he lives in the trees next to us and we and other guests saw him for a few nights afterwards.
Whilst guests are in it was not really possible to make a lot of mess or noise (as peace and quiet are one of the big attractions of Moinho Velho) so I amused myself by emptying, redesigning and decorating the entrance pond - you know me and water, although it's been the closest I've got to any water for weeks! It was promptly populated by many of the local frogs, a kind of frog haven.
Once the guests had gone it was back down to work on the need to refurbish, as we're caught in the landslide of completing the rooms and then progressing onto other parts of the guest house, there's no escape from reality here and there's so much to do.
I'd completed a part of the garden irrigation system watering the lawn before Easter and now needed to fit new control valves from the feeder pipes to make it easier to use. Whilst digging up the garden to find the pipe I started to remove all the overgrown grass and weeds, which looked an eyesore from the rooms and I found 2 tiny orange trees which were dying from neglect. Opened up, fed with manure and watered regularly they're now sprouting healthy new leaves. Eat your heart out Titmarch!
Last weekend I had the thing I feared most - a sewer blockage. The sewerage pipes here are all small bore, like the Meditteranean countries and there is no toilet paper to be put down the loo but in a bin at the side of the toilet. This is a favorite (???) daily emptying task which Norah initially christened as emptying the 'poo bins' but when guest were on site she amended it to 'empty the Winnie bins' - COME ON - "Winnie the ......., yes, you've got it. Anyway there's water coming up from a shower overflow and luckily it was a rainy weekend and we had no guests in. I start digging up the (hidden) manhole chambers across the garden, which were all full and reeking (oh sorry, should have put at the head of this letter - "Do Not Read Before a Meal!") until I came to an empty chamber on the far side. Empty except for a big blockage of paper emerging on the outside. So standing down inside the 3 foot deep chamber I poked it with a garden fork. A horrendous gurgle followed and the paper shot out followed by 2 million gallons of unmentionably smelly gunge, many days old. Now I really know what the meaning of the word INCENTIVE is - I got out of that hole faster than Linford Christie off the blocks, as it pursued me up the chamber side walls. Luckily I caught the paper block in the fork and the smelly liquid monster slowly disappeared down the exit pipe into the septic tank. Another joyful day in the Portugese countryside!
I'm sat here on the verandah, snatching an hour in the late afternoon sunshine. It's quiet and peacefull, with the (temporary) sound of a tractor mowing Susan's fields down towards the river. They haven't been touched for over 5 years and a little man came and said he would clean them all up if he could use them for rice growing. Yes rice - the valley floor is flat and interconnected with narrow control channels that provide water from the river. The thermometer is reading 24deg.
As I look up to the skies, it is all blue and there are storks flying around over the valley, swallows are swooping round the skies and occasionally buzz in under the verandah chasing flies and just missing us. A blackbird is wandering through the foliage and great tits check the roof for flies. A couple of weeks ago I saw a hoopoo (?) bird near the drive. Just over the garden wall a small frog in the greenery is chuddering away his noisy territorial call, he actually sounds like a duck.
Anyway, as 'Animal' in the Muppets says, "Well it's goodbye now from the Portugese retirement home for the chronically groovy!!!" I'll contact you again - In the meantime, where's my barrel of Ruddles County (English beer) that I asked for ????????
There is a pond in an area between the road and the rice fields, at the side of the orange tree grove and it's seriously overgrown. There are great patches of wild mint growing near the pond and a fabulous grove of weeping willow trees, which if cleaned up would make a very pleasant sitting area.
It's 18 deg and cold! There's a serious (weather) depression coming through us with a strong wind and constant showers. Then it briefly brightens up into sunny blue skies.
On the 15th April we had to change the rental car as the company wouldn't extend the hire period. We chose to go to Setubal, a half hours drive north up the coast and then take a modern ferry across the estuary from Troia. There is a lot of development going on here with a brand new village of high class apartments and villas having been built. The whole area is being seriously invested in. Setubal is an old port town with a few modern buildings but still has the old, well kept town centre with narrow streets, shops and squares and we found it an interesting place. Our return trip in the VW polo was round the coast road at the top of the estuary and was quite scenic. This was one of the very few occasions, apart from shopping in the nearby towns of Grandola or San Andre, that we had been able to see anything of the region.
It was our wedding anniversary on the 24th April and we managed to go out together for the afternoon for a drive, sightseeing to another town and to the coast and but spending some time looking for a shop to cut some special keys for MV, there's no respite from it.
Late in April my other sister, Linda came out to visit for a week. It was the first time that the three of us had been together for over four years. On the Sunday afternoon we were clearing the rooms, following the full Mayday weekend after all the guests had left, when Linda came and said quietly "Will you just come and have a look at this please - NOW!!!!!" Linda had been staying with her friend Joan in the new wooden cottage, which is situated slightly uphill behind the main building, when Joan had noticed fire. I went and looked and behind the line of trees at the edge of MV, the forest was on fire, with a line of flames some 200 metres long extending down the side of our boundary line. I ran back to the building, told Susan and Norah to phone the local fire brigade (which is staffed by mostly volunteers and is based in Grandola, some 25 minutes drive away). Norah and Joan then gathered all immediate personal possessions and moved the cars away from the car park, which was nearest to the line of fire.
We had discussed the fire issue with Susan, as when I came out 4 years ago most of Portugal was burning in the excessive summer heat, like California or Australia but Susan assured me that fires "are not a risk until the summer months starting in July" "Oh Yeah ???? I grabbed thick gloves, whatever hose I could find, a big garden rake and headed towards the fire.
Most of the ground is thickly covered with dry, fallen pine needles and the forest floor is mostly some grass and all sizes of a gorse type bush, that ranges from small plants to tall (2 metres) high growing up into the tree branches, many of these lower tree branches being dead and dry. The gorse growth soon dries out and becomes like tinder. Luckily the wind was blowing away from the buildings but the flames still moved slowly towards us, feeding on the pine needles, like water spreading from the incoming tide over the sand on a beach. Away uphill, the fire was in a thick growth of gorse and It reached the small gorse bushes and slowly caught alight on the living stems but on a taller bush it would suddenly erupt, as years of dead growth up to two metres high, flared up and into the branches with a loud crackling whoosh, like a flame thrower. I've seen the tv news reports from California and Australia but to actually watch it happen was one of the most frighteningly amazing, awesome sights I've ever seen.
These high blazing areas were uphill away from the buildings and I headed directly towards a low burning area and started to beat out the flames with the rake, battering down the small burning gorse bushes. Eventually I managed to stand next to the fire line and rake unburnt needles down to the sand underneath, creating a fire break. As I worked on I was getting hotter and had to keep stopping to cool down and get my breath. Linda and Susan had assembled lengths of hose and brought these out but they did not reach anywhere near my position and the water pressure was very low, given the distance from the hose feed and the number of joints restricting the flow. Linda had brought out a big, wetted towel which I wrapped round my head and neck to keep me cool and give me some protection from the heat.
After quite a while I found myself 'caught short' (an English expression for needing a wee) - I don't know if it was the excitement or hectic exercise and I automatically looked around for a privacy bush. What? - I'm in the middle of a forest fire and looking for privacy!!! I decided not to bother and simply unzipped and sprayed the flames (carefully!). It would have looked an amazing sight if anyone had seen it - definitely have been a great hit on 'U Tube'. More flame beating and then the fire teams started to arrive. The vehicles ranged from a customized pickup truck with a big water tank and pump on the back, to a four wheel drive full size fire tender. After they have used the initial water that they carry there is a couple of water tankers that accompany them, one of 8,000 litres and a petrol tanker sized one of 20,000 litres. Two of the small trucks headed for the bigger burning section uphill but many more were some three hundred metres away tackling the blaze around another distant building. I then realized the implication of the situation and that Moinho Velho was just a small consideration. There is a major gas pipeline that runs from the deep water port at Sines, across country northwards towards Lisbon and just through the trees the building I could see was one of the pumping stations, which keep the gas moving through the pipe, visible through the smoke. Now this could get really interesting!!!
As I battered and raked on I frequently came to areas of undergrowth where there was no sand but thick 'earth', mostly under or near trees. This 'earth' was the result of years of leaf and pine needle fall and was compressed, just like a thick peat. As I stood in the smouldering layer my feet started to burn from the heat underneath coming through the soles of my boots. I had to run to Linda and get her to hose my lower legs and actually put the hose inside my boots to fill them with water and stop the burning. It brings a whole new meaning to "fill your boots!"
During the fire fighting a guy on a tractor with a plough appeared and started to work on the edge of the fire area, turning over the ground to create fire breaks to further delay the spread of the fire, Many other Portugese locals turned up and were digging and beating the flames - everyone pitches in here. Slowly the fire was brought down under control and the fire teams spent ages hosing down the smouldering areas of ground. The 'peat' areas were left to burn out and smoked on through the night. The report back later was that fire teams from five towns had been brought in and a total of 80,000 square metres had been alight. The fire had been stopped about 150 metres from MV buildings. As the fire teams finished off, the local police and fire investigation came and surveyed the area. We have found out this week that the fire started in three separate places, all at the same time and all in a straight line - why would anyone do something so crazy?
We first spotted the fire at just after 1.30 and by 6pm it was all over. Well what else can you do for fun on a May bank holiday weekend?
An uneasy evening followed with the smell of burning grass and wood drifting across MV and we all had a restless night. In the morning Linda and I looked at the still smouldering areas, including several charred trees. Remember that these are pine trees and are full of very inflammable pine resin, which is just like a tar.
The next day we went into Grandola for some shopping when Susan had a mobile phone call. It was from Linda, the wind had changed direction and turned towards Moinho Velho, picked up in strength and the smouldering areas were now showing signs of flames again in this hot afternoon breeze.
We were two minutes walk from the fire station and rushed round there to report the fire but as we arrived they went into panic mode and wouldn't listen to us. A fire had been reported but was it our fire? Try as we might no-one listened, especially to our limited Portugese appeals and we eventually found a bystander who spoke English and helped us. As more volunteers rushed into the station he explained that there were two fires reported - but was one of them ours? As the first fire tender left our interpreter managed to find out that Melides near the lagoa was one fire and thanking him we set off back to the car. Susan called Linda to tell her that the firemen were on their way and we drove back as fast as we could, definitely breaking speed limits on the narrow country roads. We arrived at MV before any fire team and I ran into the open area and started to beat the flames again with a rake. It wasn't serious enough to prepare for another evacuation but we couldn't let it keep growing. A fire truck arrived, manned mostly by youngsters and they started hosing down the burning areas. They did several and I pointed more out near to yesterday's fire line. They finished the spot they were tackling and promptly drove off! I raked as much as I could but needed water to put the flames, which were licking up several trees, out completely. As I looked across at the pumping station, where several areas had also re-ignited in the freshening wind, the fire crews had doused down the flames and were all now leaving!
I rushed over to where only a command jeep was left and asked the commander, who fortunately spoke English, what was happening. He explained that they had (the other) fire in an area of fallen cork oaks and this was a serious danger as the cork is extremely combustible and all crews had been redirected there. I explained that trees were starting to re-ignite here and thankfully he came and looked, agreeing that the job was not finished. Well over an hour later a crew returned and methodically hosed down the burning trees and the ever smouldering 'peat' areas until there was no sign of smoke or fire. Another restless night.
We did not have many guests in last weekend and Norah and I managed to go out for a a couple of hours. We drove up the coast and stopped off at a couple of beaches, sitting on one next to some small fishing boats and watching the waves in the afternoon sunshine. Now this was how it should be.
In the burnt forest area next to us forestry teams have moved in and are demolishing the burnt trees and clearing the area, presumably to reduce the risk to the gas pipeline. We are tidying up and clearing fallen trees and timber from our patch onto this area, where it will hopefully be moved but at least it's away from our buildings.
It really is peaceful and scenic here, we sit out on the verandah overlooking the valley for most meals now, have fresh bread and homemade orange marmalade for breakfast, delicious Alentajo (the region) wine, cheeses and cooked meats (including an unbelievable local version of black pudding John). The clear skies and full moon are magical with superb views of the stars, in the valley the rice has started to grow and the water filled fields are slowly turning into a deep green colour. As it goes dusk hundreds of frogs, which have moved into the rice fields (delighting the patrolling storks) start to chudder away and it gives a tropical feeling. Birds fly about through the trees and the valley views are enchanting, especially in the quiet of an early morning.
There is always something to do and our days are full. Laundry is a major job and we have a washing machine room in the ground floor of a three storey building that also contains the big (2 x 8000 litres) pumped water tanks and has fabulous views from the top over the surrounding valley. As Norah was taking some laundry towards the wash room last week she spotted a snake in the doorway, looking for somewhere cool to hide. She came and found me and as I got there it had disappeared inside one of the Portugese 35cm sectional bricks that was lying inside the room. I got some gloves and carefully lifted the brick and put it inside a small bin and placed a sheet of glass on the top. Norah had got a good look at it and a quick internet search identified it as a 'rat snake', non poisonous and supposedly had no fangs as it crushed its prey. He was an attractive (depending on your view on snakes) creature, about a metre and a quarter long, light olive brown with two thick black stripes running lengthwise down his back. The youngsters are born with black lines running across these two main lines, which gives them an alternative name of 'ladder snakes' but the cross lines fade as the snake gets older (and not a lot of people know that, do they Michael?) We kept him until the late afternoon and I decided to release him away from MV. I found my 'Steve Irwin' forked stick and carefully lifting the glass cover, I held him down whilst I removed the brick from the bin. As I moved the stick away he attacked it. He might not have fangs but this guy sure had a very mean suck!!! I tipped the snake from the bin and into a big plant pot, quickly covered it and carried him over 500 metres to the unoccupied pumping station and tipped him out onto the ground next to the fence. As I moved closer to take a photo he reared up and struck out at me but I was too far away for him to reach (thank goodness for zoom lenses!!) This guy was definitely a hissing Sid (anyone remember the 'Captain Beaky' song from many years ago?) He spotted the buildings and impressively swiftly moved away and disappeared underneath. Another interesting encounter with wildlife.
We keep thinking about going back home but it's very peacefull and scenic here and there's so much to do to help Susan, it's got to be one of the better places I've worked in! Apart from missing our family and friends, we keep looking at the English weather forecast. They've just had a warm couple of days after months of cold and wet weather. It's 9.30 in the morning here, the thermometer is reading 17 deg and hot, sunny days up to 30deg are forecast. This is really getting to be a tough call. Be patient with us guys - we'll be back sometime!!!!!!!
Thursday 28th May
It's Thursday afternoon and we feel run ragged from looking after the guests that are now starting to stay here. A strong breeze is blowing through the quadrangle where I’m sitting and it’s refreshingly like sitting in front of an enormous hair dryer, as the very warm wind blows over the dining tables, giving some relief from the burning sun on the clay tiles above me. We’ve just dared to empty, clean and refill the Jacuzzi, hopefully in preparation for a busy weekend, as the weather forecast is for temperatures over 30deg for the next few days. It’s 4pm and the thermometer is showing 33deg in the shade. All I need is a cool Ruddles and I can dream I'm in heaven!
The downside? With the warm weather and water in the fields, the mosquitoes and gnats are proliferating and are going to be a serious nuisance soon. They’re not malarial but it doesn’t mean that their bite is any less annoying or uncomfortable. I wonder if they have mosquitos in heaven? There’s always hundreds (thousands) of ants around everywhere and they do sometimes come inside the buildings (but strangely not the guest rooms) and we have to deter them with insect spray. Outside on the paths there are ant motorways, where millions of tiny ant feet have worn down small grooves in the sand by their incessant travels. I have a grudging respect for them as they work unceasingly but then again there’s a lot of that here at MV!!!!
Insects – the garden is suddenly full of dozens and dozens of red admiral type butterflies, surfing along on the breeze, as Susan has many plants around the quad, including gorgeous red and orange hibiscus. The several vine plants growing up the roof support poles are spreading well and are starting to sprout grapes. Small gecko lizards run across the lawn and along the paths, sometimes pursued by Susan’s nutcase of a cat, Bonnie (yes – he has a brother called Clyde). There’s a blackbird slowly foraging his way across the lawn under the shelter of the big, old pine tree in the centre and sparrows and great tits are busy collecting insects to feed their chicks in the trees around. Swallows and collared doves swoop over the roofs. All this gives a 'perfick’ feeling of tranquility and a short respite from the hard work that we’re enveloped in. I can imagine what being a guest, here to relax and enjoy this place, would be like.
Saturday 13th June
It’s a Portugese bank holiday and we are full and turning people away. The weather is now good and hot (28deg) and every day is hectic. I am writing this at 6.30pm Saturday, after both of us being up until 1.30 last night with late arrivals, awake at 7am this morning to help with breakfast, horses, laundry and cleaning rooms ready for new check-ins.
We are completely busy all day with the affairs of the guest house and all refurb work and upgrades has stopped.
We have completed the shark net (shark net? I should wish), It’s a mosquito net system that we’ve built all around the dining area to keep the little bitey *******s out and it does make it more pleasant, although Norah is suffering with mosquito, midge and gnat bites inflicted during her chores around the place.
Wednesday 17th June
We are awake at 6am and finish off the last bits of packing. Yes, after six months in Portugal it’s finally time to leave for home. Our preparations for Susan are completed and she is ready to continue with local staff and run the guest house through the summer.