Sunday 30 June 2013

Week 4 of our new life

Monday nice and quiet today, went to Faro Algarve shopping to pick up a few things, also tried to find a place called Oasis for a Swimming Pool cover, still looking for it!  Chilled by the pool in the sun.  Had a visitor to our terrace for lunch, see picture, can anyone name it!!! Douglas had to finally remove it with his fly swat and place it very far away from me. Last night was Supermoon Night, it was fantastic here, pity I did not have a proper camera.
Our Supermoon
Forum Algarve Shopping Centre
What the hell is this


Tuesday, the man finally arrived today to look at the furniture and has taken half of it away (hurray) he was that chuffed that he is coming back on Thursday for the rest of it, Douglas struck a good deal so now the house is looking slightly empty and will be even worse on Thursday, never mind heading back to UK soon so wont have to worry for a month.  Went to Faro Beach Restaurant tonight for a meal, had clams in Butter and Garlic Sauce to start and then Clams, Shrimps and Mussels with rice for Main, for someone that will usually only eat Shrimps I done rather well, it was yummy, luckily Douglas and I shared the meal as it was huge.  Strange to be sitting right on the beach with people still swimming and sunbathing at 8.00pm at night.  Left at 10.30pm and the owners son was on the beach fishing for tomorrows fish, amazing.
Wednesday early start today appointment at the bank to sort out account etc, lost the will to live after one hour, then went to find the Curtain Centre and Vodafone to top up my dongle, finally found the Curtain Centre to discuss curtains etc, bit difficult just now as curtains are in storage along with everything else, oh well will just have to wait until windows etc are in and we can get our stuff out of storage, long way to go then!!! never found Vodafone, then off to buy new radiators and a new hosepipe as ours leaks, this was quite easy but in 31 degree heat I wilted rapidly, never mind 2 litre bottle of water in the car kept us going.  We then set off for Albufeira, there is a lovely coffee shop there called Riviera Pastelaria, we had decided that once a month this would be my treat as they do gorgeous pastries and cakes of all shapes and sizes, I had a lovely chicken salad with apple and pineapple, shredded chicken, lettuce, onion and tomato and Douglas had a Pork toastie, never guess after eating my salad I had no room for a cake LOL, Oh well next time I will forget about the salad.  Well worth a monthly trip.  Finally got home at 6.00pm unloaded the car and straight into the pool, heaven!!!!!


Faro Beach 8.30pm



        
Riviera Pastelaria


      
         Didnt eat any cakes honest!














Thursday James came to take away the big furniture today, so we are left with a bed, some boxes and a washing machine, all rooms are now empty ready for next weeks onslaught of builders.  Mike the Drain Doctor came to clean the drains and gutters, yuuuugh horrible job but now all clear and cleaned out, we wont have to get it done again as he has told us the remedial work to do on a three monthly basis, thank god our Power Washer is in storage, it will come in very handy.  Then the swimming pool man came to measure the pool for its cover, he will phone us tomorrow with the price, why does that tell me it will be expensive.  Finally Hugo came to replace the outside tap, we had bought a new one along with a new hosepipe only we had got the wrong size tap, so at 7.00pm we had to trundle along the N125 to go and change the tap, a 45 minute drive, but it was a cool 25 degrees and made shopping such a pleasure, we purchased some new outdoor lights while we were at it, I can shop at night quite easily as it is cool so I didnt get hot and bothered, think Douglas has a different opinion on that.  We expected our tiles to be delivered on Tuesday but they are coming on Saturday, another case of Manana!!! and Hugo will come back and fix the tap tomorrow. Also discovered our house name Casa Filomena - although a popular girls name also means Beloved so we have a "Beloved House" very apt and it is going to stay with that name, think it has a good ring to it.

Drain Doctor Van and Assistant
Drain Doctor Man himself





Friday morning final meeting with Adrian (the Builder) and Mesteraposa (windows and doors) for final measurements and instructions to Adrian regarding knocking out and changing certain windows, then our time with Adrian to go through plans again and make sure he has got the same plans as we have LOL, five hours later all the finalities done, so all steam ahead next week. Time for a long swim after first going to the shop for a bottle of Morgans (it just had to be done) then lounging by the pool.  Hugo arrived at 5.30 to change the tap and now we have a nice shiny non leaking tap complete with new hosepipe.  Evening of just sitting on the terrace doing as little as possible, well tomorrow is another day.
Why did Saturday arrive!! Delivery of tiles today, should have been an easy job, but no, the truck could only get a quarter of a way into the drive, so could only off load the tiles half way into the front garden 4 pallets full, so guess what we had to unload 163 boxes of tiles off the pallets and into the house, 3 hours later job done after many glugs of water absolutely knackered, 81 degree heat nearly killed us, needless to say we was not fit for much else today.  Long swim in the pool and I still managed my 16 lengths.  8.00pm and we needed to move the pallets into the garage as they now need to be chopped up to use for firewood in the winter, certainly a job for another time and as it is still 79 degrees not much energy for anything else. We also discovered that we had not ordered the plinths for the tiles, so another trek tomorrow to order them, oh Sunday is going to be 84 degrees. Had another visitor to the terrace today, I thought it was our first Lizard but Douglas thinks that the tail is very very long, what do you think?,
Sunday and the end of week 4, it is hard to believe that we will be back in the UK next week, and the weather forecast is not looking good.  Ordered the plinths for the tiles today so that is finally everything sorted, we hope.  Cleaned the house, Douglas commented how nice it was for me to leave the house sparkling for the builders coming in, think that was a bit of sarcasm actually!!  Rounded off the day by going to the cinema to see Star Trek into the Darkness, very good film.  Next weeks blog will be half of the week in The Algarve and half of the week in Devon, will keep posting.

What do you think?
Men at Work 
Labour of Love

Sunday 23 June 2013

Week 3 of our new life

Monday started off much cooler today which was a welcome relief, a trip to Faro to purchase new oven etc turned out to be fruitless as cannot seem to find anything that matches, never mind will keep looking.  Douglas received a Fathers Day Card from Katie, well chuffed, Bart Simpson on the front with a big belly, uuumh could certainly see the resemblance. Out for dinner again with Mick and Pauline, went to Chesquira in Loule, Chicken Piri Piri, salad, french fries, couple of drinks and a big slice of walnut cake, 38 euros for 4, cannot complain at that, and it was very good.  Discussed some work to the garden or should I say Forest! with Jaoa pronounced (Jwow) he is going to visit on Saturday to discuss my plans, LOL I dont know where to start was hoping he would give me some inspiration.
Tuesday saw us getting up at 05.00am, going to Lisbon for the day, first class train travel, so easy, saw quite a few lovely sites, Lisboa Port with all the big Cruise ships sitting in the port, wow they are some size, Museu de Cavejere (Museum of Beer) Douglas liked this one, I wonder why!!Portal de Nossa Senhora da Conceica, a fantastic beautiful church being renovated after an earthquake in 1755, the ceiling had a mural which was out of this world, and the entrance was original stonework with an emphasis on angels, flowers  and armillar spheres, also visited La Bastiliere an old bar with original seats paintings etc and I was able to order lunch for us in Portuguese well chuffed.
Interior of A Brasileira

Exterior of A Brasileira


Portal de Nossa Senhora

Note the Beer Glass Museu de Cavejera




Wednesday a quiet day today after the long day yesterday relaxing in the Sun, ready for another busy day tomorrow.
Thursday we have finally ordered our new windows and doors, 6-8 weeks delivery for these, having decided we are now taking one door out and moving the big double doors to the terrace to the right (if you are outside) to the left (if you are inside) and also blocking half a door from the master bedroom and making it into a window, took some measuring and decision making (Douglas is mentally strained now), also went to search out pool covers, not an easy task but interesting.  Swimming is good this week for me 14 lengths of the pool on a daily basis, Douglas has been in today after much deliberation on temperature, how warm do you need the water when it is roasting in the sun!!!, rounded off the day at Luis Do Frangos (Chicken Luis) uummhh delicious chicken and chips in the basket.  Have also booked our flights back to the UK, we arrive in Devon on the 3rd July and then arrive in Scotland for a week on the 24th July, anyone want to meet for lunch etc please let me know as diary is getting filled up already, will be great to catch up with as many as possible.
Friday a very hot day has dawned, off to meet the builder again and finally order the kitchen and appliances, 4 week delivery for this,so much easier with Adrian (our Builder/Project Manager) with us only took us three hours, I lose the will to live shopping in this heat, plus we bought other bits and pieces for the bathrooms, never mind back home for a swim and chill out.  Everything is starting to come together now fingers crossed. Found an Iceland store in Guia today, so popped in for a nosey, came out again as it was All the British things that obviously expats cannot live without, only they charge 3 times the price, I would rather adapt my ways than pay those sort of prices, cannot think of anything worse than frozen ready made meals when there is such an abundance of good local produce around.  It was like a mini Britain, all expats together!!!!  On our way home a wee stop at Cafe Pinto, Ola to the locals, Oh, and today we learned to count up to five in Portuguese.
Saturday another hot day dawning, had to chase up the guy who is meant to be taking our house furniture off our hands, it is like Manana, just happens whenever, now says he will come up on Monday, we will see just over a week to go and need to get it all out before the builder moves in, anyone want 3 settees, 4 single beds, one double bed, a 3 piece wall unit, a kitchen, please let me know all in good condition just not suited to us!! Went for a BBQ at Mick and Paulines tonight, had plenty of Sausages all shapes and sizes and the piece de resistance was Grouper (a big ugly fish) but boy he tasted good, plenty of fish on it anyway. It is so warm the pool was still 23 degrees at 10.00pm, sitting on the terrace for the last evening drink, just knowing the portable air conditioning will need to go on tonight this has been a godsend by the way, Douglas still has to cosy up in the 4.5 tog quilt (funny never knew you could buy such a thin quilt before), the learning curve is just never ending.
Grouper the poor wee fish












Joao came to see the garden today, he was not put off!! uuumh its big and quite a mess, this is an understatement, nothing has had any water either as irrigation not working, Joao tested it and yes we need a new system, no surprise there then, we do have fruit trees but again they will need nurtured, so Joao is going to start on the garden at the beginning of August and he is also going to clean the pool on a weekly basis, good thing about the pool is the filter etc are all in good working order, silently I thanked god for that.
Sunday came and went in an 82 degree haze, I have felt so lethargic today, managed to clean the house and that was it, Douglas very much the same he managed 12 lengths of the pool, I have completed my week of 14 lengths each day so next week up to 16, I can do that!!!  So the end of week 3, feel very settled here already but know there is a long way to go, but it is all coming together.  Will leave you with some pictures of our View when we have Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner on the terrace and the Setting Sun. xx
Eating takes on a new dimension

Red Sky at Night

Sunset at Casa Filomena

Sunday 16 June 2013

Week 2 of our new life


Sunday has been a very busy day, House cleaning/clearing for 3 solid hours, Douglas sweated but never complained, his reward a glass of cold water, we bypassed breakfast to go out for an early lunch.  We then decided we were going to Faro to enquire about buying train tickets to Lisbon, as we have some business to do there over the next couple of weeks.  Well why not try the language, out comes the dictionary and the note book, found the right words for cost of train ticket to Lisbon, please, thank you, and timetable.  Well off we went, Douglas wouldn't even try the language he said I could do it, feeling very confident we went up to the ticket office I started my question, only got three words out the ticket man said what language do you speak, I said English he spoke to us in English, what a disappointment I did try very hard but guess the pronunciation or something was not quite right, we got all the information that we needed and I slunk away, still not to be defeated we will continue as so long as we try it will be appreciated LOL.  We also checked out the big electrical store JUMBO, Smart TV is on our list although not a priority at the moment, a Juicer is a must, we can get 5KG of Oranges for one euro, Fresh Orange on tap, happy days.
Monday not too busy a day, an appointment with the builder, poor man think he wonders who he is dealing with!! a new kitchen has been added to his ever growing list, also ours we now have to shop for it, dictionary where are you!!! Douglas has taken to drinking Red Wine, when in Portugal!!! he also has a new toy a Fly Swat only after a bottle of Red it becomes a Swy Flot and a kamikazee dance routine follows, it is a Public Holiday here today so nothing opens and nobody works so I didnt feel guilty lying in the sun all afternoon.
Tuesday off we went to sort out new windows and doors, again not so easy we have changed the plan slightly due to a new extension and kitchen so now we got to wait on a new quote coming through, on the upside we ordered our new floor and wall tiles and bought 3 new showers.  Swimming this week is 12 lengths of the pool, so far so good and have also added some water aerobics into the mix, boy I feel good, Douglas still not ready to brave it yet.  Went for a meal tonight to a restaurant called 3W in Betunes, quite nice although Douglas was not impressed his lamb bled all over the plate.
Wednesday another day out this time to sort out Solar Heating for the water and possible pool heating, another new quote for Douglas to look at, wish his eyes were better he could read quicker then, off to Faro to buy weed-killer for the masses of garden that we have, this is licensed so again takes some time to purchase what we need, I have a new toy, the dispenser that emits the weed-killer, what Douglas calls an expensive watering can, but its mine to do with as I wish, perhaps it will make him vanish also.  We also had to top up the dongle today as run out yesterday and I was lost without the internet, funny how we took Wireless for granted in Scotland.  Slight domestic in the electrical shop today, Radio Popular it is called and we were looking for Oven, Microwave and Hob for new kitchen, Douglas always likes cheapest where as me for some reason my likes are always the most expensive, we will see who comes out best LOL.  I also had a Ditzy moment today my question of the day to Douglas "when we get our Portuguese Mobiles, does it mean that everyone will speak in Portuguese, I didn't realise what I had said and had to pick Douglas up off the floor. Finally Douglas went in the pool, at last, he swam 8 lengths but had to rest in between, never mind it is a start.  Have also discovered Emparado Ghilines - small chicken pies, absolutely gorgous, worth a stop at Cafe Pinto on the way home from a hard days shopping.
Thursday hottest day so far well into the 80s, we decided we were staying home and dismantling internal doors etc ready for the builder, so hot it made work very hard, poor Douglas sweated buckets.  I took the doors off Douglas carried them out and then he had the job of taking off all hinges etc, I decided to put the weedkiller on the garden, half an hour for Douglas to assemble the kit ready for me to zap those weeds, boy there was a lot 10 litres later job done.  We took in our first delivery today of water, 4 hours for Zak to fill up the Cisterna, 20,000 litres of water for 100 euros, Cisterna filled plus we got some Figos to eat from Zaks garden, very tasty and not like the Figs you get in the UK at all.  Today was also the day of leaks, our water pump was leaking water everywhere, we called in the electrician, yes he can fix it he will come back tomorrow, the pool was also topped up and yes that had a leak too, oh bugger, buckets out as water is such a precious and expensive commodity here you cannot waste a drop. Then to cap it all no ice for my Morgans, now who decided to throw out the ice cube moulds as they were not hers!!! Achieved one good thing today managed to go to Post Office and send Laura's Birthday Card and Dads Fathers day card and....I drove there, haha Douglas was a nervous wreck and he made me a nervous wreck, kept thinking I was going to go into the ditch and kept saying, move out a bit, come in a bit keep an eye on the white line, I ask you, I let him drive back, and suggested we should get an automatic as that will do the driving for me!!! Had to try and will continue to do so, also you need to remember that where we live they are not roads, they are half roads, dirt tracks anything but a normal UK road also full of lots of bends and the Portuguese tend not to drive on their side of the road, so pretty hair raising.
Cisterna Filling.

Friday, a slower pace today as so hot, high 80s again. Hugo came and fixed our water pump this morning, the pressure valve had gone, now it is working perfectly and no noise  and no lost water, we also managed to get all the outside lights working apart from 2, its amazing what you can do with new light bulbs, but we now have lights on the front gates, front drive and beside the pool.  I dismantled the Pergola as it was just rotting wood so bye bye Pergola, and we unrolled the swimming pool cover ready for the rubbish as it had gone rotten, but downside is we need to buy a new one.  Another meeting with our builder to discuss the kitchen, all going to plan.  Now we just need a plan of attack for the Mossies, driving us both mad and being bitten to hell, Douglas is just no good with his Swy Flot.
Saturday brings us another really hot day so off we go to buy a portable air conditioning unit, looking forward to a good nights sleep tonight.  Out with Mick and Pauline tonight to a restaurant called Ysconderijo in Sao Bras, Mick came to pick us up, we have one of those addresses which is very difficult to find as we have no address, so we have to meet everyone at Cafe Pinto and then they follow us in the car, how good is that, god help us when our deliveries start arriving. Fish cakes for starters, Pork with Shrimps and a chocolate fondue dessert ooh yummy, Douglas had a Mondarhilo Liqueur to finish off, comes from a Strawberry Tree, of which we happen to have a very large one growing in our garden, me thinks this could be a wee money spinner.  We then had to direct them back to ours which is quite difficult as we don't know how to get there yet, but we made it, now sitting on the terrace having a night cap.
Sunday today was going to be our do nothing day, hahaha, up early cleaned the house again, got rid of more rubbish and finished taking off the internal doors, fathers day Douglas was fair chuffed with all his texts from the family, the cards have not arrived yet never mind should be here tomorrow or Tuesday.  Takes about four days from the UK for post but my dad received his and Laura received her birthday card after only three days.  Glass of water for breakfast.  After cleaning, doing the washing and getting rid of rubbish it was 2.30pm, time for a spot of lunch then relaxation.  Swim for me and water aerobics been a good week for 12 lengths every day, Douglas managed 4 and then in the pool with the lilos, oh bliss Douglas fell asleep and snored for Scotland, I just chilled with the heat, floating round the pool with a Morgans in my hand, what a life. Planting time two passion flowers needing planted, 8.00pm Douglas digging away, more rocks than earth but he managed, didnt need to water them as Douglas sweated that much, time for fathers day tea, 9.00pm, Morgans and Beer, Nuts, Crisps, Chocolate, Biscuits, strange we don't have to bother about cooking and eating if we dont want to, what an end to Week 2, have achieved a lot this week and all is taking shape, missing everybody back in Scotland and further South but not regretting a minute.  Hope you enjoy this weeks edition, until next week all stay safe, happy and healthy, thinking of you all.xx

Weed killing

Water Delivery
Douglas Digging


Passion Flower No 1

Passion Flower No 2







Saturday 8 June 2013

Week 1 of our new life

This is the first blog for Douglas and I as we start on our new life in the Algarve.  After a very emotional Saturday Night with most of our family, Richard, Lynne, Ann and Danny, April and Rab, Laura and Katie and Lesa were missing for various reasons we decided to have a get together which was meant to be just a few drinks.  These few drinks turned into a lot more drinks finally ending at 4.30am at which stage emotions were running high, and we remembered that we were leaving at 10.00am the next day, so taxis for everybody and we retired to our room for a couple of hours. Danny also stayed over as he was driving us to the Airport!!  Sunday morning bright and early, well not very bright knock at the door, Katie, Sandie, Danielle and Carly had decided to join us for breakfast, another emotional farewell.  Cases packed into the car, if anybody has seen Danny's car this was no mean feat, and on the way to the airport.  Douglas had the hangover from hell and didnt really know or care at this stage where he was going, and yet another emotional farewell at the airport.  At this stage I wasnt sure what I was doing either (for various reasons), we checked in and made the flight realising that quite a few things had been left behind at the hotel.  Oh well this is our journey a few things can be missed.
Arriving in the Algarve to a very hot day, realising that we had to pick up a few essentials at the supermarket, also knowing that our 3 boxes of essentials that had gone before us had still not arrived we shopped, priorities towels, sun loungers, food and alcohol, what more do we need apart from a desperately good nights sleep.  Our first night sitting on our terrace admiring the view, not much conversation each with our own thoughts in bed by 21.30.
Monday breakfast on the terrace, where we made our plans for the week ahead, another hot day, we had cleaning to do, builders to speak to, and to get a feel of our house, this is where it all starts.  So glad we decided to get a feel of our house for the month of June, this has resulted in Douglas deciding we are now having a new kitchen as well, well who am I to argue, I am just smiling nicely!!
This week we have made our choice of floor tiles and wall tiles for bathroom and kitchen (I think) cant possibly change my mind again!! problem is there is so much choice, I think if I keep collecting sample tiles it will save a lot of money, though not sure what the floors will look like. Bathroom kit is a different story, how many toilets, sinks, showers etc do you really need to look at, but we have and Douglas has as well, which is all rather strange as back in Scotland I dont recall him being so enthusiastic about shopping.  Kitchens well mindset is completely different, I dont need the big range cooker, the Portuguese have small ovens and microwaves built in to units, as of course this life is all about outdoor living, we can get our heads around that eventually, small oven is good for me as long as I can eventually cook and bake that will be fine.
Everyday in the early cool morning, yes Douglas has been up early everyday, another new thing for me to get used to, we have cleaned and gutted out the house bit by bit, we are left with essentials and big furniture now which we are trying to find  homes for amongst the needy in the Algarve.  Contacts have been made for this already.  Recycling here is very different, we have bagged up items on a daily basis and then we put them beside the bins that are scattered around the roads, ten minutes later they are gone to new homes, today as we were unloading the car, a family were reloading it into their car, bizarre but good as nothing goes to waste and this is the norm here.
Thursday night we went out to the local quiz night, about 41 people turned up and it was a brilliant night, it happens once a month and raises money for the bombardiers(fire service) and also other local charities, great fun and I won a box of maltesers and a lovely pink paperweight in the raffle, we came fifth in the quiz but most of that was due to the other four I think, Lesson one to brush up on our general knowledge etc.  That was light relief and has led to more invitations, a big social life is looming, but for this month we are concentrating on the preparations for the house.
I have been swimming everyday 10 lengths of the pool and will up my lengths by two on a week to week basis in the hope that I will lose a bit of weight, Douglas has only ventured in up to his knees as it is too cold just now!!! We are eating healthily too.
Have we enjoyed this busy week, yes we have, the only downside is that Scotland has been sunnier the past couple of days.  Yes we are missing friends and family, but have had a good start.  I will update this blog weekly, possibly not so long and I will try not to be too boring, pictures posted are our house as it is now, I will update the before and afters as and when they occur.