Week 43 of our new life

Monday, another lovely sunny day, this weather must last for our visitors.  Nail day for me this morning, just in time as my nails are looking a bit worse for wear.  Then it was off to Carvoeiro to change the bedspread, managed to get the King Size, and then into Albufeira to get some pool towels, got 5 really large ones and got the ones with Map of Portugal and various other Portuguese colours on them, should keep the guests happy. Got home and managed to make one dark and white chocolate cheesecake for the freezer. Time then to get ready to go out, we were going out to eat at Ze Dias with Keith and Pauline, Linda and Tom, Alf and Lou, David and Ann, David and Pat, Gerald and Tony.  Keith and Pauline are headed back to the UK tomorrow so this was their last night.  Had a lovely meal, again with plenty of drinks and laughs.  Headed back to Linda and Toms for a last drink, we finally rolled home at 3.30am.  I discovered Baileys on this venture and must admit to quite enjoying it LOL.

Some of the gang

and again.....

Eyesight has gone!!

Tuesday, must admit to both of us feeling very tired and fuzzy headed this morning.  I was a good girl and did make it to the Zumba.  We should have been going out to Old Town Vilamoura at Lunchtime with Linda and Tom, but somehow Tom didn't manage to get out of bed, I wonder why that was!!!  We will hold that one now until our visitors have gone home. We decided to do some more tidying of the garden, we have a large section of garden running the length of the house outside the gates, when the road was being dug up a lot of branches, tarmac etc was abandoned there, today we decided we would tidy it all up, one of those jobs you know you need to get done but wish you hadn't started.  We got all the old branches/trees pulled out and piled up outside our bottom gate, think we can use some of them for kindling in the winter, and hopefuly Joao will take them away at the weekend, we also got the tarmac slabs picked up and we took them down the road to where the road workers have piled up a load of rubble and tarmac and dumped them there. Looking a lot tidier now and hopefully I will be able to plant some stuff in the gaps to make it look prettier.  Had a chat with our neighbours opposite Birgit and Klauss, lovely German couple who have had their villa for sixteen years but only live here in the winter, they go back to Germany in April, they have a lovely garden and all plants that don't need water, so I will need to do some research.  Finally made another dark and White Chocolate Cheesecake and 8 Fondant Sponges for the freezer, plenty of desserts for the family as well.  Feeling quite jaded now so think it will be an early night tonight.

A lot to clear

Nearly cleared

Still clearing

Man at Work

Just adding to the pile

Wednesday, Douglas golfing today, so a very busy day for me, washing and cleaning, ironing and then made Rabbit Stew for the freezer also Lamb Shanks and Meringues, everything clean and ready now for visitors, even the cot is ready in the Double Room and Twin Room organised also. A very productive day for me, and Douglas won on the golf as well. The window people came today with our fly screen for the terrace door and they also resealed the kitchen window, so another job done.  Now I can sit back and relax and enjoy time with everybody.  Only thing I haven't got done is cleaning the windows, sure I can do that perhaps when Lynne and Zoe are chilling or I can just leave them until everyone has gone home, will anyone notice??
Douglas found a video from Monday night of Tom singing along to Sugar Baby Love, The Rubettes, so funny, there will be a few laughs at the next 5 o clock club this time at Toms expense, Douglas gets so much stick due to Independant Scotland etc etc, at the club he is Scotty Dog 3, but it is all good fun.

Twin Room Ready

Teddies are waiting

Will somebody play with me

Big wardrobe for little clothes

Little Peoples .......

Bathroom

Double Room ready

Waiting for a small person

Thursday, Portuguese lesson today, phrases and conversation, quite good once we grasped it, lessons are also changing with 2 weeks being hour and a half lessons and one week an hour and one week no lesson, not too worried as it is still the same time spent.  Then it was off to the shops to get a couple of last minute bits and bobs and then to the airport to pick up Lynne and Zoe, great to see them looking so well, but a bit disappointing as the weather has dropped a few degrees and it is quite chilly, also on the way home the rain started. Lynne and Zoe got settled in, Douglas went off to his 5 o clock club and then the heavens really did open and it poured for the rest of the night.  Zoe helped me juice the oranges for breakfast and I made Macaroni Cheese for Tea and Lynne and Zoe were in bed for 10, the weather forecast for the whole of their stay is not looking too good, I am praying it changes.

Zoe on the Juice

Friday, everyone got a good comfy nights sleep, its a bit cloudy but fingers crossed it stays dry, bit of a chilly wind.  Lynne and Zoe investigated the garden, I had a chat with Joao about a few other bits that I want done to the garden which is all very positive.  We waited for a company to come and see us about our pool cover, finally Douglas phoned them, they were due at ours at 10.30, by this time it was nearly 12, they were not going to get to us until late afternoon, we were waiting to go out so Douglas told them to forget it, they are now going to come on Monday, they don't think to ring and tell you that they changed their time!!!  It is Portugal after all!!! Because of the weather we took Lynne and Zoe for lunch at Venepau in Almancil and then to the Forum, Algarve shopping centre, Zoe spent some of her money on Lego etc so they was quite happy, not Douglas favourite pastime wandering around the shops.  Back home and a couple of drinks on the terrace, then we went out to Chicken Luis for Chicken and Chips, some of our friends were there having a meal and they were going back to Felipos bar afterwards, so we decided to join them, got home about 11.30, Lynne had a couple of Dissaronos before going out and then in the bar she had Almondeira, so a late night for all of us.

Cheese & Ham Toastie

I have eaten mine

is that a Meringue in my mouth

I quite like this shopping centre

Zoe and Lynne

Which is my favourite

Built my lego already

Saturday, I thought I was the only one in the house, nobody got up until 10.00am, by the time we had breakfast, we decided to go to Loule Market, so Zoe could see all the fish for sale, we had a wander round the market and I bought Chicken, Oranges and Strawberries and then we had a wander through Loule, it had started to rain when we left the house but by the time we got to Loule it had dried up.  Lynne and Zoe bought another couple of bits and bobs, by this time the sun had come out again and was quite warm.  We took a chance and went to Faro Beach, it was lovely and Zoe had a great time collecting shells and playing in the sand, we all walked up the beach.  Again the clouds came over and became quite black so we headed back and went for a snack at the beach side, Lynne had a Vodka cocktail and a cheeseburger, Zoe had a cheese and ham sandwich, Douglas had a Gallou and I had Tea, we weren't hungry LOL.  Headed home at which stage we could see it was raining quite heavily where we live, but by the time we got home again the sun was out, so on to the terrace as the bar was open LOL.  For tea tonight it was home-made chicken nuggets and chips, with home-made meringues and strawberries with ice cream for dessert.  Went down a treat.  Zoe helped me juice the oranges for breakfast, this has become her job while she is here, both of them in bed before 10 tonight, must be the air or something, as they are both tired.

What is this on the beach

Come on Mum bury me

Walking in Grandads footsteps

I can bury myself

Thats what I call a Vodka cocktail

Sunday, well after one hour less sleep woke up to find it was fairly warm and dry, so that is a bonus, decided to go to Olhao Market, never having been there before we thought it would be like the usual markets that we sometimes go to.  This one was a gypsy market, which seemed to sell some very strange things, from nuts and bolts to brassware, clothing and even broken taps!!! I suppose somebody will always need a spare part or two and you would be guaranteed to get it here I think!! Not to worry we spent a couple of hours walking around, Douglas got me a Soup Tureen and two trolls!!! Zoe bought Lynne a lovely silver and amethyst ring for her mothers day pressie.  I got lovely cards from Richard and April and Lynne and Zoe and a keyring with a picture of all the grandchildren on it from Lynne, so was fair chuffed, as Katie and Danny are visiting over the next week I will get more pressies then LOL.  Nice messages on Facebook and WhatsApp so I know they all think about me. Back home and on the way the heavens opened and it rained, only in for half an hour as we had booked to go for Sunday Lunch at The Boliqueime Inn as it was Mothers day for 3.00pm.  We had tried to find the inn before to go for a meal but never found it, this time it was quite easy and we arrived on time.  This is a lovely place very quaint and run by an Irish family who are lovely people, but it was very strange being surrounded by Brits as we tend to go more for Portuguese Restaurants.  The food was excellent although very large portions and once we had finished a starter and main course there was definitely no room for pudding, Douglas and I felt full to the gunnels, but it was a lovely lunch and well worth it. Headed back home and had to put the log fire on and the heating.  Such a shame the weather has been wet and cold this week, but we have managed to get out and about with Lynne and Zoe so not too bad, it is not forecast much better for next week either and thats when Katie and the Kids will be here, oh dear I fear they will not be able to use the swimming pool just yet either. This has been a good week and we have made the most of the weather, plus update on Miss Madison.

Waffles at the market yum yum

Is this for Armani !!

I am very cosy thank you