Santana Market

Today it is Sunday and then there is a big market-Santana. Every Sunday year round the farmers sell their veggies and fruit there. Everything is produced locally. You can also eat, buy equipment for everything you can possibly think of and new chickens.

We bought a new eucalyptus honey- 6.50/kilo

all kinds of veggies

new carrots

2 euros

olives

cotton shirts for fathers day

We bought some things that we needed and also ordered a new sign to put outside Casa Limon. If it turns out well we will order to all apartments. Next Sunday we will collect it and order the new ones.

When we got home Max´friend Michel started to take down an ivy in the veggie garden. Max and Lars sprayed between the vines and Michel also helped me with the fire.

Michel at the fire

Max trying out star 16

In a warm and sunny garden

Our volonteers Christoffer and Peiman were off so hey decided to soak in the sun by the pool. It didn´t take long until Christoffer started o clean the pool. In a few days it will be fresh and running.

Christoffer cleaning the pool

Peiman went back and forth doing the laundry

Always a lot to do even on a Sunday. Today we will be grilling in the Barbecue House.

See you

Living the dream: Walk

Living the dream: Walk: Today we decided to take a day off from work and take the dogs for a walk. It was a bit windy when we started but it soon got nice and wa...

Walk

Today we decided to take a day off from work and take the dogs for a walk. It was a bit windy when we started but it soon got nice and warm. We left our beautiful quinta around 10. In about three weeks all the apples in front of her will be be in bloom. But it is beautiful anyhow.

Here she is

 We went downhills towards Rio Tornada, took right on the gravel road along the river. But before we got there we had to pass our neighbour and his brother in law. They were standing outside their house with a man who was putting stones back on their small road leading up to the house. They asked if we wanted some vintage port. We didn´t really want any since it was 10 in the morning but couldn´t say no. So there we were sipping port, a very fine one, but still.

Lars just before the port

Rio Tornada

nice cork tree

Cherry trees

We passed orchards, farmers working on the fields cork trees and fields with flowers.

poppies

beautiful landscape

Then we got to Salir de Matos where we had a coffee. The dogs got some water.

Where we normally take our coffee whenever in Salir de matos

Resting in the sun

I would like these around our walls on the farm

Many houses have beautiful gardens

Lovely derelict house with a cherry tree

Then we went home and had a nap.

Ase

new working day and bookings

Busy day today. Our volonteers have been busy painting, cleaning walls before painting and cutting down high grass and weed and cleaned out the chicken coop. Unfortunately it has been very windy today so the fire and spraying between the vines had to be on hold for now. But there is always more days next week.

quite a difference-later it will be painted white

progress

Christoffer painted around the old olive

always happy

didn´t do much

Lars continued painting in the small apartment, Casa Limon, and Adilson have started to plaster the high walls in the horta, veggie garden. Hopefully it will all be done in due time when the guests arrive, April 23.

We closed this door

painting around the door 

working 9-5

What did I do? Cooked three course lunch, veggie soup, bread, salmon in oven, boiled potatoes, two salads, feta cheese cream, cake and coffee. I shaved a dog, did the dishes, walked the dogs and answered mails.

maybe these will be a new batch of limoncello tomorrow

Have a good weekend

Our life in three binders

Been trying to get recidencia in Portugal the last couple of weeks since we need to get into the system to be able to go to the doctor for instance. Of course you have the right to go to the hospital if there is an emergency but if you, like me, need to renew a recipe you must be listed as a resident here, or go to a private one. My recipe was issued by a specialist in Sweden and I reckon it is the same here.  So get recidencia, list ourselves to be able to go to the doctor, wait for an appointment, maybe to a specialist as well, will take some time and time is running out. Not much medicin in the cabinet at the moment..

We literally walk around to all different places, City hall, bank offices, Freguesia do Coto, Financias and back again, with our whole life in a binder. You never know what kind of information they might want or need. Names of our parents, that we are married, own a property here in Portugal, don´t own a property in Sweden, have funds, can support ourselves, own a company in Portugal, live where we live, proof of that, shoe size and much more. The last bit about the shoe size was false, sorry. But all documents must be stamped and signed. That is the most important thing, the stamps.

Our lives in there

Today we went to Caldas (again) to go to the bank to ask for a much needed document (according to the people at City Hall). The bank didn´t have a clue what kind and neither did we. "Take all you got" said Lars, "And don´t forget to stamp them" We got more papers to put in our binder.

Then we went to get our photographs taken. After that we were so tired so we went to have lunch. On the way we saw all sorts of pretty trees in full bloom.

One favourite

always good food there

pretty flowers

magnolias

Now we have to measure our feet
Bye

Closer to be a Portuguese and a control of the old one

As we have said before everything isn´t so easy. We have tried to be registered as Portuguese citizen the last weeks. First there were papers missing and when we got these papers in place there were more paper that was needed.

Today we went to the junta de freguesia and tried to get the last document stamped. There were more problems, first our adress was not found in the systems. When all this was sorted out the computer system broke down and we were told to get back on Thursday to get all the paper. But we are moving on and soon all the documents will be in place. Hopefully all paper work will be ready on Monday next week.

Our freguesia

After this we went to Caldas and to our vet to have a check up of the old dog, Herman. He was in good condition and will probably be running the pack for a long time. It isn´t bad considering he came to Sweden as a two year-old, Spanish rescue dog from Malaga. Then he was in Sweden for about ten years and when he turned 12 he moved to Portugal. We thought we would have to leave him in Sweden, that he would be too old to move, but when it was time for us to make the big move we thought he was in such good state that we took him along. I think Ases´s parents were a bit sad becuse they were the ones who were going to take him, but we were so happy. That would have braken our hearts to leave him. So now he is back on the Iberic Peninsula so to speak.

Lucky for you I am tied up-or else

During our work in town our volonteers had done a lot of work on the farm. We will tell more about their work during the week. Both of them are working out a lot in Sweden and you can really tell because they take every opportunity to work out even when they are working.

We also had two fires burning and Max, Micu and Richard were responsible for them. Now it´s time for us to go to school.

Have a nice evening

//Lars

I am still standing

too much?

Is this just too much for us? Lately I have been thinking if this not what we wanted after all. All this cutting, raking, sweeping, renovation projects. spraying, have fires going. I really need to get to a doctor to have my prescription renewed but never seem to have time to seek residencia and be allowed to see a doctor. We made an effort last week but there were things missing that you needed to bring.

Lars working

fixing fire wood

cutting vines

more leaves

renovation

We haven´t unpacked our things from Sweden, made a nice home for ourselves, we don´t study Portuguese. I went to a water color course but never get around to paint, or learn how to knit, read all my books or go for those long walks with our dogs.

You get on each others nerves and have small arguments about priorities. All of a sudden you look up and you remember why you moved here. Everything is worth while and you wouldn´t swop it for anything in the world. We found our place in the sun. We´re just too tired.

look up and remember why

breathtakingly beauty

more of this please

Ase