Hi
As you might know we have put in a new recuperador in our house to keep the house warm. The temperature during the night outside is around 0 so we need a really good log burner and dry wood.
We buy all our wood from a local family business. It´s run by a really nice couple. The first time we bought wood from them they delivered all the wood by a truck without any extra charge. As we went to their lumber yard to pay we were invited to taste the first harvest of roasted cestnuts and wine. Of course we stayed and tasted lovely cestnuts roasted over an open fire. Can this happen in Sweden? The answer is no, you pay and that´s it, no chestnuts and no wine.
Today we went down to their lumber yard to buy more wood. As we got in we immediatly felt that there was something wrong. The man was alone in the store and he had no energy at all. We asked if we could buy some more wood and if they could make a delivery in the end of this week. The man sad it was not possible because they were going to France. As we were talking the woman went out in her pyjamas and she was so sad. Everything was quiet at this point and she explaned that her brother had died and they were going to France to meet the the rest of the family and for the funeral. Then she started to cry.
All of a sudden the time stopped, we hugged her and sad that we were so sorry for her loss and that we would get back later. She saw in our eyes that we were so sorry for her loss and then she suggested that we could use their truck and make the delivery buy our own and pick the woods that we needed.
I can´t say that I have meet more friendly, open hearted and lovely people than the people in Portugal,
And of course we had some wine this time as well. But no chestnuts.
//Lars
https://www.facebook.com/farmholidayssilvercoast
http://www.farmholidayssilvercoast.com/
A blog about running a small vineyard and holiday lets in the Costa Prata region Estremadura, Portugal
tisdag 6 januari 2015
måndag 5 januari 2015
Lunch and volonteers
Today we threw a lunch for some Swedish friends we have met here in Portugal. Last year when we were here (we didn´t actually own this place yet at that time) they turned up on our doorstep. It was very cold and damp in here then and not so nice, They thought it was a huge difference now. Dryer, warmer and lighter. The new recuperador is working wonders.
We had a wonderful afternoon together and it seemed as they liked the food we had cooked. It was my first attempt on a Pavlova with lemon curd, whipped cream and strawberries. Unfortunately we don´t have any photos of the event because we forgot to take any. But the Pavlova looked a bit like this.
Now we are waiting to go and collect our two new volonteers from Sweden. They are arriving in Caldas da Rainha around 22.25. They were supposed to have been here 4 pm. but something went wrong with one of the guy´s passport so they missed their flight and had to rebook.We just got back from their apartment, where they´re staying when they´re here. We put a fire on and have put in two radiators. The temperature was 13 degrees in there 30 minutes ago. I think they will have a complete shock. Hopefully it will be a bit warmer before they arrive. Now they might understand why I kept going on about bringing pjs and slippers hahahahaha
I hope I can stay awake until they arrive.
Have a wonderful evening
/Ase
We had a wonderful afternoon together and it seemed as they liked the food we had cooked. It was my first attempt on a Pavlova with lemon curd, whipped cream and strawberries. Unfortunately we don´t have any photos of the event because we forgot to take any. But the Pavlova looked a bit like this.
Now we are waiting to go and collect our two new volonteers from Sweden. They are arriving in Caldas da Rainha around 22.25. They were supposed to have been here 4 pm. but something went wrong with one of the guy´s passport so they missed their flight and had to rebook.We just got back from their apartment, where they´re staying when they´re here. We put a fire on and have put in two radiators. The temperature was 13 degrees in there 30 minutes ago. I think they will have a complete shock. Hopefully it will be a bit warmer before they arrive. Now they might understand why I kept going on about bringing pjs and slippers hahahahaha
I hope I can stay awake until they arrive.
Have a wonderful evening
/Ase
söndag 4 januari 2015
New year concert in Caldas and French visit
Hi
Today we had a nice day. It was Sunday and a day for rest and recreation. First we had our very good friends Bernard, Franck and Bernard´s mother over for a cup of coffee. The sun was shining and quite warm. Franck and Bernard picked a couple of oranges for their morning juice. Bernard´s mother is leaving for France on Thursady and she got some white wine to bring home as a souvenir.
In the afternoon we went to a New Year´s concert in Caldas. The Concert hall was all sold out and the atmosphere was really lovely. The music was very good and to summarize our day it was a really good day for contemplation and relaxation in the company of wonderful new friends. Thanks to Ute and Daryoush for the tickets.
We are so looking forward to tomorrow. We will have a small lunch for a couple of our Swedish friends who weren´t here the last time when we threw one lunch gathering. We are preparing the lunch right now so we won´t get all stressed out tomorrow. In the afternoon we also will have two young men arriving from Sweden. They are going to help us on the farm and stay in one of our apartments, the one with the new Salamander
We let you know more tomorrow,
Have a good evening
Today we had a nice day. It was Sunday and a day for rest and recreation. First we had our very good friends Bernard, Franck and Bernard´s mother over for a cup of coffee. The sun was shining and quite warm. Franck and Bernard picked a couple of oranges for their morning juice. Bernard´s mother is leaving for France on Thursady and she got some white wine to bring home as a souvenir.
In the afternoon we went to a New Year´s concert in Caldas. The Concert hall was all sold out and the atmosphere was really lovely. The music was very good and to summarize our day it was a really good day for contemplation and relaxation in the company of wonderful new friends. Thanks to Ute and Daryoush for the tickets.
We are so looking forward to tomorrow. We will have a small lunch for a couple of our Swedish friends who weren´t here the last time when we threw one lunch gathering. We are preparing the lunch right now so we won´t get all stressed out tomorrow. In the afternoon we also will have two young men arriving from Sweden. They are going to help us on the farm and stay in one of our apartments, the one with the new Salamander
We let you know more tomorrow,
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| 10 litres of wine |
lördag 3 januari 2015
Another veranda
Hi
This blogg are going to be short because I´m tired after a day´s hard work. Today we also had help from our friend Richard, an expat living close by.
The second veranda, Casa Cabernet is almost ready. The new tiles are in place and we will continue with a bit of painting and building a new fence around the veranda. We hope to be ready with all this very soon. It all depends on the weather and the forecast is good. There is no rain for next week and the temperature during the day will be around 15.
All flowers are starting blossom and it´s lovely outside during the days. In the nights it is a bit cold but our fireplace is good and doing its job so we are nice and warm anyway.
We will keep you all updated of the work and we hope that all of our guests will have a wonderfull stay at our farm.
Best regards
//Lars
Farm Holidays Silver Coast Portugal
http://www.farmholidayssilvercoast.com/
This blogg are going to be short because I´m tired after a day´s hard work. Today we also had help from our friend Richard, an expat living close by.
The second veranda, Casa Cabernet is almost ready. The new tiles are in place and we will continue with a bit of painting and building a new fence around the veranda. We hope to be ready with all this very soon. It all depends on the weather and the forecast is good. There is no rain for next week and the temperature during the day will be around 15.
All flowers are starting blossom and it´s lovely outside during the days. In the nights it is a bit cold but our fireplace is good and doing its job so we are nice and warm anyway.
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| Casa Cabernet - New veranda, Adilson is such an expert |
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| Herman and Senhor Lars enjoying the sun |
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| Roses in the garden |
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| Yelow flowers ..... I don´t know the name |
We will keep you all updated of the work and we hope that all of our guests will have a wonderfull stay at our farm.
Best regards
//Lars
Farm Holidays Silver Coast Portugal
http://www.farmholidayssilvercoast.com/
fredag 2 januari 2015
Are you freezing?
It is fun to go to dinners and social activities and listen to people speaking. One question that is always being discussed during winter time, is what kind of heating people have in their houses. What kind of degrees they can get in their different rooms.
That is something you never, or vey seldom, hear people talk about in Sweden. Because in Sweden you seldom freeze indoors. Outside is a whole different story.
When we bought this farm their was no source of heating at all. There was a log burner, a so called salamander, that the vendors took when they left. On a stool their were just the pipes to the chimney left. We were very surprised and... cold. It was in April last year and you don´t think that you would freeze inside in Portugal in April, but we did. Our house is old with very thick walls and nice and cool in the summer but absolutely freezing in the winter. The doors and windows all have gaps and no insulation at all so that doesn´t help either.
We had to do something about it. So earlier this autumn we put in a recuperador which heats water that goes out to three radiators. Nowit is nice and warm......as long as you feed the log burner with wood. And we do. At least as long as we are awake. Then it cools off quite quickly because of cracks everywhere and bad insulation. This morning it was so cold in the livingroom/kitchen so I had to sit
with an eletric blanket wrapped around my knees. The thermometer showed 14 degrees. In our bedroom it was almost a tropical heat with 15 degrees.
So what do people do to keep warm? Warm slippers, wooly sweaters and carpets on the floor.
Well many Portuguese people don´t have any other source of heating but a log burner. Sometimes they cannot afford to buy wood for it so then they just freeze.
And people say to us "it must be wonderful to move to a warm country" And we agree....
like us on Facebook
book to when it gets a bit warmer
Ase
That is something you never, or vey seldom, hear people talk about in Sweden. Because in Sweden you seldom freeze indoors. Outside is a whole different story.
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| Sweden, cold outside but nice and warm inside |
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| new salamander in one of our apartments |
When we bought this farm their was no source of heating at all. There was a log burner, a so called salamander, that the vendors took when they left. On a stool their were just the pipes to the chimney left. We were very surprised and... cold. It was in April last year and you don´t think that you would freeze inside in Portugal in April, but we did. Our house is old with very thick walls and nice and cool in the summer but absolutely freezing in the winter. The doors and windows all have gaps and no insulation at all so that doesn´t help either.
We had to do something about it. So earlier this autumn we put in a recuperador which heats water that goes out to three radiators. Nowit is nice and warm......as long as you feed the log burner with wood. And we do. At least as long as we are awake. Then it cools off quite quickly because of cracks everywhere and bad insulation. This morning it was so cold in the livingroom/kitchen so I had to sit
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| buying wood by the ton |
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| electric blanket |
So what do people do to keep warm? Warm slippers, wooly sweaters and carpets on the floor.
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| a new find, lined "crocs" |
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| wooly slippers |
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| our new wonderful recuperador |
Well many Portuguese people don´t have any other source of heating but a log burner. Sometimes they cannot afford to buy wood for it so then they just freeze.
And people say to us "it must be wonderful to move to a warm country" And we agree....
like us on Facebook
book to when it gets a bit warmer
Ase
torsdag 1 januari 2015
In the pale cast of thought
Should have, could have ,would have.
This is me, sorry, WAS me. But not anymore. Since 17 hours I am a changed person. Brand new. Completely different.
I am not going to have second thoughts, question myself OR doubt myself anymore. All that have changed.
Or has it?
It is a new year and I try not to give New Year´s resolutions, but these two.
I will TRY not to think all these negative thoughts anymore. I will TRY to embrace every day.
So this morning I woke up with a smile and went out on our beautiful farm and looked around.
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| A farm with a view |
What I saw took my breath away. I sniffed the air and could smell eucalyptus and spring flowers. I listened and could hear the birds but no traffic or noise. Once in a while I could hear our rooster.
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| Senhor Lars |
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| Next year maybe |
Remove false and negative friends and thoughts, believe in yourself. This is what I want for 2015.
Take care/Ase
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Happy new year
Hi
We wish all of our readers and folowers a happy new year. We hope that 2015 will be a very good year for all of you. We had a fantastic 2014 and looking forward to the next year
Åse and Lars
Farm Holidays Silver Coast Portugal
We wish all of our readers and folowers a happy new year. We hope that 2015 will be a very good year for all of you. We had a fantastic 2014 and looking forward to the next year
Åse and Lars
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| Åse i städtagen |
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| Lasse i byggtagen |
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