VENUS EMERGES FROM THE CLOUDSSaturday: Dawned overcast. Slavic arrived at eight and set about clearing the heavily overgrown "gorge" that slopes down to Idalecio's cottage at the bottom of the park. After tending to the dogs, I managed one cuttings removal-run on the tractor before drizzle drove us to seek shelter on the front patio. In the interim, I reset Slavic's phone, which had picked up an intrusive advertising bug since undergoing Llewellyn's miracle cure a fortnight earlier. The drizzle persisted. We called it an early day.
THE PARK IS AWASH WITH LARKSPURSSeur, a Spanish-based courier, emailed me to say they would be delivering two pairs of work trousers ex Amazon on Monday. The delivery address placed us miles away from Espargal and bore only half of our postal code ( presumably because Seur's software doesn't accommodate 7-digit Portuguese system).
AN AZURE-WINGED MAGPIE AT THE BIRD BOWLVia their website I tried to change the delivery to a pick-up from the depot - as suggested. Waste of time! Then I spent an hour phoning the contact number; this subjects callers to multiple layers of menu, muzak and messages before cheerfully cutting them off. After my third attempt, I gave up. They can keep the bloody trousers.
CENTAURYIn the afternoon, the visiting family of our Irish neighbours came up to inspect some of the fine dresses and other apparel left by May. (Her house is due to be sold shortly.) From their exuberant conversation, I concluded that they were having a great time. Barbara reported that the young ladies concerned were delighted with their finds. May had possessed both excellent taste in clothes and the means to indulge it.
Sunday: At brunch a neighbour, Liz, wondered if my Berlin family could help her obtain more information about a certificate and badge presented to her nursing-sister aunt by the German Red Cross in 1937. (More info in due course, Cathy.) It would seem that she received the award for looking after German soldiers in the Spanish civil war. The certificate, shown above, has since been separated from the accompanying badge (apparently because an inheritor objected to the swastika it bore). I note that these badges are now advertised for sale online at substantial prices.
THIS MAY HAVE BEEN THE BADGE CONCERNEDMonday: My English class, after briefly addressing the French election, focused on an elderly German pensioner who had clambered down a cliff at a remote Algarve beach to rescue a stranded dog. Unfortunately, the old fellow was all but exhausted by his efforts and in no state to save either himself or the dog. As the tide was coming in, the pair were both in danger. Happily a passer-by tipped off the maritime police who jet-skied to the rescue. After check-ups, both pensioner and dog were pronounced none the worse for wear and the dog was returned to its owner. If only more stories ended this way!
Mid-way through the lesson I got a call from the Seur courier, who arrived in Loule shortly afterward with my trousers. I am pleased with them. They cost £20 each, I confided to Jones. I thought them a bargain but she says that's quite expensive (especially for tractoring around in). Although one can obtain trousers more cheaply locally, they inevitably have to be taken up as my legs are shorter than theirs.
I watched a late-night movie entitled Parker, featuring Jason Statham, a hero whose muscular exploits shame softies like Rambo. As much as I enjoyed the film, I found it hard to concentrate as the mosquito season was underway and little blighters loved my expensive new mozzie repellent.
MIST IN THE VALLEYThe following morning I found the water-barrels beneath the upper patio spouts swimming in mosquito larvae. I had no compunction in emptying both barrels into the garden, with a vengeful "eat dirt you little bastards!". Man, but I don't like mozzies. They don't seem to bother Jones. But I can't sleep if there's one buzzing around my head. I have to turn the lights on and zap it.
Monday evening: As we sat around the patio table, our farmer neighbour, Armenio, arrived with a bucket of loquats, enough to feed the village. We have a couple of depitting hours around the dining room table ahead of us.
ARMENIO'S POPPIESTuesday: We laboured in the garden, trimming, strimming and and tractoring off loads of cuttings. The forecast is for rain on the morrow, lots of it.
Over supper I put on another (Amazon) movie, Hell or High Water, winner of numerous accolades. That to say, I watched it and Jones kept half an eye/ear on it. She prefers films with happy endings as she gets too involved in heist movies for her own comfort. I was impressed. It's a heist movie with a soul.
Wednesday: Pally's unrelenting barking suggested to us (correctly) that he had come across another hedgehog in the park. Pally is an incorrigible, unapologetic hunter. By the time we arrived he had done his three-legged utmost to dislodge the little animal which, predictably, had simply curled itself into a spiky ball.
With bucket and gloves - and some care - we transferred the hedgehog to a more congenial location. It would be lovely to have hedgehogs in the park. Sadly, they're not compatible with Pally.
PHOTOGRAPHING THE POPPIES IN ARMENIO'S YARDLate morning I took the car in to Loule to have new tyres fitted. While the tyre man set to work, Jones and I wandered down the road with Prickles & Ono to a snack bar for time-passing refreshments.
OUR TRAVELLING COMPANION, ONO - 17 & STILL GOING STRONG(ISH)On my return I found the job done. However the boss said he couldn't check the steering alignment until I had renewed the rotula (patella) on the front, right wheel suspension. I've done my best to learn common Portuguese car parts but rotulas were new to me.
We paused at Vitor's workshop on the way home to learn more. Vitor pointed out the rubber bearing concerned. It will be replaced next week when the car goes in for its annual service. That's the first time in eight years that I've had to replace any part other than light bulbs.
PROMPT SERVICE FROM VITOR AND FERNANDOThe promised rain arrived mid-afternoon, first by way of drizzle, followed by a downpour and occasional showers. The garden loved it. The weeds were exultant. And to be sure, the country needs more rain before summer. Neighbours expecting family from the UK were not as thrilled. We are promised more intermittent showers for the next two days.
The country-wide deluge coincides with the much-anticipated arrival in Portugal of the Pope for the 100th anniversary celebrations of the apparitions at Fatima; Papa is to mark the occasion by canonising two of the shepherd children visionaries. Motorists planning to attend are being warned to park with care as the temporary dirt car parks created for the occasion might morph into a merciless morass of miry, mucky mud.
The main story on the evening Portuguese news is the breakdown at Lisbon airport of the pumping system that supplies fuel to aircraft. The arrivals hall is a turbulent sea of confusion and misery. Twenty seven flights have been cancelled and scores delayed. There are days when I'm ever so glad to be sitting at home rather than revelling in the romance of travel.
THE MADEIRA FLOWER FESTIVAL from DAVID & DAGMAR in FUNCHALThursday: Sunshine and showers! Up to Benafim for fuel, coffees, recycling and a parcel from the post office. The parcel contains two jars of aloe vera face cream for Barbara. There are days when she peers in the mirror and sighs. For myself, I don't need to peer in the mirror. I never saw anything in it that much pleased me. Time to work on the blog!
FLOWER MAIDENS AT THE FESTIVAL
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