New Year’s Day showed us a contrast in weather - cold and cloudy. Not unlike ourselves who were definitely hung over after the night’s excesses. Still we managed to get up in time for breakfast around 10am, but everything was very slow. We partook of a classic “morning after” breakfast with fried stuff and toast and then had a walk along the front to a pizza restaurant a little later, following a very slow morning - carbs were still needed.
While we waited for our meal (service was awful because the restaurant obviously hadn’t expected guests!) we watched four girls and a bloke who stripped off on the beach and dived into the sea. They swam for ten seconds and then got out. They had carefully left their clothes on a higher point of the beach, but the guy was slow getting dressed. As he bumbled about, a big wave washed right over that area, soaking him and his clothes. Oops!
We woke to a stormy sea with waves beating against the shoreline in front of the hotel. We took a slow and leisurely getup and then breakfast before finalising our packing and heading out from the hotel. A lovely quiet trip down the A2 and then A22 to Praia da Luz, where we found our apartment, looking out across Luz Bay and the Rocha Negra. We unloaded and then went straight out again to the supermarket to do our shopping - but first a sandwich. And perhaps therein lay a problem, because a few hours after the sandwich Gabrielle felt very unwell and was unable to eat the dinner she had cooked of Rabolo and vegetables - so I ate all of hers … in a sympathetic fashion, of course.We loaded up with supplies and headed back where I set up all our communications while Gabrielle unpacked - before the illness arrived, thankfully.
Meanwhile, the storm that had threatened in Estoril really took hold in Luz and, as I write this, the wind is howling around the apartment - it’s on the fourth floor, on a hill. Gabrielle is groaning in bed and I have no playmate. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.
So the radio silence has largely been due to illnesses on both sides. But before I get there, I feel the need to add a couple of stories.
ReplyDeleteAs is our way after 20 years of being together, we've got into a routine over a number of things. Fuel filling being one of them. One of us fills the car whilst the other pays. Oh come on, it saves a nano second, so is well worth doing! The thing is, I think my mind was elsewhere or maybe it was the drizzle in the air, I don't know, but I was on paying duties as Nick was on filling duties. I glanced up to the pump, clocked the number and trotted off to pay. Just as I arrived at the booth to pay (no kiosk) I turned around and Nick gave me the thumbs up sign indicating he'd completed the filling. "Number 24 please" I said in my friendliest way to the attendant and then literally saw a think bubble coming from the top of his head. "Oh dear, we've got a right one here". Instead he politely questioned "24? we don't have a 24" Leaning back to have a look at where the car was I did a double take. "Oh, number 1 please. There's a big 24 on the other side" "24/24" He said, in that way that sort of indicates numbskull. Feeling a tad tired and evidently starting my sickness I did the complete numbskull act "24/24?" AKA "What the hell are you talking about?" but of course politely. "The petrol station is open 24 hours a day" "Well then shouldn't that say 24/7" I felt like saying ...politely, of course, but no, instead I just did the "Ahhhhhhh" in that how-wise-the-Portuguese-are-and-how-utterly-dumb-I-am sort of way. Mind you, it gave me a good chuckle and hopefully the petrol attendant is dining out on his side of the story, as we speak! Nick just raised his eyebrows when I got back to the car laughing.
So another incident happened at the supermarket and this was a sad one. As we'd done our shopping and headed back to the car, the heavens opened and as we'd finished putting our stash of food in the car, we were approached by a painfully thin bloke who spoke to us in Portuguese. Begging is pretty much the same the world over, you don't have to speak the lingo, you know what's being said. We did our usual and refused to give him money. Now reading this you might think that's pretty harsh, but being a born again cynic, I sadly assume all beggars are junkies. I shall probably be struck down for such thoughts, but sadly in my life, I've actually known more junkies than genuine beggars. Anyway, he changed to speaking English and if I'm honest, even I have not seen such a pitiful performance. He was literally begging for our trolly so he could have the euro coin from it. Well TBH, if Nick hadn't caved in first, I would have done. I have no idea if he was genuine or if we've helped, in our little way, to get more drug money for a sad individual.
So yes, illnesses have rather struck us down since we've arrived to the extent that we have not ventured our to Godot's bar tonight. I won't go into the gory details, but it hasn't been pleasant for either of us. Work for me on Tuesday was "challenging", I think I largely survived and no-one asked me any hard questions like "what's your name?" as I'm not convinced I'd have had the answer. Feeling a tad better, but just slow and walking up hills or the stairs is a serious effort.
ReplyDeleteAs I write this, we're on day something (Thursday) and it's been glorious. We had a phone call from home this morning and I hear it's -5. When I heard that, I thought it politic to keep quiet about what it was doing here.
After the last few days with the sea being very choppy, we work to a flat clam sea (good enough to row in!), so I'm hoping that tomorrow remains the same and we can both have some terrace time in the sun and get over these illnesses.
So, I'm hoping the proper writer will be returning to normality tomorrow and that you don't have to suffer the stand in.