Feliz Ano Novo – Happy New Year.
As mentioned in the last update in 2015, we flew down on the 30th December to see in the New Year at the house.
We knew the weather would not be brilliant, but better than the UK, however saying that I don’t think there is much difference this year. Well to where we are in the South of England, the North has had a bit of rough time of it lately.
Still we got here around 11:30pm and it was great when the lights came on as we pulled up. So a quick check around, make sure we had hot water, our Project Manager Paulo have very kindly taken the cover of the solar panel so we have warm water.
New Years eve was lovely, after a leisurely breakfast, it was a time for a walk around outside and see how everything was. Generally everything was as we expected, the work the gardener had done was good, although the rain water finding it way to lower ground was forming gulley’s, like mini Grand Canyons in some places with the new loose soil, but we can sort them later in the year.
The biggest disappointment was when we when down to the fruit area, to find that someone, no idea who had completely stripped our Orange trees of every piece of fruit, they didn’t leave anything, how bloody mean, we don’t mind anyone walking through and enjoying the land and even partaking in a piece of our fruit, but to strip the trees is just greedy.
We do still have the other fruit, Lemons, Satsuma, Mandarins etc, but not an Oranges to be found. What can you do, I guess we can put up some notices but it too late for this crop? Oh well! Remember the motto, “Never Mind eh!” but still grrrrr…
In the afternoon our very dear friends Jules and Andy came by and it was lovely to see them both again, along with Oscar the dog and the newest member of the the Largent household “Molly” a young Terrier.
In the evening we settled down to a couple of good films we had brought down with us and gently worked our way through a couple of bottles of Champagne we had picked up at the airport on the way out. Along with the log burner going full blast it was lovely. At midnight we took our refreshed glasses of fizz and watched all the fireworks going off around the area. It was a cold, but lovely dry evening and we could see the fireworks for miles.
Well we are only here for a few days, doh! we are not doing any work around the house or farm this trip I don’t think the weather would let us anyway, so the next few days we just plan to spend loafing around the house in front of the fire and maybe if the clods disappear again a run up to the Serra da Estrela, which is just 30 mins away from the house. Always worth a visit if you are in the area.
So that’s it, Feliz Ano Novo or Happy New Year.
Watch out 2016 here we come.