Corona-tion
We are not allowed to travel from township to township. On the street everyone wears a mask. At the entrance of the supermarket they installed a traffic light: green = two people allowed to enter. At the entrance of another supermarket a guy is counting the visitors live, day after day, some job! All bars…
O Lago do Valverde
We were convinced we bought a plot of land. After 4 months of persistent rain however, the land has changed into a lake (um lago). The news bulletin informs us that out of the 67 reservoirs in Portugal, almost 40 are filled up until the maximum level. So much water must be enough to irrigate…
Moving – part 4
And all of a sudden we are in February 2021. As if nothing happened, but that is so untrue. We have been in the Netherlands a couple of times. To celebrate the December festivities in very small parties. But also for lesser fortunate family circumstances. Travelling is now very difficult due to all restrictions. Especially…
Christmas and other setbacks
We are done. Because of all this rain, nothing happened on our building site. We can not even plant these sweet azaleas now, as they are likely to wash down again from the slope. The rental house we live in is chilly in wintertime. It is moist, there is no insulation, no ventilation, and there…
The Jurassic Wall stands
This is a great nuisance, this never ending rainfall. We now understand why this region is so green and so fertile, all year round. The orange monster can not go anywhere and seems to root in the ground. The water does not sink in the earth as this earth is so impenetrable. But then, our…
Playing outside with the neighbors
It is still pouring and therefore there is little else to do, than what the locals do: in between showers you clear your land and prepare for winter. Collect your wood for the stove. We ask neighbors Graça and Luís, to come and help sawing and collecting the big chunks. As it is weekend, they…
Grounded
Come rain, come shine. But all this water does not seep well through the clay ground. Large puddles remain glittering in the sun. We lose days before the men with their heavy machines and stones can continue their work. In the last days of October the Great Wall nears it’s predestined end. They also install…
The Giant Wall of Valverde
Our neighbors tell us that the giant stones attract quite a few visitors. They wonder whether we are going to construct a house with them? (We think a pyramid is more likely with this size of stones…) Whether we have gone crazy? (Sure!) Once the first 15 stones have been delivered, there is no room…
Bring in the stones
Three massive stones on one truck. Each stone weighs about 10.000 kilo. They come from a quarry in the region. We are going to make a wall with them, between our plot and those of our neighbors. It will be a dam to prevent their terrain to slide into ours after heavy rain. We chose…
Connecting
As soon as the wall has finished and the cement has hardened, the builders come back to break it…. They are punching holes and milling slots to connect us to the energy suppliers. And to the mail man. Water is connected from the other side of the road. Electricity and the internet connection come from…