“Looking forward you constantly acquire moments of arrival, moments of realization, moments of discovery. The wind blows your hair back and you are greeted by what you have never seen before. The material falls away in onrushing experience.”
– Rebecca Solnit (from: A Field Guide to Getting Lost)
When one is focused on realising dreams it is easy to be so forward focused that one forgets to find delight in small moments of perfection or allowing oneself to pause, reflect, and just be. It is all too easy to feel overwhelmed by the many obstacles we face, as we are slowly working our way towards creating a quinta that reflects our vision and dreams of this special place. We are essentially changing the landscape through building, planting, shaping. Some require official permissions, others just time and money. Lots of money. Michael and I have made peace with the fact that our life together will look different from the way most people live theirs, and although living apart has its own set of challenges, we are also committed to make it work and realise our dreams, which really is much more of a journey than an actual destination.
The days, as I write this, are already tinged with the heat of summer. Actually, April were filled with days I would consider perfect summer weather. In unguarded moments I shudder to think what this summer will be like, but I do my best to banish those thoughts and simply enjoy those moments of perfect weather. A good thing I took time to chill on the porch in April, as May has been very windy so far – perfect for working outside, as the wind mitigates the heat of the sun, but definitely not for lounging around on the porch.
The many chores that come with spring, including what feels like an endless amount of strimming, can be exhausting. I often feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount and diversity of the chores, and although I love the physical exhaustion at the end of a day, I do have to remind myself that I can only do what I can within the limits of my own ability and energy levels. Eventually many of the tasks will become more managable as we are considering both a ride-on mower so that I can use the cuttings to make compost, as well as a tractor. For now though, without a place to store them, and a budget that is already stretched, I have to do the best I can with what I have available at the moment.
The birdsong is as cheerful as always, especially the cheerful chatter of the nightingales, while the buzz of bees provides an extra layer of sound in my daily soundscape, and although there is already a dry crunch under my feet there are still many cheerful wildflowers dotting the landscape.
Weathering the Weather
In March the daytime temperatures were on average 5°C hotter than last year, while April’s were 6°C hotter. Interestingly enough the average night-time temperatures for both months were colder. This year for example, on the 5th of April it was 25.5°C, while last year on the same day, it was a mere 10.2°C. That said, in 2021 it was 26.1 on the same day. Weather, even without global warming is not stagnant and varies constantly from year to year, but averages are often within 1°C between years, so with the first two months of spring showing such a leap in temperatures from a year in which we had a scorching summer (2022), I cannot help but cringe.
The prediction for this year is dire, and in various parts of the country, including the Algarve drought conditions already exist. The rain in December replenished the groundwater on the land, but since then we’ve only had 68mm at the beginning of March with 4mm sprinkled later in the month, and 18mm mid-April. Although it obviously contributes to the yearly rainfall, it sadly also means that the vegetation has started drying out, and combined with the above average temperatures, is creating perfect conditions for wildfires, something that puts everyone on edge each summer. Restrictions regarding anything that could start a fire, including the use of implements that can cause a spark when it hits a rock, like strimmers with blades or tractors with grass cutters, are already in place.
April was the 3rd driest April since 1931, and the 4th warmest since the same year. Interestingly enough the warmest April was in 1945.
The broom and lavender, interestingly enough, all started flowering later this year than last year. The olives are flowering earlier this year, and with the milder temperatures now in May, and all the wind, I am hoping that good polination will take place for a good harvest. I’ve started recording all these variables last year, so it will be interesting to see what pattern emerges over time. This excites me, as I can back up claims not from unreliable memory, but by observations as well as the data from a nearby weather station, until we have our own.
On my Plate & In the Garden
The kale, coriander, chives, and thyme are/were all flowering, and to my delight, the lone broccoli plant, when it failed to produce the way it should have, provided me with a lovely supply of delicate white flowers that adorned almost every plate of food I ate. Since then, I’ve pulled it out, and cut off the seed pods to dry.
I’ve done the same with the rocket – enjoyed the flowers sprinkled over my food, cooked the leaves like spinach when they got too spicy, and have now pulled them out to dry the seedpods.
At the beginning of spring almost every meal included a generous helping of salad leaves, as I had an abundance available. Since the leaves turned bitter I now use them as ground cover and allowing them to go to seed so that I can try to save that too. I also finally pulled up a couple of beetroot to make a salad, but I’ve mostly just used the greens and stems in a variety of creative ways, which I will definitely do again.
I’ve started my seed trays in the house at the end of February, potted the tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and zucchinis on, hardened everything off, and finally transplanted the whole lot into the garden last weekend. Despite this going to be my third year for a summer vegetable garden I once again feel jittery and nervous about what to do, but in those moments I simply remind myself that it is a fun project, and my survival doesn’t depend on my ability to grow food. It would be interesting to see what I get to eat from my garden this summer.
In the orchard most of the trees have survived the cold of winter (except for two cherry trees, the mango, two macadamia nuts and the three avocado trees), and there are even a couple of cherries, peaches, and apricots that we may be able to eat unless the birds find them before us.
The garden was filled with a purple haze of borage flowers in early spring, which the bees adore. Unfortunately, the current weather – high humidity at night, and hot, dry days – is also the perfect breeding ground for powdery mildew, and I had to remove most of them, while trying out a spray made from chive flowers to treat the remaining bushes.
I’ve also found some woolly aphids on the suckers of the olive trees, which I am slowly dealing with. Growing organic food means bringing a workable balance not just to the small vegetable patch, but also to the soil and surrounding landscape. We are constantly altering and adding to it, which means it is an ongoing challenge of this life we have chosen, and although I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else (for now at least), it also brings an endless amount of chores in the quest to find workable solutions. Living on a quinta really is a way of life, and not just a place one lives in.
Progress
The seven olive trees I mentioned in my January post were successfully moved to make way for the workshop we are building. Luckily olive trees are very hardy, and unlike most other trees, relatively easy to move. Michael installed some irrigation when out here on a recent visit, so we will water them most probably through the next two summers to ensure that they do not just survive, but thrive.
The two gates we commissioned were installed in late February. We are very happy with the end result, and having a gate near the house I can close makes more of a difference to how I feel than I ever thought it would. Not in terms of safety, but in terms of privacy. Not that privacy was ever an issue, which is why it was interesting for me to note the difference in how I feel now that it is up.
The Stone Mason we found built a magnificent stone wall that will become a retaining wall eventually when we terrace the area directly in front of the house.
He also cladded the retaining wall Michael built, and because we were so happy with his work, we also asked him to clad the almost 70-meter wall the original builder abandoned 2 years ago. That saga at the time left a bitter taste in our mouths, but now that the cladding is done, and done well, we are relieved it worked out the way it did.
They are currently back on the land to continue with the many stone work projects we have and to fix some of the old dry stone walls. Lily loves all the attention she gets and often hangs around where they are, and I’ve been told that they often remark on how Lily would have liked something when they work on other job sites.
The people I mentioned before, who came around to quote for the workshop, nearly caused heart attacks with their quote. Even our architect, who recommended them, advised us to look for something more realistic. We found a local builder, when we went to have a look at a similar structure he was busy with in the area. His quote was realistic, and although he cannot speak English, his wife speaks perfect English, so communication is not hampered, as it is still an enormous amount of money we will be spending, and another stressful project in general.
Work has started in dribs and drabs, and although we would love to see quicker progress, we are still waiting for the municipal architect to issue the actual licence, but he has given us verbal permission to start with the foundations.
Other Adventures
At the beginning of March, I managed to finally hand over the quinta and cats to a delightful couple, hop in the car, and explore parts of Portugal I’ve never been to for 10 days. Not only was it wonderful to feel like I was travelling again, but it was a much-needed break from the demands of the quinta. Over time I will post stories about these places, but as I want these posts to be more than fleeting glimpses of my experience, it will take time to do the necessary research, and find the time and energy for photo editing and writing.
Midnight & Lily
One late afternoon, as the friend I was visiting in the Algarve and I were strolling along a cliff path, I received a message from my neighbour to say that he thinks my cat just slipped into his barn. From the previous incident when Midnight got locked in there for a day, I knew exactly what a disaster it could turn into. Midnight, unlike Lily, isn’t keen on strangers, and is forever hiding when we have guests, so in the end, when she refused to respond to my neighbour and quinta sitters’ attempts to call her, it took a 10-minute WhatsApp call for me to coax her out of the barn. Thank goodness she always responds to my voice. Technology saved the day. That, and of course the patience of both my neighbour and quinta sitters.
Lily managed to get a cut across her left eyeball shortly before I went away, which was rather stressful to me as it made me very worried and panicky, especially as I had to ask the quinta sitters to continue putting eye drops in. It has healed nicely, and although I can see some scar tissue, it doesn’t seem to have impeded her vision, as proven when she recently called me to come look what she brought me. I wasn’t prepared for the coiled snake she dropped in front of the couch, though. Motivated to act quickly by the voice in my head conjuring up images of what would happen if it uncoiled itself and disappeared under a cupboard, I saved my energy to scream at her afterwards. Grabbing the nearest scratch pad I managed to flick it onto a small mat by the sliding door, which was luckily open at the time. Without thinking I grabbed and gathered the four corners, before running as far from the house I could manage before flinging the mat away from me. Once my breathing and heart rate slowed down I gave her a good talking to, but unfazed by all the fuss she came back 20 minutes later with another snake. This time she luckily left it outside, where I could take a picture, before retrieving a spade to throw it over the wall. We don’t have poisonous snakes, and luckily they curl up and play dead, so Lily didn’t kill them, and I could get them out and away from the house.
Lily, in February had the habit of hanging around the beehives. Either sitting on top of them, staring into the long grass for something that moves, or just napping. She clearly didn’t bother them, and they didn’t bother her, because she kept going back. Perhaps, like me, she loves having them around, or it was just a particularly warm spot with some good energy. Who knows!
If you enjoyed walking with Midnight and Lily last year, join them for some spring walks we took by clicking HERE.
Visitors
There is often evidence of deer and wild boar, but they are not often spotted unless one looks in the right direction at the right time. I’ve only ever spotted one lone boar, but recently, while Michael was here we spotted a whole family trotting across our neighbour’s land. Other visitors included storks, rabbits, birds of prey, Griffon vultures, snakes, frogs, flies, mosquitoes, and those horrible little ticks that catch free rides on the cats.
Officialdom
The immigration authority has requested another appointment with me a couple of weeks ago, and although the lawyers have sent them extra documentation and requested a date, we are now just waiting again for them to respond. If I’m lucky I may still be able to get my residence visa, and attend my dad’s 90th birthday celebrations in South Africa in July, but I am also not dwelling too much on it, as I don’t want to set myself up for disappointment.
The paperwork to build the workshop is also turning into a much bigger deal than we anticipated. How smoothly these things run doesn’t only have to do with the laws, but also the person at the municipality who holds all the power by signing projects off.
Portuguese Words
I find myself turning up the volume when I am driving and Marisa Liz’s song Guerra Nuclear comes on, so if you feel like hearing a current popular Portuguese song, click on the name of the song, and try to sing along.
| Já esqueceram o cantar e o sorriso Já não são homens de boa vontade A loucura está a vencer o juízo O ódio, a amizade Estão-se a despir de toda a humanidade (2x) Vou protestar Denunciar, vou alertar Querem fazer a guerra nuclear Vou protestar Denunciar, estou-me a alarmar Que culpa tenho eu se eles se querem Suicidar O tratado de paz foi rasgado Já começam a fazer ameaças O poder já está descontrolado Estão-se a embriagar De bombas E os dedos já querem apertar Vou protestar Denunciar, vou alertar Querem fazer a guerra nuclear Vou protestar Denunciar, estou-me a alarmar Que culpa tenho eu se eles se querem Suicidar Vou protestar Estou-me a alarmar Vou implorar Ao Deus da vida pra os neutralizar Vou suplicar Vou-me queixar Estou-me a alarmar Vou suplicar Ao Deus da vida pra os neutralizar Vou-me queixar Estou-me a alarmar Vou suplicar Ao Deus da vida pra os neutralizar Vou implorar Vou implorar | They already forgot to sing and smile They aren’t nice people anymore Madness is overtaking wisdom Hate, friendship They’re stripping themselves of all humanity I’ll protest Oppose, I will warn They want to wage nuclear war I’ll protest Oppose, I’m alarming It’s not my fault if they want to Commit suicide The peace agreement has been torn up They’re already starting to make threats Power’s already out of control They’re getting drunk With bombs And fingers ready to push I’ll protest Oppose, I will warn They want to make nuclear war I’ll protest Oppose, I get alarmed It’s not my fault if they want to Commit suicide I’ll protest I’m alarmed I’ll beg With the God of life to neutralise them I’ll plead I’ll complain I’m alarmed I’ll plead With the God of life to neutralise them I’ll complain I’m alarmed I’ll plead With the God of life to neutralise them I’ll beg I’ll beg |
Written by: Jolandi
Thank you for the translation to the song, Jolandi! A friend who is fluent in Spanish visited Brazil several years ago: he grumbled that Spanish was completely useless there, because Portuguese is unique, almost like a dialect of French and Latin. I’ve never tried to learn Portuguese, but it does look difficult. Bravo for you for learning it!
The cats look so happy in the video, my cat Sunny would be quite jealous! I don’t know if I would have kept my wits around me however at the sight of a live snake being dropped in front of me. Sunny once brought home a snake, but happily, it was dead. (Not for the snake, of course.) Even then I screeched in shock at the sight—you just don’t expect something like that to appear in your home! I’m glad the snakes in your area aren’t venomous. We have rattlesnakes in mine, though I’ve never actually seen one, but have heard their ominous rattle as I was walking through a field of long grass. I wish you luck in your projects! I hear you on the expense and grief, but hopefully those castles in the air will someday be solid and real.
I think learning Portuguese will be a lifelong journey for me, Hangaku, but some of the words are at least starting to stick. Our stone mason, who grew up and lived in the US until the pandemic, speaks Spanish as a first language, and he says that Portuguese is corrupting his Spanish as it is used very differently, so I can understand your friend’s grumble. Plus Brasilian Portuguese is very different from European Portuguese – not just in the way it sounds, but also the words used.
I’m not sure I would have felt comfortable with rattle snakes around. Although I don’t have a particular fear of snakes, I would prefer them away from the house and out of sight.
Michael and I trust that if we just keep plodding and with an extra dose of patience, we will eventually turn all these castles in the air into solid structures. Someone told us once that there is a Portuguese saying to the effect of ‘when your house is finished, your life is finished’ (I haven’t verified it yet), so if it is the case, I guess we are set for a very long life. 😆 – Jolandi
Oh Yolandi, it is so wonderful to keep up-to-date with your progress. Some many great stories here, but the tale of the snake, cat and mat will stick with me for a long time.
I’m glad the snake story will stay with you for a while. Trust me, if I were filmed it would have been one of those viral videos. 🤣 – Jolandi
Hola Chica, I am so happy to read your blog and see that you are living your dream, what a joy!. You are not missing anything in SA except chaos, which is just too sad for words. Your blog post was like a breath of fresh air, so beautifully documented as always and your pictures conveying the beauty of your land. Well, I think I would have just “plutzzed” at the dropping of the snakes, OMW.
I thought you would be able to appreciate the snake incident the way only a cat slave can. 😅 I really am glad we had the opportunity to buy this land, and that despite all the crazy paperwork here, we are still much better off than if we invested back into South Africa. I’m looking forward to the day you will be in Spain, which will make visits so much easier. Take care my friend. – Jolandi
Such beautiful spring colours and lush green grass…. I’m always so impressed by the progress and all the work that gets done. I know for you it seems like everything is taking so long to get done but I’m amazed at how much you both have achieved already. Enjoy the ride 👌
Thanks, Mike. Yip, this ride is a bit like being on a roller-coaster. Sometimes I just want to get off, but it is now too late for that! 😂 And whe there is a reprieve with a flat stretch and steady climb to catch one’s breath, I am so grateful we have this land with all its joys and peaceful moments. Hope the realisation of your dreams are also slowly growing and moving into the direction you want them to go. – Jolandi
As always, a wonderful post packed with so much information. The strimming!!! Egads, yes. That is what I am currently dealing with. All along the banks of Beaver Creek, and all around the pond. Around each tree, around the orchard cage, the house, the pumphouse, the shed, the deck, around the fenceposts…so much strimming. And wooly aphids, no!! I had those for the first time last spring in the HOUSE. They infected all my houseplants and it took me a full six months to completely eradicate them from the houseplants. Now they are finally gone and my plants are thriving again. It took diligent soap sprays and plucking them off with my fingers and doing a better job with giving my plants the right water. (I use a water softener for the house, and I simply cannot use that same water on my plants) Did you really lose eight trees over the winter? That seems awful. What are the glasses of water in the fermenting jars for? Is that to press the contents?
I can imagine the amount of stress over the workshop, and its costs. So glad you found a reasonable price and that the foundation work has begun. It will be an immensely valuable asset when its finished. All the stone walls look so nice. Funny that Lily gives her approval regarding each project. I see that Midnight was also on hand. What a clever idea to use WhatsApp to call her out of hiding. And such a relief that it worked when you were not there to take care of your baby. I liked that song. I am surprised at how unexpected the pronunciations are for Portuguese, now that I’m learning Spanish. Great sound, strong message. I’ll be listening to it again.
Your inner strength continues superhuman; enduring separation and endless bureaucracy. Hugs and love. Thank you for sharing your world with us.
You clearly understand about the strimming then, Crystal. It is so difficult to explain to anyone how much time it consumes – and also many of the areas I’ve already strimmed earlier, is looking like they’ve never been strimmed! Good luck with your strimming sessions – I’m with you in spirit. Every time I find aphids I cringe a bit, because it is like you say an exercise in patience that takes a very long time to rectify.
I’m glad you like the song – I think music is a great way for people to hear what another language sounds like. Although one could say that Portuguese and Spanish are cousins they are certainly very different from one another. Every time I go to Spain I think it would have been better if we bought land in Spain, as I can hear far better what people are saying. Not that I understand the words necessarily, although there are some I do, but the pronunciation is just so much clearer. I still struggle to just even hear what the people are saying to me in Portugal, as there are strong regional accents. I hope you are progressing well with your Spanish. Big hug, and thank you for your support on this joyful, yet challenging journey we are on. – Jolandi
You have certainly been working hard Yolandi and your lovely long and detailed post really reflects so much of your journey and success in adapting to your life in the portuguese countryside. Do they say ‘campo’ as the Spanish do? Learning Spanish is my challenge and now dealing with the lack of rain too. Good luck with it all and keep posting.
Yes, campo is also used in Portuguese to refer to the countryside, Georgina. I feel your ‘pain’ with learning another language – both Portuguese and Spanish have so many challenges, especially when it comes to the grammar, and I also think that it just takes longer as one gets older for things to ‘stick’. Hopefully we will both get to a point where we can express ourselves adequately in our chosen language. At this point in time I, at best sound like a blabbering two year old. Good luck with your lack of rain – our well from which we irrigate has already dropped more than what I am comfortable with. We have some rain predicted for next week, so fingers crossed it will actually rain – including in your corner of Spain. – Jolandi
I do feel that the quinta has become much greener and more lush than when you moved in the first time. Every corner of it exudes tranquility and calmness, with flowers and fruits popping up all over. I like what you say about living in a quinta is a way of life, not just a place to live in. It gives us a realistic idea of what a life like this entails, what it demands, and the rewards we can get. I read that at least for the next five years summer will get hotter, but I hope you will only be marginally impacted by this.
What an adventurer Lily is! I read that bringing home a prey is a cat’s way to show his/her love to the owner. But bringing home snakes!… oh my. I’ve only had a sparrow brought home by one of my cats in the past. What I like about cats is they usually respond to their owner’s voice, which was the case with Midnight. That way we know when they’re hiding, all we need is call their names with our usual tone and they will eventually show up.
I cringe when I think about summers getting hotter, Bama, but unfortunately that is what the prediction for this part of the world is too. I’ve read that they predict that eventually it will get too hot in the Iberian Peninsula to grow grapes for wine. Imagine that! I’ve also read that they are starting to experiment in I think Norway (or one of the Scandinavian countries at least) with growing grapes for wine making. I guess we will have to start to adapt with what is produced and where, if we want to keep feeding an ever growing population.
Cats are so wonderful, especially all the different ways in which they show love. Glad you only got a sparrow and not a snake. I hope she doesn’t do that again, as it was definitely my least favourite gift ever. 😁 – Jolandi
Whew. You’ve been busy as a bee hive! It looks like the quinta is really coming along. As we follow your journey we get to see what’s added, etc, and how your garden grows!
And I’d imagine you’re going to be an old pro when it comes to snakes before you know it. Maybe you could ask them to ring a bell when they’re nearby 😛
Good luck with immigration, as always. xxoo
Thanks, Lani❣
Wouldn’t it be civilized of the snakes to do that? 😆 I must say, they’ve never bothered me when I came across them, as I’m sure they are more wary of me than I am of them, and hopefully Lily will listen to me, and leave them alone too. The stone mason told me that Lily once played with a little snake close to where they were working. At least she felt no need to bring it to me. Phew! – Jolandi
I can sympathise with your worries about possible high temperatures and drought this summer. So many of our plants and trees were impacted by the hot and dry weather last year; we lost a number of plants and had hardly any fruit or vegetables to harvest. Ice for two weeks in December killed yet more of our trees and plants so this year we are concentrating on mulching everything to try to keep some of the moisture in the soil and to protect roots. We need to rethink how we garden and what we grow so this year instead of re-stocking we are just looking after what we have left and trying to decide what we should do next year.
I too was horrified and amused by your snake in the house story! When I had cats I dreaded hearing that little trilling call they made when they were bringing me a present. Fortunately, I was never brought a snake just small birds and rodents though one of my parents cats tried dragging a pheasant through the cat-flap!
Lily has been busy overseeing alll the building work on the quinta, catching snakes and looking after the beehives too. I wonder how she managed to hurt her eye? I am glad it is recovering. What a good idea to use WhatsApp to call Midnight out of your neighbour’s barn!
The walls look really smart and I like the new gates too.
I do hope you are able to get your resident’s visa soon and can visit your father on his 90th birthday. These things are important and it is so easy to get over-anxious and make ourselves ill worrying about things that we have no control over.
Best wishes to you and Michael
Clare <3
I have no idea how she managed to injure her eye, Clare, although I guess there are multiple ways in which it can happen on the quinta. I’m just so relieved that it all turned out well in the end. A pheasant through a cat flap – wow, what a feat! Both Midnight and Lily have been busy with their adventures, and like me, enjoyed the spring weather. Interestingly enough May has been much cooler than April, which is just wonderful, and we are even receiving some much needed rain at the moment. So far we’ve only had 17mm, but there is a chance of rain for the next ten days, so hopefully it will rain a bit more.
Like you, we are also realising that it is vital to understand which plants are best suited for the changing weather patterns. It is certainly wise of you to try some mulching and waiting a bit before replanting everything that died. Gardening is definitely teaching me to be more observant. Good luck with your gardening adventures this summer. I really hope the predictions are wrong, and it will be more of a ‘normal’ than an extreme summer.
Fingers are definitely crossed for all these frustrating official processes. You are so right about how we worsen things by our worrying over things we have no control over. It is too easy to go down a deep dark hole. – Jolandi
Hi how are you it’s been a long time and I hardly open now my WP as I get too busy with life and work. I tried texting you but I guess you don’t have the UAE number now. Mine is still active and will visit AD on the way to Switzerland after 3+ long years after the pandemic. I am happy for you to see your dreams come true and your place is indeed special. I hope I will see it someday and you too!
Life and work can keep one very busy, Evelyn. My days don’t have enough hours in them. Wishing you safe and happy travels. – Jolandi
So beautiful! I love your garden, flowers and cats!
💛
What a nice, meaty update, Jolandi – you know I live vicariously through your adventures in (slowly and sort of) taming the land and building a home in a new place, and the more the better for me! I like to read and think about whether I could do it myself even though the answer to that question (probably yes) is moot unless I want to get a new husband! 🙂 I always like seeing the physical progress with all the plants and trees and walls (and that very pretty patio space), but I especially appreciate your clear-eyed view of the actual work involved. Midnight and Lily are like icing on the cake of every post (this time even more so with all their adventures!), a sweet and happy contrast to all that annoying officialdom. Off to listen to the song now!
I hear you about having to find a new husband if you want to embark on a more rural adventure, Lexie. It made me giggle, as I was thinking that your hubby is most probably wiser than the rest of us. It is not always an easy journey, and the amount of work is staggering and never-ending. BUT that said, the rewards definitely outweigh it all in the end for me. I’ve just spent five nights away, as I dashed off to Toledo in Spain to meet up with American friends, who were in Europe, and although we’ve been friends for years, never met in person until now. It was wonderful, but Toledo was packed with tourists during the day, and I yearned for the peace and quiet of quinta life. So I guess, these days, my urge to travel is far less than it used to be. (Not sure if you’ve ever been to Toledo. It is a wonderful place to visit, but as most people are day trippers, spending a couple of nights there is divine, as one has the streets almost to oneself early mornings and evenings.)
Hope you enjoyed the song. – Jolandi
How wonderful that you could have a little escape with friends. I have been to Toledo twice, once as a student (I studied in Madrid) and once later with my husband, which was the time I really came to appreciate it. I agree – a special place. I also liked the song although I messed up somehow and had your cats-roam-quinta YouTube video playing in another window, so the song sounded like it had some very discordant background notes! Once I realized it (well into the song!), I had to laugh at myself and replay it.
How interesting that you studied in Madrid, Lexie. Your life has taken you to many interesting places.
Your mixup with the song and video made me laugh. It must have sounded really strange. 😂
I so look forward to these monthly meanders through life on and around the quinta, and who can resist Midnight and Lily? I often think of their life before in the apartment. What a contrast now.
Before I read your translation, I watched the video of the song which had the lyrics pop up like karaoke. I kind of got the gist. I’m a bit chuffed about that, except I got the verb declension all wrong, for example, I thought:
Vou protestar
Denunciar, vou alertar
was “You protest, denounce, you alert/warn”
and
Vou suplicar “you beg”.
Seems like I need to learn the verb “To Be” in Portugese 🙂
By the way, have you travelled much in Morocco? I’m trying to make up my mind whether to attend a writer’s retreat there just before Ramadan next year or wait and do an organised tour in 2024 or 2025 which would include my husband.
Why am I not surprised you listened to the song first without the translation, Gwen. 😆 I wish I had your knack for languages. I recently read that each verb in Portuguese has 52 different ways in which it can bend and distort to really become words that often to me look like they have completely different meanings. “To be” are completely different if you refer to characteristics that are permanent, or characteristics that are temporary. That alone can take some time to get used to. You know, to me, English already has a far more complicated grammar than my mother tongue Afrikaans, which is grammatically really simple.
I’ve never been to Morocco, but would absolutely love to go, so I would be very curious to know what you decide on doing. I’ve always thought it is a country I would be hesitant to travel alone in the way I usually do, so have told Michael that if he likes it or not, he will just have to join me one day. And as it is so close to Portugal, we can get there without flying. Where is the writer’s retreat being held? – Jolandi
Hi Jolandi,
Just catching up with this comment now.
Interesting about “to be”. That is unusual in a Latin derived language I’m guessing. A bit like counting in Japanese, where the words for one, two, three, etc depend on what it is you are counting.
I wouldn’t have expected Afrikaans to be grammatically simple either. Not that I know anything about it except how it sounds and the accent it brings with it when switching to English. Is there any chance you are so familiar with it as your mother tongue that you take its grammar for granted?
The Morocco Writer’s retreat starts on 23rd February and finishes on the first day of Ramadan – one of the things that was holding me back. It’s 2 days each in Tangiers, Chefchaouen, and Fes, then heads out past the Atlas mountains, east of Rissani, near a place called Tissardmine on the desert edge. Eight nights there in an eco-lodge, off-grid, with two nights in a Berber tent in the desert. http://www.cafetissardmine.com/
But I wanted to see more of the country, but was reluctant to travel alone, or with only one girlfriend. I wasn’t getting the buzz that told me I would overcome these hesitations, so I have decided against it.
However, I WILL go to Morocco on an escorted tour at some point, and my husband will come with me. I now know there are some tours which are a vehicle, driver/guide, so if there were six of you, that might be economical also.
Meantime, since I will be here in February 2024 after all, then hubbie and I will do something much tamer – 5 nights in Hobart Tasmania with a group of people. He’ll golf, I’ll tour, and then there is a big horserace day. Much more suitable for we old-farts 🙂
It definitely is more than just being familiar with Afrikaans as my mother tongue, Gwen. I think if I give you some examples, it would become clearer. Also, Portuguese developed from Galician, which makes it even more interesting, and although I am no language expert, my Spanish niece, because she grew up in Galicia, speaks Galician and Spanish, so I have a lovely resource I can utilize. 😆 I promise to put some thought and effort in it, and write a language focused post.
Thanks for the writer retreat link. What a fabulous looking place. Good to know about all the options for travelling in Morrocco.
Your tamer version for February 2024 sounds lovely too. – Jolandi
You have put this post together with such beauty and care ~ I can see the Quinta is transforming you to match its beauty and grace 🙂 When focusing on dreams, it is easy to overlook the daily wonders you have before you, especially in your case, what you have done since you arrived… you’ve turned the Quinta into this little oasis. I wonder if you ever step back and think, “Wow… we are doing something pretty incredible here!” 🙂 Your writing here contains the excitement of understanding this, and as you lead to, this adventure you and Michael are on is more than just an adventure; it is creating a lifestyle, and definitely not for everyone. I like how this fits with your opening quote, where there is discovery around every corner… and it is never-ending, but that is the beauty of it (and life). Taking those moments of the day when you can relax, step back, and look at the Quinta, knowing you are making it your own, is what I feel with your writing and photos here. Pretty cool 🙂 I look forward to hearing about your other discoveries of Portugal when out exploring/relaxing away from your home, and hoping your cats don’t create too much drama for you ~ they sure look like they enjoy the Quinta even more than you 🙂
Thank you for your kind and wise words, Randall. I is definitely possible that the cats enjoy the quinta more than I do. So much better than an 8th floor city apartment, where adventures involving snakes and barns were not possible – only chewing holes in bedspreads and scratching the furniture. 🙈
Michael always comments on how quiet it is here, which is exactly one of the reasons I would struggle to live in a city again. – Jolandi
Loved reading this post. It is an absolute no for me on the snakes. Poisonous or not, can’t do snakes. You are a brave woman. The progress you shared is fabulous. The garden amazing, wishing you lots of veggies, and edible goodies. Take care of yourself.
Terri
The bravery is purely out of necessity, Terri. I think if Michael were here, I most probably would have called him for help. 🤣 I do like that I manage find enough courage to see me through these unexpected situations, though. One never knows what one is capable of until one finds oneself in a challenging situation. The veg garden is starting to look really good, especially after we had 52mm of rain so far in June, which is an unexpected blessings, as it doesn´t usually rain this time of the year. Fingers crossed I will have enough tomatoes to preserve some this year. – Jolandi
I’ve missed the feast that is your writing, which transports me to that glorious quinta. Amazing the transformation in your years of labor. These posts would make an inspiring book that I’m sure many would purchase.
I wonder that the animals don’t eat all your produce, which is a constant issue here in Michigan for farmers and gardeners. Your concoctions intrigue me; share more in this. We’re you good at Chemistry? It seems you’re a natural.
The workshop looks larger than your home. This will store equipment and provide space for all your farming experiments?
The quiet is so attractive, isn’t it? I’m sure it’s an adjustment for Michael as he reacclimates on his visits. Any progress on his moving there?
You’re inspiring. Keep writing.
Thank you for the lovely compliment, Sarah. I do find that I often have no energy, either physical or mental, left for writing these days.
I actually swapped out Science for History only one term into making this subject choice in high school. My concoctions are simply recipes I try that other clever people figured out. Time will tell if these ammendments will work in the garden, so I will definitely report back and elaborate on it at some point. My current, and temporary vegetable garden is close to the house, which helps, but we are definitely planning to enclose it when we move it to where we are planning to have our permanent one. This year is the first time I´ve seen rabbits on the land, and one came quite close to the vegetable garden the other morning, so am not sure if it will become a problem or not.
The workshop is huge (400 square metres). Yes, it will be for parking the car, eventual tractor and implements, store the myriad of things needed on the quinta, but also provide a workshop space for Michael to eventually do woodwork or whatever other project he fancies.
As for Michael moving here – it won´t happen anytime soon. He is in his prime earning years, and still loves what he is doing. We also don´t have enough saved up for retirement, and starting any business in this part of Portugal will at best just cover our basic living expenses. We are planning for me to start up something, but I am reluctant to do so before my paperwork has been sorted out. Things here move at a slow pace, and if one can relax into it, and try to live simply, it is actually exactly how I would like to live. – Jolandi