23rd February
Everything has changed colour this morning. The white painted steps down to the garden are brown, the table and chairs are brown and the van is brown. The sky has opened during the night and the Sahara has been deposited to the Algarve. Honestly, I have never seen anything like it. We have to hose everything down and even using water doesn't clean it off. So we start out late and today we are going to Tavira to the daily market there. We have already been to Tavira twice and both times have been a disaster, navigation wise, leading to loud and unpleasant works between JC and I. If Jv drives around country lanes and towns I get really nervous about how close he gets to the kerb and other cars etc, so he is very happy to let me drive, but he hasn't got the hang of naviation technology and prefers to use maps. As we know they are of no use in a town and therefore he has had to grasp the iPhone map app.
Today, I have put in the location of the market and off we go, with him watching the oscillating blue blob moving along the trail. As usual we end up in a narrow lane (one way) with metal posts either side obstructing any wide van or motorhome the ability to mount the pavement if needs be. So by the time we get close to the market place, tempers are frayed and it is agreed to park up and find our way by foot. It is cloudy so dogs can stay in the van. We find a place in a car park and walk up a steep hill to where the oscillating blob stops.............Outside the municipal museum. We look at each other. How did we get from going to the Municipal marketplace to the municipal museum. Actually quite funny. The municipal marketplace is clearly 7 minutes drive from where we are!
So, to cut a long and loud story very short, by the time we got there all the stalls other than some veg ones had gone home!
As we drive home it starts to rain and the offside windscreen wiper seems to turn itself inside out. We stop the van and JC get out and grabs the wipe which comes off in his hand. It appears that it is not the one for the Fiat and has just been jammed on in place. Luckily JC has seen a Motorhome service garage and it is enroute home. After much Ponglais they fit a brand spanking new one and we are sorted.
This evening we are going out with Sara and Danny, our new friends from Manchester staying at one of the local houses. We have decided to eat at the local fish place as it is in walking distance and they haven't been there. I notice she has a rash on her neck but assume it is an allergy to the sun or something. Later on when talking about the house, I explain that a Swedish couple who are staying locally are wanting to have a look at Sara and Danny's house with a view to taking it all next winter, but she may be put off by the Processionary Caterpillars. These are horrible things that nest in hundreds together in a loom in pine trees.
They devour the pine by night killing the tree and when fully developed march down the tree to find a place to burrow for the summer. They each have thousands of tiny poisonous hairs on them and if snuffled by a dog for instance, the dog would loose its nose or tongue or worse. If it drops on a human it will give them a nasty rash!!
Sara then shows us her rash on her arms and stomach. It looks terrible and actually I thought it was fleas. But Danny hasn't got it. Being a doctor Sara brushes off the problem, but it looks very uncomfortable.
Everything has changed colour this morning. The white painted steps down to the garden are brown, the table and chairs are brown and the van is brown. The sky has opened during the night and the Sahara has been deposited to the Algarve. Honestly, I have never seen anything like it. We have to hose everything down and even using water doesn't clean it off. So we start out late and today we are going to Tavira to the daily market there. We have already been to Tavira twice and both times have been a disaster, navigation wise, leading to loud and unpleasant works between JC and I. If Jv drives around country lanes and towns I get really nervous about how close he gets to the kerb and other cars etc, so he is very happy to let me drive, but he hasn't got the hang of naviation technology and prefers to use maps. As we know they are of no use in a town and therefore he has had to grasp the iPhone map app.
Today, I have put in the location of the market and off we go, with him watching the oscillating blue blob moving along the trail. As usual we end up in a narrow lane (one way) with metal posts either side obstructing any wide van or motorhome the ability to mount the pavement if needs be. So by the time we get close to the market place, tempers are frayed and it is agreed to park up and find our way by foot. It is cloudy so dogs can stay in the van. We find a place in a car park and walk up a steep hill to where the oscillating blob stops.............Outside the municipal museum. We look at each other. How did we get from going to the Municipal marketplace to the municipal museum. Actually quite funny. The municipal marketplace is clearly 7 minutes drive from where we are!
So, to cut a long and loud story very short, by the time we got there all the stalls other than some veg ones had gone home!
As we drive home it starts to rain and the offside windscreen wiper seems to turn itself inside out. We stop the van and JC get out and grabs the wipe which comes off in his hand. It appears that it is not the one for the Fiat and has just been jammed on in place. Luckily JC has seen a Motorhome service garage and it is enroute home. After much Ponglais they fit a brand spanking new one and we are sorted.
This evening we are going out with Sara and Danny, our new friends from Manchester staying at one of the local houses. We have decided to eat at the local fish place as it is in walking distance and they haven't been there. I notice she has a rash on her neck but assume it is an allergy to the sun or something. Later on when talking about the house, I explain that a Swedish couple who are staying locally are wanting to have a look at Sara and Danny's house with a view to taking it all next winter, but she may be put off by the Processionary Caterpillars. These are horrible things that nest in hundreds together in a loom in pine trees.
They devour the pine by night killing the tree and when fully developed march down the tree to find a place to burrow for the summer. They each have thousands of tiny poisonous hairs on them and if snuffled by a dog for instance, the dog would loose its nose or tongue or worse. If it drops on a human it will give them a nasty rash!!
Sara then shows us her rash on her arms and stomach. It looks terrible and actually I thought it was fleas. But Danny hasn't got it. Being a doctor Sara brushes off the problem, but it looks very uncomfortable.
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