Spring Clean/Planning

JAN 2012

Yepp, I DO have a conscience.

In respect of which the following

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN……..

Since somewhere before Christmas, we`ve been rather lax at news, updates etc. Please excuse.

What with easily our best Christmas Dinner ever in Portugal, managing to catch up with dear friends and Cruising Brits in Porto, long-(out)standing decision-making, an assortment of Doctors appointments, hols. generally (good to have a break though), and our usual New Year Dinner at CSJ, we`ve been at a place where even finding time to eat out twice a week has been v.difficile, at times not possible at all.

That will change shortly.       Starting on, ((ummh, not to-morrow (friends coming for lunch), Tuesday (Socilitor), Wednesday (builders in) ))  –  well, maybe not this incoming week. I`ll let you`s know.

Generally, however, we are good. Rained a little to-day, but the weather remains kind. Dogs, cats etc., etc remain all well. Car continues to car.

Update soon

Feb 2012

(at last, you may think)  Just a quick catch-up to report that despite the recent cold -due apparently to return to-morrow and for the next week or so, & following a couple of days respite- we are still alive!  The blessing has been that we still haven`t had the usual – indeed normal pre-Christmas – regular and incessant downpours; rather just the odd day or night.

Our shower-room renovation has been completed (still small, but now perfectly formed!) and the builder has promised to be back about the end of the month to complete his `contract` by applying, I believe polystyrene cladding to all our external walls. That should at least ensure that next winter our (South-facing) home will be a tad warmer. Not that we`re really complaining; we`ve managed thus far on two loads (nominally three cubic metres a go) of firewood at around 60/65Euro per cube. The quandary now is whether to light up straight away in the morning -when we`re often no more than a few degrees above freezing- or, to wait until mid afternoon.

As is often the case, when we have sun, it`s bright and warm enough that by about 10 o`clock it`s certainly pleasant enough to `sit out` in the pergola reading; & certainly warmer than INside.

So. All of a sudden it`s February, and very few real plans made.  We both continue to hold if not add to our weight losses, still through diet (fewer carbs) and drink (fewer all-round); and the latest health checks were suitably pleasing to the Doctor – although G has picked up the early stages of osteo-thingie, particularly in her knees. Not at all on the same scale, but more positively Sophie the dog finally appears, about two years on, to have shaken her hip discomfort, and all other dog, cat, fish and bird members of the household seem to be gearing up for Spring.

As far as any human (?planning) thoughts might be concerned, I`ve looked up the local airPORT schedules, and the picture for this summer appears to be

LISBON will continue to be served by Aer Lingus (ex Dublin), TAP (Heathrow or Gatwick), Easyjet (Gatwick or Luton) and BA (Heathrow)

and PORTO by  Easyjet OR TAP (Gatwick), or if you dare/(I doubt I would) Ryanair from Gatwick, Stansted, Liverpool, or Dublin

Either of these is far and away the best bet for Lourical. We`re about mid-way, inside a couple of hours train journey from either

Alternately, FARO IS do-able, but being a further 150 miles south of Lisbon, will involve at best at least 6 hours transfer by train / near enough double that by coach, and depending on schedules may very well require overnighting in at least one direction (stand fast those brave enough to hire a car. Aside from the current little local difficulty of SCUT, from Faro you will have to negotiate the journey, even if not the specific road, that was designated “Europe`s most dangerous highway” something like eight times in the 1990`s).   Anyway …….

The 100% Algarve holiday destination, FARO is serviced  by  Aer Lingus (Belfast, Dublin, <or Cork!>), Astraeus (from Bournemouth), bmibaby (Birmingham, Cardiff, East Midlands), BA (London City or Gatwick), British Midland (Dublin or Manchester), Easyjet (Belfast International, Bristol, Doncaster-Sheffield, Glasgow, Liverpool, Gatwick Stansted or Luton and Newcastle), Flybe (Birmingham, Exeter, Southampton), Jet2.com (Blackpool, Belfast, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle), Monarch (Birmingham, Gatwick, Luton, Manchester,  Dublin, Connaught, Cork, Shannon), Easyjet (Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Londonderry, Connaught / Cork / Dublin / Kerry County, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow Prestwick, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool

and Stansted), and Viking (Glasgow and Gatwick), plus Thomas Cook U.K. and Thomsonfly charters from all over the place including Belfast and Glasgow!

HAD planned to send this Sunday night WHATEVER (now Monday).

Having started typing last week, a combination of lunchtime dinners (Wednesday & Thursday) plus lunchtime guests & dinner (Friday) had physically prevented achievement of  that lofty goal.

PS Yesterday, Saturday, our littler dog, Annie, took a fit of neighbours-bone-eating stomach problems, as a result of which we <& Vet> have been tending her round the clock. Thankfully seems to be on the mend now.

How`n`ever that’s about it. Dog-willing, we plan to-morrow, Tuesday (& Valentine`s Day, for those non-romantics or amnesiacal) to shop, persay to Lunch - after which the full fury of a proper weight loss programme beckons.

Will keep in touch, advising.

M