Window shopping

Today we went window shopping – as in shopping for windows – or at least to get a quote! This is the first decision of many we will need to make in designing our new home. It was so easy, maybe because there are a lot less choices here of shops to visit. So many businesses don’t have websites which is where we would normally start searching in the UK. They may have a Facebook page but most rely on word of mouth recommendation, you turning up in person and doing business face to face. So we were in and out in 10 minutes having made a decision!

The road up there had a magnificent viewpoint of the whole valley. The photo really can’t capture how incredible it looked.

We stopped off at a reclamation yard for a look. It was huge and full of old metalwork items and some large wooden wheels from the type of carts pulled by donkeys. Portugal seems to be much less of a throw away culture generally. A lot of people drive older cars too as cars, especially second hand, are really expensive.

One more stop at the ‘China shop’ which are very popular here. It’s like a mini version of Amazon with all sorts of stuff. Technically you can order from Amazon Spain and have it delivered here, but it’s not that reliable. Our purchases were pegs and a clothes drying rack… and a fly swat. Exciting. The rain has chased the flies away but they were out in annoyance last week when we arrived. I’ve become rather lethal with the fly swat.

The sun shone today and after so much rain in the last few days, everything looked super green. A neighbour brought me some cuttings yesterday from a passionflower climbing plant and a goji berry plant so, as it was dry, I had my first attempt at propagating a plant from a cutting. Fingers crossed that they take root.

Night all!