Storming in to 2014

Portugal caught the tail end of the weather systems that washed out many a UK Christmas with torrential rains and powerful winds causing a long power cut during most of Christmas Eve giving me a chance to do some reading even if by candlelight as I decided the village bonfire was unlikely to be lit.
Christmas Day itself proved much better with a good walk taking in some Roman stepping stones and a minor bonus as a wrecked T4 van owned by a Brit still had the sun visor I have been after since Morocco.
Gary dropped by between visits to Spain and Lisbon so I gave him some peace by heading down to the Roman ruins and spectacular churches of Evora returning via Evoramonte and a brief foray back in to Spain.
On the Saturday what should have been a quiet meal for two became quite a party as we joined another UK couple and their local builder and his family for a meal in the restaurant in Portagem. As their lad spoke very good English we were all able to enjoy the excellent atmosphere and food and later retired to a local bar until well after midnight.
During the last few days of my stay I had Maya to walk and enjoyed a mix of conditions whilst during the drier spells the neighbours continued to pick the campsite olives and prune back the trees - on New Year's Day a couple from Yorkshire arrived and were soon settled in at the start of what I am sure will be another busy but successful season for Gary.
I was away to Lisbon before daybreak the next day and by 10.30 had returned the hire car, checked in my case and was soon airborne on time for Bristol. Crossing the south west of the UK gave some impression of the floods, particularly over the Somerset Levels where we flew right above the Cheddar reservoir.
Thus my short sojourn south was at an end - the van started first time after sitting for a fortnight - and I was soon enjoying a beer with family in Shropshire.

So endeth another year with much to be thankful for - I have a link here to the last of the Portuguese piccies but hope you will find time to click here for a link to a larger album of pictures taken over the last decade since I adopted digital photography.

These reflect a host of shared experiences and happy memories and I would like to say a huge

to all those friends, family members and fellow travellers whose contributions are so very much appreciated.

A winter project over the next few weeks is to scan in some of the 3500 slides that evoke memories from the 80's and 90's - not a bad way to pass my first winter in the UK for 8 years.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

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