After I strained a ligament while fetching water to fill up the water tank, we stayed at home a lot this week. But we were busy and managed to seal our leaky kitchen window. After we had painstakingly removed it, removed all the silicone and cleaned the frames, Alex was able to reinstall it and seal it properly. Now it should actually be tight.
The first friends have also moved on again and we had a lot of fun with the others this week playing games or just having a cozy get-together.
We now have all the materials for our new “washbasin in the bathroom and so we were able to start this last major project. We are delighted that we are almost finished with the planned work and can finally enjoy the beauty of the area 😉
So this week we sawed, drilled, sanded and painted once again. Alex turned a salad bowl into a sink.
In the middle of the week, we long-timers here on the pitch in Figueira were shocked and also angry about the incomprehensible dismissal at short notice of the park’s fairy godmother from reception. We have all grown fond of her and have no words for this behavior of the camper park owner. We are very sad about this decision and wish her all the best for the future.
There are a few unpleasant things here this season that have made us think twice. They charge €1 for showers, but unfortunately most people have to take cold showers or there is no water at all, as the owner is unable to provide hot water despite repeated complaints. Some have already left because of this. Washing with the washing machines is also usually a struggle, either they don’t work properly or you need 2 tokens instead of just one, which costs
which costs 4 euros each. Complaints are impossible! The list of complaints is now huge, but unfortunately it is ignored.
For us, the decision has been made that our stay here will not be as long as planned and we are also ruling out the possibility of spending the winter here again.
Other campers are also considering looking for another place to spend the winter for the next few years.
It was an expensive week for us personally, because the GNR (auxiliary police) saved us €120. We can’t quite understand it, even after the officer explained it to us. Allegedly we should have stopped at a right of way sign and not simply “give way”. A discussion would probably have been even more to our disadvantage, so we had no choice but to accept it.
When we arrived back at the camper later on, we found a surprise from Germany from Alex’s mom. A small Christmas package.
Thank you very much for that!
Although it’s not that much work, the work on our washbasin is progressing slowly.
Among other things, Mr. P. asked Alex to help him with a problem with Mrs. W.’s mobile home. Mrs. W. is amazing!
She’s still so fit and already around 80 years old. She was born in Germany, now lives in Sweden and has traveled from Sweden to Portugal with her motorhome and her dog. And she does this every year. A great woman with a lot of experience and lots of great stories.
Then there are problems with another motorhome, and Alex is happy to help with that too. And so the time flies by. Our own work is postponed, so it takes a little longer.
But that’s not a bad thing at all, because we have time and there’s no more important, urgently needed work to do. So we are always happy to help and what could be nicer than spending time with loved ones, after all, after the work is done we sit together and talk, laugh, drink and maybe even eat a little something.
That’s exactly what traveling in a motorhome is all about for us. Getting to know so many different people, exchanging ideas, helping, supporting and having fun together. The contact with people who are so much different from us, who are much older, younger or the same age, have a different nationality or are perhaps even exactly the same as us, is so beautiful and important for us. Sometimes you meet one or the other again on your journey. Sometimes you follow each other on Instagram or a travel blog, sometimes new friendships are formed that are so special that they will last forever despite the distance, as everyone continues to go their own way.
We are very grateful for every single encounter.
For us, these people, these contacts are a priceless, beautiful experience, even if there are not always only positive and beautiful experiences, because on our short journey so far, we have unfortunately already lost one or two friends because they have lost the battle of their illnesses. We carry them all in our hearts!
We wish you a wonderful Advent season, wherever you are during this time.
Personally, we still find it very strange to walk through the stores in the sunshine, wearing shorts and a T-shirt and listening to Christmas music. Or seeing the Christmas lights in the villages. Although we have to say, the pizzeria here in Figueira has a mulled wine that tastes very good even in the slightly warmer temperatures 😉
