Switches!

It's been tipping down without a break all day. Although it makes life quite unpleasant here, it's not something I will ever moan about; living for 24 years somewhere where people died because of drought, I will always be grateful for rain, plus, it's so reassuring to see the Alqueva visibly filling up again.

And yay for electricity as well - Mike has been busy installing it - not without its frustrations, but how wonderful it will be to turn a light on at the flick of a convenient switch. Well, if the sun shines - absolutely no charging of our batteries happened today.

Went to a big lunch put on by the Communist Party here in Mourão, to celebrate the Party's 97 years in Portugal. Our friend made the feijoada, it was superb, as was everything else. And, we made some new friends, a Mouranense who lives in Lisbon, married to a Mineira from Brazil - they come back to Mourão for at least two weekends a month. Quite moving to hear the speaker remind his camaradas of those who were imprisoned, tortured, and even gave their lives for their beliefs during those years.

Now off for a cup of tea on the way to the Eucharist, and then river fish for our weekly dinner with the Padre, cooked by the inimitable Dona Nazaré.