Tagus at Alcochete

So... reBlipping now we're safely home, as promised. Thanks so much for all the kind comments below. And blipped for yesterday as well, telling about our experience of the blackout.

Most of the night wakeful, waiting to find out if the family's flight was going. Eventually, Mike took them at 4:30am, and they did go, and arrived safely in Birmingham, and the kids even went to school, excited to tell about their blackout adventure. Deb said the airport looked like a refugee camp, with folk all over the floors, trying to sleep.

We had to meet friends (Arend Jan and Jaqueline) in Évora for lunch. Mike's now got the strimmer working and cleared under the clothesline, and the first wash is hung out, though the weather has gone cold and grey, and rain predicted. Very strange.

My hunch about the blackout is that the system has not kept up with the increasing amount of renewable energy that the Iberian Peninsula is producing - which is obviously not a steady supply. Hopefully, more will be invested to keep it more stable, and Portugal is looking for ways to not be connected only to Spain.

Gratefuls:
- LOTS! mainly that they have managed to get the supply going again, so soon
- that we've all got home safely and when we thought we would
- most folk being so kind, calm and helpful