Helen and Peter in Portugal

While I have been working, Peter informs me that he has been; a) planting tomatoes and strawberries b) putting up the garden furniture c) unpacking the stuff d) drinking beer e) meeting the neighbours f) going to the social club g) cooking on the BBQ h) taking siestas i) walking around the mountain range and finding perfect places to picnic, BBQ and relax. You decide which order he's done all this in!

So Peter and Jono got to Casa dos Avos last night. Almost a burnt out clutch , and a run-away van (couldn't park on the white stone outside the house) ! House smells of fags I'm told (owners smoked 20 a day). Boys went to the bar, fu**ed of dinner and decided that beer was the answer. Cannot say I blame them. Meanwhile, will I fly next week, won't I fly next week. The ash saga continues, but I am keeping it all crossed in hope. Just got to get Pat out here now for my last weekend in sunny Jersey, come on BA fly, fly like the wind.

Peter and Jono are winding their way down to Portugal. The text messages I've had so far seem to focus on food and drink. Last text received from Peter: 'Early lunch of a pork, chilli & cheese bocadilo on the way from Burgos to Salamanca'

The weekend was a little fraught to say the least. Not everything fitted in the van, so Peter played 3D Tetrus for two days trying to make everything squeeze in. Well the boy did it, apart from a couple of bits. I spent the weekend cleaning and getting stressed , although a drink at the Splash on Sunday afternoon revived the soul a little. Peter went off on the ferry this morning, with Jono, and was so excited. I might have more of a problem though! I'm supposed to be leaving in 10 days time, but this damn volcano is causing me concern. Flights still grounded , and I cannot get through to anyone at eurorail in the UK (they couldn't post me the tickets anyway)! So, lets hope this cloud goes well away and we can start moving around Europe again.

Well it's finally come around and Peter is leaving Adapt Design today. He is off to Portugal on Monday to ' set up ' the house ready for my arrival at the end of the month. By 'set up' I mean, he is going down in a van with Jono on what I am sure will become a jolly . Ah well, good luck to him, I mean it's not everyday you leave the beauty of Jersey for the beauty of central Portugal is it? I suppose at least all his friends on facebook will be happy to not have the daily count down in Peter's status. But I suspect there will be plenty of jealous faces when the first photos of the waves come in! Just to make everyone jealous, Peter posted this picture on his facebook page recently. CANNOT WAIT TO JOIN HIM THERE.

This is going to be our new house. Right in the mountains in Pera. The house sits in the lovely village of Pera, white houses, a town square and friendly local people. So excited to be going to live somewhere new , I never thought that I would come to Jersey, so to come to Jersey, leave and move to Portugal, is pretty exciting. Who knows if there will be another place? But I hope we make Portugal our home.