Helen and Peter in Portugal

Most of the year, Pera is a quiet village with 100 or so locals going about their business and drinking in the club. Local men don't really put a lot of work into 'best kept villages' over here...in fact Peter and I walked past a dead chicken in a bag outside some old guys house yesterday...now that's rural Portugal for you! Come August though the village gets busy, with Lisbon(ites) coming for their summer holiday, staying with family or in the 'done up' houses in the village. We have a few from America too, originally from here but living in New Jersey. The village is more vibrant and things get done. In Pera we have a wall, it's a big wall, it's grey, not very nice and runs the length of the main village road. One of the ladies from Lisbon has been on at the local CAMRA (Parish Council) to do something about this wall. The CAMRA are not interested! After she went to shout at the men in the club drinking, telling them that they are lazy sods for ...

Pasteis de Bacalhau are my new favorite things, they are a staple here in Portugal and every household knows how to make them. Except me, when I tried to make them they just weren't as nice as the ones we've had in the pastelarias. When I explained this in bad Portuguese to our neighbours, Ana and Joaquim, they invited us and the neighbours over for a lesson. Bit of a shame that no one told me that despite the invite saying 6pm, they'd be making them at 3pm ready for the evening. At 3pm I was walking back up a mountain in blistering heat and my water bottle running low! But we have such lovely neighbours, Ana and Joaquim photographed the lesson and here it is, how to make Pasteis de Bacalhau Pera style! 250 grams of bacalha u (you get it frozen in the UK, but here they soak it for DAYS) 200 grams of potatoes half an onion and a clove of garlic pinch or two of spice one cap full of port 3 or 4 eggs salt pepper parsley oil for frying This is Joaquim, our neighbour - he sta...

Our very first visitors were the JWD family, they were with us for 8 days and it was great fun. Sam went down very well with the locals, all that blonde hair seems to work a treat. And Zack was learning four new Portuguese words a day - that's more than I can manage. I got them 'singing' Boa Tarde, Bom Dia etc after day one. These boys are quick learners. The week was spent visiting all the local watering holes, both fearless at diving in (along with Michelle who did all the jumping in despite what you may hear otherwise). I think everyones favorite place was Fragas Sao Simao, where it is idyllic jumping off the rocks into the clear (but cold) water. However, despite this wonderful vista: It is possible that the boys (grown up ones too) picked up on a different view of the local area....Sam seems to have his goggles focused on the lady in the background...my those are big! Now they have gone back to England, I have a cold (caught from Peter) and we are starting to get b...