Most apposite, I thought, earlier on in the week, as I looked askance at the deck shoes I’d just pulled onto my bare feet. A few months ago, judging these were such a bargain, I’d bought two pairs, and in the week previous to my leaving the UK, had managed to pack the left shoe from each pair.

Kind of sums up that week, and the ones that preceded it – fraught and extremely tiring, with ‘stuff’ going wrong constantly. This culminated in a blow-out on the M20 on the way to the Dover Ferry, followed by delay caused by a multiple-fatality pile-up on the same road 15 minutes later, and hence missing my ferry, having to wait two hours for the next.

Thunderstorms drove me off the road and into a very basic ‘Aire’, in France, where I spent a few uncomfortable hours in the car between Rouen and Le Mans. Early in the morning I did the 2nd leg of my journey to just outside Salamanca, where my overnight stay was again in the car, as I didn’t like the state of the beds on offer.

It’s now a week since I arrived here, and once again my intentions haven’t been borne out by reality. I had expected to have far more time to relax, instead there were initial problems with getting money, returning missed ‘phone calls, inability to access Estate agents embedded PDF files, and a host of minor details and annoyances I hadn’t even considered.

It’s been costly too, replacing the shredded tyre cost 67 euros, and each Multi-Banco 100 Euro withdrawal I’ve made costs about £2.50 – Each bank involved taking about £1.25 each.

This morning I spent some considerable time in attempting to clear up a trail of dirty clothes, dishes etc., I’ve put off doing for one reason or another. Oh yes! I’ve replaced the fence-wire that was supplied as a clothes line, and managed to wash dirty tablecloths etc., so the place looks half-decent again.

The search for property has paused for the weekend, though there are two properties I liked very much, one of which I have put in an offer, which is still ‘under negotiation’. I’ve decided not to give details of the properties which I have looked at to a public audience, as such details could give advantage to interested parties.

On the subject of others, I have been received by those Portuguese I’ve met with warmth and kindness, and there has also been a warm, but sometimes guarded welcome from the few English people in and around Miranda.

This is a truly beautiful place. I understand completely why it is so popular with English folk, though being quite a long way from ‘the beach’. Each valley around is different, each village unique, with land that varies in suitability for grapes to cabbages, with every variety of crop in between.

I promised photographs, and I will keep my promise, starting with some from Miranda itself, as I feel the town’s website does not do it justice.

Update: 27/08/24
My old blog joebrown.org.uk is no longer available, so the information below is now incorrect. I still have the photos though, and will update this post when these have been uploaded on this site.
I’d intended including a couple on this site, but WordPress jams up when I try to load the media (I suspect bandwidth problems here in Miranda) so the full set can be viewed on my photo gallery.

The photos are roughly in order: Starting with the base of the steep climb up to the church (a penance before you get there), Photos of some of the exterior stations of the cross, the bijou cemetery, where it is obvious that locals like to be close to their friends even in death. Then some shots of the Church courtyard, the tower and church front, and views around, followed by the descent down a set of stairs and alleys back to the Praca.

It’s 19:15 (BST – ‘cos I haven’t checked what local time is yet), and I’m sitting in the dining room of my rental home.

1st impressions? Let’s just call it rustic. Seriously though, the house is clean and suitable for around 4 (smallish) people, with modernised bathroom facilities, and an ancient kitchen, most of which is taken up by a huge grill pot, (v.large BBQ) and an enormous chimney which covers most of the kitchen and spells bad headaches unless I’m very careful.

I’m waiting in to see the owner, and have practised a few encouraging words in Portuguese.

I arrived this morning, fairly early, and Auto-Route took me EXACTLY where I’d asked to be, though not without some hair-raising moments as Microsoft ‘Anna’ guided me through villages with some streets so narrow, a cigarette-paper would have felt oversize, but surprisingly no scrapes!

(Yes, that was fortunate – some would say lucky (!?) – See! I’ve already grown milder in temperament)

And talking of mild, since I arrived at 7:30 this morning, the sun has been shining, and the temperature outside is still ‘scorchio’.

M. do Corvo’s council have thoughtfully provided Wi-Fi Internet access in the town square, so it’s quite pleasant to sit in the small park amongst the shady trees, or at a table from a cafe, to do my emails, which I did this morning.

These included an email from the agents in Tynemouth, with derisory offer on my house, which if I was dealing personally with the putative buyer, would have met with a polite request to go away and stop wasting everyone’s time.

I’ve taken a couple of photos of the square – yes I know the Council has posted ‘official’ ones – you’ll like mine better, trust me. I’ll also take some tomorrow of this house and the ‘garden’.

Property Shop Portugal has several interesting houses for sale, and I’ll be looking at details of these on Monday. For now, I’ve settled at looking at M. do Corvo’s beautiful women, though my 1st choice of today is married – I’m reliably informed, but she has an associate which isn’t…

My source of information will, for the moment remain anonymous! (Apologies for being cryptic, but remember – M. do Corvo’s population is well under 10,000, and it would only take 1 to read this blog)

Other items on my 4-point plan are going well. There is a largish, partly-plowed field/garden/orchard, on slightly sloping land, attached to the rental, so promises rewarding days of target practise with my bow. It goes without saying that I’ve also had my first ‘session’ on the guitar in Portugal.

I also pulled and ate my first ‘honey’ fig off a tree , before washing it down with water from a village fountain – fabulous!

21:53 BST

Slight digression. The owner of the house called to demonstrate the machinations of the gas water heater etc., then I headed off on a circuitous route to the centre of Miranda. I passed through Tabua on the way, and discovered a small botequim, with a gathering of locals, which promises to be an interesting visit for the future.

I’ve met her. That is: either I’ve met the Senhora I was told about this morning; or I’ve met someone equally beautiful! More later.

I’m now back home after a light supper of a sanduiche de fiambre and one bottle of Super Bock. I used Auto-route to navigate home – it only coughed once, but no serious problems.

As a Sat Nav, the combination of Netbook, W7 and Auto-Route has several advantages, but a lot of disadvantages, as I discovered on my journey here. Frequent adjustments to the screen, requiring mouse or touchpad use, are necessary, but impossible whilst travelling.

Boa Noite from joe.