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.