It’s been five months since our contractor: Esquadria Estável Construcoes (Mr José Benedito) commenced work, which was great in one sense; ‘we got started’ but the downside was we were heading into winter!
The weather in Evora and the inner Alentejo region usually means extremes in terms of rain and temperature. Winters are a bit rainy and cold; Summers are dry and very hot, typically reaching highs of 44ºC. November & December (2022) were exceptional in terms of rainfall which hindered the construction process.

In the first three months of 2023, the weather has been kind to the construction team. The Agricultural building (large garage) is progressing nicely and taking shape.

The all-in-important swimming pool construction has commenced in earnest, with the excavations transforming the back garden into a huge hole and corresponding earth mountain.

As part of our planning consent, we obtained permission to excavate a pond in the lower half of the back garden, measuring 50mx20m with a maximum depth of 4m. This has proven to be a challenge in terms of the cost of excavating it. We have received two quotes; €58,000 / €48,000 (not including 23% tax) which came as a shock. Not deterred we hatched a plan whereby we bought a secondhand excavator & will do it ourselves.

In the meantime, Geoff is studying Youtube for ‘Beginners Lessons’ on how to operate an excavator, watch this space for the up-and-coming exploits of Geoff & me learning how to operate the new excavator.

Charlie, Bella & Elsa have all adapted quickly to their new surroundings, which had caused us some trepidation. At 10 am tea break the dogs can be found sitting in the tractor shed with their newfound friends (construction team)! Charlie has adopted the chief role of ‘Building Inspector’.

It was way back in August 2018 when we first began to design & plan how we might improve our new home (see blog: Brainstorming ideas).

We never imagined how many hurdles we would have to overcome to get where we are today. Let alone face a World pandemic involving months of enforced quarantine & isolation & nearly every public department & business being closed. Now we have all the new problems of the post-pandemic World to contend with, such as the significant increase in costs & availability of construction material & availability of construction professionals!

When we embarked on the initial architectural project in May 2019 we made clear from the start, that we had a budget of around €230k + a contingent for unexpected issues. The Architect at that time was ‘Nuno’, who produced the most spectacular design, which we were ‘over the moon’ with (see blog: Architectural miracle). 

Little did we know at that time that it would be another 3 years before Nuno’s plans got a construction quote (budget). By March 2022 the World had changed almost beyond recognition in many respects for everyone, but for our project, it was ‘Costs’! 

“Bad news travels fast. Good news takes the scenic route.”

The construction quotes we received were approximately 2½ times our initial budget & did not include the cost of constructing a swimming pool. This had a devastating effect upon us both at that time & utterly crushed all of our enthusiasm, to a point that it made Geoff feel unwell for over a week! 

“When you have a dream, you’ve got to grab it and never let go.” 

Now if you knew Geoff & me, you would know that we operate best when faced with these types of challenges, particularly those that affect our dreams & future together. It was a simple choice to return to the ‘drawing board’ with a revised list of priorities for the building project.

• Swimming Pool – To enjoy the long hot summers!
• Agricultural Building (Large garage) – Storage for all of our vehicles & equipment!
• A small additional living space – To adjust our current room configuration!

Now armed with our new ‘priority list’, it was a fairly painless task to review the initial plans & the proposed budgets & simply eliminate those aspects of the design that didn’t feature on our priority list. 

May 2022.

Mr Pedro PARREIRA has been our Structural Engineer and project adviser/friend since the beginning & now with his new team of Architects; João Ribeiro & Rui Santos Nabo, they set about re-drawing the ‘New Project’, which they achieved in record time.

“Celebrating good news reminds you that there’s still hope.”

On the recommendations of our good friends (Restaurant O Ricardo) & Pedro, we requested a construction quote (budget) from a construction firm called ‘Esquadria Estável Construcoes’ and as luck would have it is owned/run by a neighbour of ours; Mr José Benedito.

“Remember to celebrate milestones as you prepare for the road ahead”.

On Monday 5th September 2022 we reached a mutual agreement with José Benedito & we signed a contract + paid a deposit for the construction of our dreams.

Construction commences on Monday 26th September 2022 & is scheduled to be completed within 12 months.

Now for all those that know Geoff & I, you know only too well that we love all creatures, obviously, the dogs & horses are top of the favourites list!

Recently an ‘Alentejo Passaro’ (bird) decided to make an unsolicited entry into our home via the log burner / flue! Geoff, quick to react, rescued the poor little soul from within the log burner. Obviously, the log fire wasn’t alight at the time!
Geoff was able to pick up the ‘Alentejo Passaro’, something I could never do, and take it outside & dust off all the soot.

This rescue set off a chain of events & begged the question, why did this poor little bird have so much soot on its feathers.
Before I knew it, Geoff was on the roof, chimney cowling off & chimney brushes flailing, shortly followed by a series of profanities.

Geoff discovered a large amount of dried grass lining the inside of the chimney & around the flue. Also, the metal flue did not reach the top of the chimney.

Geoff realised that when he tried to retract the chimney brushes from within the flue, the individual flue tubes pulled up & away from the log burner.

A quick trip into Evora, to buy some metal flue pipe & a new ‘rain cap’ for the flue.

Geoff reassembled the flue, securing each joint with metal rivets & adding the new sections. The original metal chimney cowling was more to do with architectural aesthetics, not safety & efficiency. Geoff made a circler cut to the centre of the cowling to allow the flue to protrude & create a more efficient flue. After re-assembly, Geoff added wire mesh around the original chimney cowling & ‘rain cap’ to prevent birds from entering the chimney/flue space.

Chimney fire & carbon monoxide poisoning adverted, thanks to our little feathered friend (Alentejo Passaro)!!

Not quite the end of the saga, during the comprehensive cleaning of the log burner, we discovered that beneath the actual log burner hearth, there were several fans & electrical cables. Geoff traced the electrical cables back & as it turned out the log burner had never been correctly installed.

Apparently, when the log burner reaches a certain temperature, two fans switch on (biometric heat switch) to blow warm air from underneath!

Baking tin, hot air gun & multi-meter. The biometric heat switch opens at 50C!!

To drill a Borehole, you need a license (which is the case of most things in Portugal!), so we naturally turned to our friend & Lawyer (Fernando) to obtain the necessary documentation. The authorising agency ( Agencia Portuguesa do Ambiente; ‘APA’) initially refused our application & inexplicitly instructed us to move the proposed drilling location by 10m to the North or West??? 

We duly complied with the APA directive & provided new co-ordinates (Lat. & Long.) for the second new borehole location. We (Fernando) never managed to obtain any form of explanation as to why we had to move the drill location. 

So after paying the €132.00 admin fee for the drilling license, the next stage was to contract a drilling company. We instinctively turned to the company that installed the pump + tank to our first borehole (SONDALIS) & then connected the house to the water. 

SONDALIS eventually provided a quote, which transpired to be almost double the cost of our first borehole, drilled in 2018!! Having accepted the substantial increase in cost’s due to the Pandemic, we signed a contract at the beginning of December (2021) & paid the €2,260.00 deposit! We contacted SONDALIS several days later, requesting a ‘date’ for the drilling operation. SONDALIS replied: “let’s stop for vacation and return in January”, which is typical for Portugal. 

In fairness, the drilling of the new borehole did not have a time-critical element for Geoff & me, simply because our initial borehole supplied our current needs. However, as Geoff was quick to point out, the location of our second borehole was susceptible to flooding during the winter rains.

As forecast during the week of Christmas, we had 8-10 days of significant rainfall. Sadly, it hasn’t rained since!!

20th January 2022, SONDALIS finally arrived, with a ‘the beast’ of a drilling lorry, only to be informed by the ‘on-site manager’ that the drilling lorry could only get within 5m of the designated drilling spot & due to the soft ground!! 

After the drilling lorry unfolded itself like a ‘transformer’ into an enormous drilling platform, drilling began in earnest. After drilling 15m, water was gushing from the drill hole & the “expert drill operator” was beaming with a broad smile. The initial excitement was soon lost, as the water stopped flowing & the drill kept going down! Drilling finally reached 100m & no significant water! It was suggested by SONDALIS, & agreed by us, that we continue drilling to a maximum depth of 150m to continue the search for water. 

Three days since drilling began, 150m drilled & the water flow was 1000 ltr/hour, now to Geoff & I that was almost the same as are existing borehole but according to the “drill operator,” a borehole should provide anything between 60,000 & 90,000 ltr/hr to make it justified in costs. A phone conference with SONDALIS’s “manager” & it was suggested & agreed that they conduct a survey & drill another borehole!!

We have already witnessed Mr Sousa (Water Wzzard) at work with the dowsing stick, now came the turn of the “drill operator”. 

From his jacket pocket, he produced a small, rusted tape measure, which he folded into a triangle shape & began walking around our land with purpose. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Had it not been so funny & unbelievable, Geoff might have chucked them off-site! 

After 10mins the “drill operator” proclaimed he had found water, the only problem was it was in the centre of the new driveway! So he set off again with his rusted tape measure, this time to the rear of the house. Once again he proclaimed to have located water. When Geoff quizzed him on the possible amount of available water at the new location, the “drill operator” shrugged his shoulders & stated maybe: “1000 or 2000 ltr/hr”. 

I think it was at this point that Geoff finally gave up & informed the “drill operator” that we would make do with the second borehole providing us with 1000 ltr/hr. 

Total drilling cost: €11,200.00
Drilling boreholes is an expensive necessity and is at best a gamble because the process has no credible science or technology as to where to drill precisely.
Remember, the above cost doesn’t include a pump, pipe, electrical cable & plumbing to the large water tank.

The precise location of the new borehole is 5m from the licensed drilling position & 5m away from Mr Sousa’s original chosen location. We will have to wait & see what APA licensing authority has to say about that!!

Now, NOT to disappoint all our dog-loving friends, it was inevitable that Charlie would have to get in on the action. Not phased by the dust cloud or raging noise of the drilling process, Mr Charlie inspected the drilling up close!

A few weeks back, Geoff was in conversation with Mr Shepherd (one speaks English & the other speaks Portuguese!) and mentioned that we’re planning to have a second Borehole drilled as a backup. Mr Shepherd whips out his mobile phone & commences a short conversation with some unknown person, then informs Geoff that somebody will arrive tomorrow morning to assist! Well true to his word Mr Shepherd arrived the next morning & a short time later a gentleman arrived & to Geoff’s amazement knows the man as; Mr Sousa, who happens to be the ‘Vigneron’ from the vineyard just along the track from our home. Mr Sousa was carrying a dowsing rod (Y-shaped branch) which gave Geoff the much-needed clue to understanding why Mr Sousa was here! 

Whilst Mr Sousa worked his magic, Geoff & Mr Shepherd followed at a distance. Mr Shepherd steered Geoff over to our well & gave Geoff a series of suggestions to rejuvenate the well & utilise the water. 

After walking around the entirety of our property, Mr Sousa concluded that he had identified the best location which would provide a significant amount of water, worth the drilling expense.

Well renovation.

The well is 2.3m in diameter & 7m deep and holds approximately 6,000 Ltr’s.

The first step was to purchase a water pump, to pump out all of the water & clean the walls & bottom, of the well. The next hurdle was for me to climb down a ladder to the bottom of the well & dig the silt from the bottom. Geoff had the heavy job of lifting the buckets from the bottom via a rope tied to the bucket handle. Now the bottom was completely clean & the concrete walls had been scrubbed clean, there was only one thing left for Geoff to do & that was to construct a lid or cap for the well.
After a bit of head-scratching by Geoff, he came up with a plan & design for the round shaped Well lid & set about constructing it, of course, with a bit of help from Charlie & Elsa.

Here in Portugal, we have got used to reading about or watching national TV about the number of wildfires that occurr.

Between the 1st July and the 30th of September, Portuguese law prevents any type of bonfire, barbeques from being lit, or using any type of machinery that emits a spark. This period is referred to as the “Charlie phase” of the national fire prevention plan.

Well, last Friday (10 Sept), was just an ordinary day here in Evora, 34C°, blue skies & a gentle Westerly wind blowing, when just after lunch, we noticed our next-door neighbour had lit a bonfire and was burning a lot of cardboard! Within minutes of the bonfire being lit the adjacent field caught fire and was raging out of control. Approximately 4 minutes later, the Bomdeiro’s (Fire Service) helicopter was overhead, with a “Bambi” (rubber bucket) slung underneath & depositing water onto the raging fire, whilst having to avoid the High Voltage power lines!

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The ‘Bambi’ water bucket, slung beneath the helicopter, deposits 2000 Ltr’s each drop and is refilled, mid flight, from a local lake or swimming pool.

We then heard sirens coming in the distance & then fire engines began appearing in the thick smoke & spreading out across the landscape, followed by firemen in heavy protective clothing. It wasn’t long after that all of the local farmers were also out in force, with their large tractors + ploughing equipment, working alongside the Firemen. The Cattle and Sheep in the surrounding fields could be seen stampeding away from the flames & smoke.

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The land around our home is mainly pasture & pine / oak trees, none of which have tasted rain for the last 5 months. In these conditions the wildfire can travel at a rate of 14 miles per hour. The fire got within a hundred meters of our home, the only saving grace was the westerly wind direction which prevented the fire from reaching us! One of our neigbours wasn’t as lucky, the fire got within 10 meters of his home & burnt his Olive grove.

The fire raged for over an hour but was eventually brought under control & finally extinguished after destroying 120 acres.
According to the national fire service website, which maps all fires, the fire which threatened us utilised the following:

Fire Commander & Communications unit,

47 x Firemen,

12 x Fire trucks,

one helicopter & a light aircraft.

It wasn’t long after the danger passed, the GNR Police started visiting farms in the area to establish the origin of the fire. The criminal offence of lighting a fire during this period carries a fine of up to €60,000 or jail when life is lost.

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The next morning!

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Now we have experienced first hand the dangers of the wildfires & the stark reality of our vulnerable position, Geoff & I have agreed to formulate a wildfire plan, to protect ourselves (pets + home) and escape routes should they be required.

Short story!
Branco is not & was never pregnant!

How the events unfolded.

After the initial surprise (shock) that Branco was pregnant, the caring ‘Motherly’ instinct took over & we contact the Veterinary service, with whom Branco is registered. A few days later, Anna, the Vetinariean arrived & explained that her area of expertise was ‘Horse Reproduction’. After an examination, followed by an Ultrasound scan, Anna delivered the devastating news that Branco was not & had not recently been pregnant.
Well, after Geoff and I had had the initial shock of the pregnancy this news came as a devastating blow.
Anna went onto explain that most horse owners now utilised the artificial insemination process, which produced more reliable results, date of birth & of course, who / what the ‘father’ was.
Geoff and I didn’t hesitate for a second, we had not only got use to the belief that Branco was pregnant but we now very much looked forward to Branco having a foal.
Branco was given an injection to induce her oestrous cycle, which would take approximately 10 days to take effect.
Anna’s final question was; “what colour would you like the donor (father) to be, Gray (white) or Bay (brown). Geoff and I had already discussed what colour the foal would be, believing Branco was already pregnant. So the choice was easy; “Brown” as Geoff had always wished for a ‘skewbald’ (white & brown horse). So it was left that Anna was going to send us photo’s of the potential donor.

Anna returned 10 days later & after another examination declared that Branco had not come into ‘season’, however, her left Ovary was showing some signs of her coming into season. Anna gave Branco a second injection to help stimulate her oestrous cycle.
Whilst we waited to see if Branco came into season, we started to question our own scruples, was Branco trying to us something? So Geoff & I came to the same conclusion, if Branco failed to come into season then we would halt the process.
When Anna returned it was good news, Branco was in season!

A few days later Anna arrived with the donor sperm and artificially inseminated Branco.

It was then an agonising 2-week wait before Anna returned to confirm the pregnancy. Anna completed an ultra scan, only to discover that the artificial insemination process had failed. This news was absolutely heartbreaking, especially after what we had subjected Branco to.

So, Brano had made it clear to us that presently she doesn’t want to share Geoff & me with a newborn foal. So now, Branco remains the number one horse in our lives, together with her best three friends; Charlie, Bella & Elsa.

Well, it certainly came as a shock to both Geoff & me.
I must say I was somewhat apprehensive telling Geoff, I wasn’t sure if he was going to be annoyed or excited about the news.

As it turned out he was delighted with the news but somewhat perplexed by the “How” and “When” questions. 😂😂
Now for those of you that just made “jumping to a conclusion” an Olympic sport, allow me to clarify, it’s not me that’s pregnant, but Branco our loving horse.

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The news came ‘out of the blue’ & by way of a chance meeting with our very good friend ‘Mr. Shepherd’ and another one of our close neighbours, who as it happens, speaks excellent English. For the last few weeks, I thought Branco was putting on a bit too much weight around her middle & was concerned she may have been consuming too much new ‘green’ grass. So, via our English speaking neighbour, I asked ‘Mr. Shepherds’ opinion!

After the initial shock, it transpires that last June / July ‘Mr Shepherd’ had placed Branco with a Stallion, which had belonged to a neighbouring farm, but was unsure if the “mating” had ever been successful. The only additional information Mr Shepherd mentioned was that shortly afterwards the Stallion had been stolen because of its value.

Due date??
The gestation period in horses is typically between 11 & 12 months.
So our best guess is around June or July, this year. Not knowing more information about the stallion, makes it very difficult to imagine what foal Branco will produce.

Competition.
What shall we name the foal…..male & female suggestions, please.

Leave a comment below & hit the follow button to keep up to date with Branco’s progress.

In all the years, that Geoff and I have been visiting Portugal we have never experienced an earthquake, thankfully! 

Two weeks ago, Geoff received a text message on his Portuguese mobile number, which in its self is a rarity, but it became very alarming once we translated the message.

“Be prepared for an earthquake!”  

Geoff’s ingenuity immediately kicked in, “The last time I read, Science wasn’t capable of predicting earthquakes, perhaps it’s a scam?”  

After spending time ensuring we weren’t clicking on a compromised website, it transpired it was Portugal’s national earthquake awareness exercise (Operation: TERRA TREME). The exercise aims to empower the population to know how to act before, during and after an earthquake & comprises of 3 simple actions that can make a difference; DROP, COVER, HOLD.

How to prepare for an earthquake in 4 steps:

1. Make an earthquake emergency plan and memorize it.
2. Sign up for earthquake alerts.
3. Get an emergency battery/Solar operated radio and torch.
4. Assemble an earthquake preparedness kit with a fire extinguisher and bugout bag.

Now I hear you say, “there can’t be that may earthquakes in Portugal?” 

Well, stand by to be surprised!

• So far today (25/11/2020) there has been 8 registered quakes, the most significant being a 4.0 magnitude in the Atlantic Ocean, southwest of Algarve!

• This year (2020) there has been 452 registered quakes (3.4 magnitudes or greater)!

• 15th January 2018 a 4.9 magnitude earthquake rattled mainland Portugal, its epicentre being the district of Évora. A sequence of aftershocks followed for fifteen days after the mainshock. Reports of the tremor being felt in Lisbon, the Algarve and Spain. It was the largest quake in Portugal for the past 20 years and described as “wake up call” by experts.

Great Lisbon earthquake.

Of course, the most notable earthquake described as “one of the deadliest earthquakes in history”, occurred in 1755 in Lisbon. Reports state that the earthquake lasted six minutes, causing cracks 5 metres wide in the city centre. Seismologists today estimate the quake had a magnitude of 8.9 and with its epicentre in the Atlantic Ocean about 200 km southwest of Lisbon. Survivors rushed to the open space of the docks for safety and watched as the sea receded, approximately 40 minutes after the quake, a tsunami engulfed the harbour and downtown area. Interestingly tsunami means ‘Harbour Wave’ in Japanese. Candles lit in homes and churches all around the city for All Saints’ Day were knocked over, starting a fire that developed into a firestorm which burned for hours in the city. The estimated death toll in Portugal was 100,000+ with a further 50,000 in Spain and Morocco from the quake and the resulting tsunami.

Needless to say we checked our building insurance covers earthquakes. Interestingly, Portugal is the only country to make building insurance mandatory in law.

INTERESTING FACTS.

On the 16th December 1811 an earthquake caused parts of the Mississippi to flow backwards!

Standing water smells before an earthquake!
Ponds, canals, lakes and other standing water may give off a nasty whiff and become slightly warmer before an earthquake. This is due to gases being released underground as the plates shift. This can contribute to a change in the behavior of wildlife in the area. Scientists from the Department of Life Sciences at the Open University observed toads disappearing before an earthquake which struck Italy in 2009 – and returning afterwards. It is also believed toads detect changes in water chemistry caused by stresses in rocks.

How difficult can it be to exchange a UK Driving License for a Portuguese Driving License!
If you consult the Gov.UK website, it states; ‘go to a local service desk of the Institute for Mobility and Transport to exchange your driving license’. “Sounds simple enough”; I hear you say!

Now, for those of you that know Geoff, it will not come as a surprise that he is normally very diligent at doing his ‘homework’ before embarking on any mission.

First things first, Geoff needed a medical certificate to confirm he was healthy to drive. No problem, Geoff attended our local Doctors clinic, which is the size of a small hospital, here in Evora. The Clinic operates a ‘first come first serve’, system. Geoff, having set his alarm for 6.15 am, walked the dogs, watered the plants & driven into Evora & arrived at 8 am (opening time), feeling chuffed with himself for being first in the queue, only to find the reception doesn’t open until 9 am! Upon the arrival of the reception staff, who were very helpful & told Geoff to take a seat & wait. After waiting 5 hours, Geoff’s doctor; Dr Jose ISAIAS finally appeared, together with another gentleman, who indicated he was there to assist with translation. The first thing Dr ISAIAS asked for was Geoff’s eyesight certificate, Geoff replied; “there’s nothing wrong with my eyesight, but if you would like to test me, that’s ok”. Dr ISAIAS explained to Geoff that he was only a doctor & could not test eyes, you need to go to an Opticians! Geoff then drove into Evora & eventually found a qualified Optician, who Geoff described as very short, looking very young (26yr) & who spoke good English, but wore thick spectacles. A ten-minute test confirmed Geoff’s eyesight was perfect & the Optician commented: “it’s unusual for somebody to pass with a 100%…..for somebody of your age!” Geoff informed me that he had to bite his tongue at the age comment!

GROUNDHOG DAY.
Next day, Geoff repeated his first phase, but this time arriving at the Doctors Clinic at 8.45 am and had to wait for 3 hours, only to be told by Dr ISAIAS, to come back at 1 pm, when the interpreter was available! Geoff duly returned to the Clinic, feeling confident with his eyesight certificate, at the allotted hour & met with Dr ISAIAS & the interpreter.
Dr ISAIAS asked Geoff why his eyesight certificate & clinical record were in slightly different names. Geoff somewhat baffled looked at his eyesight certificate, which stated his correct name, when Dr ISAIAS turned his computer around & showed Geoff medical record. Geoff could not help himself a small laugh because his medical record name was: Geoffrey H…Tracey C… (names blanked for privacy- can’t be too careful). Geoff explained the first bit was his name & the second half was his wife’s name, Dr ISAIAS didn’t laugh! The computer administrator was contacted to rectify the mistake, but did not possess the necessary authority to amend a medical record name! A senior Clinical administrator in Lisbon was contacted to correct the error, which took another 90 minutes.
By now, Geoff was feeling extremely confident that after all the mishaps he was on the ‘home straight’! Dr ISAIAS was busy completing the Institute for Mobility and Transport ‘online’ medical certificate, when he suddenly halted and said; “according to your Opticians report you need eye surgery before being allowed to drive”. Geoff laughed nervously, then stated his eyesight was perfect, Dr ISAIAS then showed Geoff the ‘tick in the box’ which indicated he needed surgery. Dr ISAIAS contacted the Optician, who thankfully remembered the ‘giant englishman’ & confirmed his eyesight was 100%. Dr ISAIAS appeared to be in a ‘heated argument’ over the phone with the Optician, which the interpreter confirmed; “Dr ISAIAS has insisted the Optician produced a correct certificate & delivery it to the Clinic immediately”! So, Geoff waited another 40 minutes until the Optician arrived, with correct certificate. Dr ISAIAS then completed the Institute for Mobility and Transport ‘online’ medical certificate! So after approximately 12 hours Geoff had completed the first phase.

The following Monday morning Geoff & our trusted friend / Lawyer (Fernando) attended the Institute for Mobility and Transport office in Evora, only to be informed that an appointment was necessary, because of the Covid-19 problem. Fernando quickly completed an application form for an urgent appointment & highlighted the fact that the UK license was due to expire that same day. Fernando submitted the application to the reception & asked how long we would have to wait for our appointment, the reply was somewhat vague, “it might be an hour or two, but could be longer”. Fernando & Geoff agreed to wait for confirmation & meet later!
Fernando phoned Geoff later that same evening (Monday) and explained the appointment had been made for wednesday at 2 pm.

Wednesday – Institute for Mobility and Transport office.
Geoff & Fernando arrived promptly at 2 pm & were permitted entry, into the large office, were six Clerical staff sat at theirs desks, chatting idly amongst themselves. Fernando stated Geoff’s name & was directed to a ‘middle aged woman’ sat at the far end. In the first ten seconds the tempo was set, when the woman said “No UK passport, you need Portuguese id card for Portuguese driving license”! The passport was thrown across the desk & the woman shouted “Next”! Fernando explained that Geoff had registered as a Portuguese citizen, but could not get an id card until after 5 years of residency. Needless to say the conversation went from bad to worse when Fernando asked for the ‘Complaints Register’ to formalise his official complaint. At this point the ‘Woman’ was so enraged & shouted for security & two uniformed security Officers appeared promptly & stood behind Geoff / Fernando. Geoff was sat & turned to look at the security officers & realised he was almost as tall as they were, whilst seated! At this point a male clerical officer came over & spoke with Fernando, who after several minutes explained that the male clerical officer was stating the ‘woman’ was completely stupid and was wrong. Geoff looked across at the ‘woman’ who had obviously heard her colleagues conversation, because she had turned scarlet and had white foam in the corner of her mouth. Needless to say the next 30 minutes whilst the male clerical assistant instructed his female colleague on how to complete all the necessary paperwork was daunting and somewhat crowded with the two security guards still present. When Fernando & Geoff in particular, stood to leave, the two security Officers looked at one another and realised that their presence was completely futile with Geoff’s size.
Now that Geoff has his temporary Portuguese driving license, you may well think the saga is over! But no, the temporary license is only valid for two months, whilst awaiting the permanent license, which is delivered by post. Currently, according to the ‘nice’ male clerical assistant at the Institute for Mobility and Transport office, the licenses are taking between three and six months to produce & deliver. So, Geoff may well be returning to the Institute for Mobility and Transport office for his new updated temporary license, watch this space!

In the meantime Geoff and I have checked Interpol & Portugal’s ‘Most Wanted’ list, just in case we find Geoff or Fernando’s pictures!

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