Today’s an overcast grey day; tomorrow’s is going to be the same. It’s already 16° but it feels cooler. I think it’s going up to 19 or 20. Since it’s Sunday, not much will be open other than restaurants of course, so I think I’ll take a run up to Almograve. It’s another coastal town that I found is quite close to here and have a look at the little village.
Yes, my black cat did come by again this morning. Alerting me that he was here,he had a little bit of food. Again, the dish was empty this morning and I filled it up. I don’t think he is eating it in the night. I think it’s another cat because the black cat seems to eat a little bit in the morning and then he came in and had a little milk- he knows when I pour my tea that I’ve got to have milk. He’s already got me figured out! Then he was off for his day of adventures as am I.
I’m just heading off to Almograve, but it’s raining as I get into the car. That kind of shocked me. We haven’t had much rain here, although everything is green, I suppose because of the proximity of the ocean.
I tried to start the car but, the engine would start and it wouldn’t keep running. I put it in neutral did everything right, and It just kept kept quitting. It didn’t appear to be the battery.
I called the rental company in Lisbon, and told him what happened and he called the service man they use. About an hour and a half later, a big truck trailer came down the long driveway. The driver tried to start the car. Of course it didn’t maintain the start. Then he came out, sniffed the opening where the gasoline goes in. He didn’t speak any English so I didn’t know what he was going do! Then I realized he was going to put the car on the trailer and take it, so I called LuÃs and LuÃs talked to him. It was suggested that I go down to Albufeira in the Algarve and I could get the ride with this driver. Then I would get another car. It seemed like quite an adventure to be driven down to the Algarve.
The driver didn’t speak English and I don’t speak any Portuguese, other than, I know words like, good morning , thank you, Cerveza and Vino. The important things.
It took about an hour and a half or more to get there, but it was a really interesting ride, and even though we didn’t understand each other, the driver would point out things out that I needed to pay attention to. It was kind of fun. When we got to the visa car rental the man working there,named Marco, said that I put diesel in the engine. I argued with him- no I didn’t!! I even have the receipt. I wanted the cheaper gasoline and he said how do you say it at the gas station. I said well, we call it regular gasoline at home , so I asked him for regular simple gasoline. Marco said that’s called diesel here! What!!!!How did I know? In fact, I even asked somebody at the gas station which one I should put in because I wanted the cheaper one. That’s what he pointed me to. It was only half a tank. I shouldn’t use the word only because it doesn’t matter how much you put in, it ruins the tank. So it’s my fault, but really when you look at the list there is two kinds of simple gasoline. In Portugal it’s confusing: Unleaded petrol is called gasolina sem chumbo and has an octane rating of 95 or 98. Diesel is called gasóleo. I should have taken the gasolina and not the gasoleo! So confusing. One is cheap gasoline and the other is diesel. All semantics, but a costly lesson.
Anyway, I have a new car- it’s like an upgrade. It’s a Volkswagen and it’s comfortable and sturdy and drives much better. It’s a little classy VW polo. I have had 3 VW’s before and I loved them. I like this one. Yes, the lesson cost me money but apparently my credit card or the rental company will cover that mistake I hope. That’s according to Marco.
I am home now and glad of it. I am so happy I chose to be in this area and not down south as I had originally chosen. The Algarve is like a Portuguese version of Florida, much too crowded with retirees from upper Europe and North America. It maybe a nice place to tour in a day or two, but the rest of the the country calls.
I wonder what other adventures are in store for me. I haven’t even been here more than 19 days!!!
