I woke up this morning and it was supposed to be cooler today, not more than 16 but I’m sure it will be lovely out with the sun out.By 11:20 am there’s a huge storm cloud crossing over but I don’t know whether it’s going to rain.

Of course first thing this morning, I check the cat food, had to fill it up again. By about 9 o’clock BC came trotting down the driveway to say hello and have his food; he didn’t eat much today and then went out to the field, roamed around a bit and then disappeared. I was sitting working at the computer and I noticed another crunching sound, so I thought, maybe the birds are eating it because I do have two black crow like birds that like to fight over the food and leave their mess around the dish. But when I came around the corner, there was a white cat with gray spots who scooted away, frightened up the stairs to the side, so that’s cat number four that I’ve spied . I think I am feeding the neighbourhood.

After a shower and getting dressed, I decided I was going to run into the bakery in town. I know Trip Advisor said it’s one of the best bakeries around. Luís said make sure you go in the morning. I headed down there for 10:30. There are only two loaves of bread left; the owner made me understand that I need to be there at eight in the morning. I bought the smaller of the two loaves. It was the size of a small football, outside was hard as a rock and I wondered what it was going to be like.

Back home Luís was working on the attached house, cleaning it up. I think he’s rented it for a couple of nights. I decided I was diving into the bread just to taste it. It took a really sharp blade to cut through it. I took off a small piece. It was brown bread inside , like a whole wheat, I buttered it and bit in. It was unbelievable- the taste of the bread was so- I don’t know how to describe it. It was so natural. I know I’m not supposed to eat too many carbs with bread things like that but my blood sugars have been good here so I’m going to taste the stuff I want to taste.
At the restaurant yesterday I noticed on the menu, barnacles again; they’re on every seafaring menu here. I asked the waiter about them. I asked what do they taste like- he said they taste like the sea! OK. They are very expensive about €200 for 2 pounds so the waiter suggested, I get 100 g the next time I’m in and try them. Barnacles live on the rocks and boats and whales in tidal areas. I didn’t realize that they were actual shellfish of sorts, much like shrimp and crab and lobster. But they cling to rocks using some thing that they secrete and it’s like concrete glue. Even scientists are trying to reproduce this glue, it is so strong. When the tide comes in, they open their shells and take in what organisms they can, and when the tide goes out, they close up their shells to protect themselves. In order to get them, and the reason they are so expensive is you have to scrape them off whatever they are attached to. Apparently that’s really heavy work.
I decided to take a drive inland. One of the other ways of getting from Lisbon to to Zambujeira Do Mar is by train -the train arrives at Santa Clara Saboia, so I wanted to see what that place looked like. It would be a lovely train ride but a long journey to my village on the coast.

I’m here at the train station now and there’s about 8 vehicles around. I don’t know how you actually get on the train from here. Everything is closed up. It’s 1:30 in the afternoon; it’s not a lively station. I thought there were three or four trains a day but there’s nothing going on. It’s like I’m in in the middle of a deserted town.

I turned back a couple of kilometres and drove into the town of Saboìa. That’s the town that’s associated with the train station but you’d have to hike a couple of kilometers to get the train or find a taxi. I came in to town, through the winding narrow streets, parked the car, but it almost felt like -you know when you ride into the western towns(with Clint Eastwood) on your horse and its noticed that there is a stranger in town. That’s what I feel like. I am at the center; I found the church and I’m going to go and photograph it.

Back in Zambujeira after an interesting journey through the hills and valleys in the interior along winding roads, back to the coast, I couldn’t help but stop in to Estrela Do Mar, Mr Bean’s restaurant. Luís told me he is a neighbour of mine on this little roadway. He’s not the owner of the black cat. He is a farmer with about 40 head of cattle, and he grows his own crops and feed for the cattle and takes care of the daily farm chores and manages a fabulous restaurant with his wife in town. Work work work. Wow! I had another meal of his wife’s special octopus with white beans in tomato sauce and brought half of it home. There’s no way I could eat all of that in one sitting. I had a glass of good wine to and Mr Bean said it’s not expensive wine but it’s from the region. I could only find it in a big carton. I don’t know how many litres – it is probably 4 L – I didn’t buy it but maybe I will when my company comes.

Another interesting day has passed. It’s a tough life!!!