We are wrapping things up here in Amora. With the  transmission work just about complete, (I totally impressed the yard guys with my spinning our boat around in its own length after our test run!!   What a grand feeling! ) all we’re waiting for now is the inverter.  And while we’re here in a full service yard, we going through the boat and making sure we don’t need anything else done.   We will  be doing several things, small maintained jobs over the weekend, and then it’ll be time to leave Amora.

 

I will miss Amora! We’ve been here long enough to know the cashiers in the grocery store, (one helps me with Portuguese) we  know all the stray dogs, (and they know us) I see the same runners in the morning, they nod and say ‘Bom Dia” to me now, we know the post office workers, have people drive by, beep and wave, and I have a running friend!  We also  know where all the shops are and who has what. And who has the best prices . “Tomatoes are on sale at Leclerc’s! “  and “the china shop next to the post office has a new crop of canvases!”

 

There are these China Stores here.  We saw them first in Horta. They are run by Chinese, open every day (even Sunday) open longer hours than other stores, and they sell every thing you could ever possibly need. Very similar to American Dollar Stores. But more cramped, more variety and they have lots of  clothes, and so much “stuff” it’s overwhelming.  They are every where! Almost one on every block!  And this is a  good thing, because they sell little pre-stretched primed painting canvases.  But you wouldn’t want to buy something like “tools” in one of these stores. We stick to canvases, envelopes, emergency socks, and notepads. We’ve gotten know the folks that run these stores here too.

 

We have made new friends with the other boat people here. One, Tony, an American, left today, he’s  sailing to Madeira. We will miss him.  Another,  Theo, the Dutch Fado singer, left for Holland (by plane) today. we will him too. A couple from Sweden, Ola and his Norwegian wife Torren are here on their boat.  Last night, we had a barbeque in the boatyard complete with Torren playing her guitar and me playing a very impressive electric Keyboard that Theo let me borrow all week. Wow!  What a machine!  No cheap little toy. This keyboard is almost as long as a piano and has an amazing range of sounds. And it is really loud!    After several days, I felt like Keith Emerson!!! Or Rick Wakeman!!!!    I will really, really  miss this instrument !!!

We’ve totally gotten to know the whole gang that runs the yard.  And the guys that work in yard had been watching me complete the little paintings for the Art Between the Creeks show, when I was using the spare office to work, which is where they go for 3:00 break time. (there is a coffee machine in the room. Little tiny cups of intensely strong  coffee is what they all drink at break time )  They also saw me work on a design for a mural I might be doing in Italy. It is so cool to try to talk to them about art, and working as an artist. I will  miss them very much.

 

My new running friend, Rosalea,  is actually on her bike. She is riding slowly nursing a back injury, so I am able to run along side. She is a Philosophy professor, and has perfect English. She is from Sesimbra, where we might stop on the way to the Algarve. And she now lives here in Amora.  We  actually just met last week and we’ve already had quite lengthy involved conversations about everything from politics to history, health, culture, you name it.   I‘ve learned a lot about life in Portugal through our conversations. And again, she has been a help with my struggling effort to lean this language!!!  

I will totally miss her.

 

We’ve reached the time of year when we have to really pay attention to the weather. Our new favorite web site is passageweather.com.  And there is a very impressive weather event marching down from Ireland this weekend. So after Amora, we may have to hide out somewhere, perhaps back in Oeiras, and wait out this big thing.  40 –60 knot winds out of the SOUTH. totally the wrong direction. Tony was excited to get out and start heading south before it reaches here.  All the boat people talk about these weather related things We have become  a bunch of “weather heads”

 

So next it’s day hopping down the coast to awaiting ports and new friends!!!!  I look forward to who we’ll meet, but I will indeed miss our new group of people here is Amora!