Pomarão
Thursdays Child
Robin & Joanna Minchin
Thu 19 Mar 2015 22:18
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Pomarão 37:33.315N 007:31.459W We've had an interesting day alongside in Pomarão today. Late morning we headed across the river to visit Mesquita, a tiny village 45 minutes walk along an old dirt track. It used to be home to 1,000 people when the mines were working, but now there are 24 full time residents, another ghost town. We had been recommended to visit the one and only bar so headed there hoping for a sandwich at lunchtime. Much to our amusement we realised that there was only soft drinks, alcohol and coffee available, as well as ices ~ so muddling through with appalling Spantuguese we managed to buy a lunch of Cornetto's, kit kats and coffee, all part of life afloat in another country! The delightfully friendly barman wanted to ensure we met the only ex-pats in the village so he closed the bar door and led us to their house, only to find them walking towards the bar! So followed a very sociable and thoroughly lovely hour with folks who came here years ago on their boats and have been living here ever since. The bar is clearly the life and soul of the village where folk congregate and enjoy, it used to be the village school years ago and clearly is still the centre of life in Mesquita. Back to TC and poor Bol spent three hours dismantling the loo which had become blocked, an unpleasant job but better to be doing it here where TC was totally stationery rather than at sea. We've just returned from 'Casa de Maria' one of the two eateries in town where we had some delicious home cooking. Maria cooks and her husband lays the table and is in charge of the beers, all very laid back and wonderfully cheap especially with the Pound getting stronger against the Euro week by week. |