Wow! It has been a while since we have had time to sit down and put our thoughts and experiences down!
2025 was quite a busy year for us. We finished off our house build. We also visited the UK a couple of times! Two months in the UK felt much longer. It was wonderful to catch up with so many of our friends and family. We still didn’t get to see everyone. We will no doubt make plans in the future for another trip. However, that’s too far ahead to think about just now.
Looking back, the last half of 2025 seemed to fly by. The two months in the UK were important for us. It was the last time we saw Annette’s auntie. She was the family’s matriarch and the sweetest soul ever. She passed away peacefully while we were over visiting, and only a few days after we went to see her. We are so happy we made the trip. We will both cherish those last moments with her. She still had that sharp wit. We fondly remember her for it. Her son looked after her in her final years. She was well cared for. We will keep memories of our family reunions with her forever!
This time we decided to drive to the UK. It is more expensive, because we get the ferry with a cabin. Yet, it is more convenient and cheaper once we are there. We left from Santander in Spain and entered the UK via Portsmouth.
Our trip started, not by visiting family, but by Housesitting! We did say how much we enjoyed it! Now, whenever we travel, we always look for opportunities to get in a few house sits. It adds a new fun dimension to our travels. We also get our fix of looking after and caring for pets!
Our first stop was in a quiet, remote village near Andover. We were looking after two lurchers, Dash and Tinker. It was a lovely sit, to get us used to the UK once again. Lots of forest walks and pub visits were the order of the day.
We then headed off to stay with our number two son and his wife for a few days. After that, we started another sit caring for two dogs. This sit was just outside Worcester, where our number two and three boys live. We got to spend even more time catching up!
From there, we traveled to Harwich, to attend a reception party for our great friends Mark and Andrea. They were married a few months earlier in Malta. Unfortunately, we were unable to attend the wedding. So, they also had a bash in Andrea’s hometown for those who couldn’t attend. Luckily, it coincided with our trip, so win-win! We stayed with them for a couple of days. We had a blast. Our visit culminated in a proper English fry-up at the local cafe. A feat which was surprising hard to finish! We are not used to dishes of gargantuan dimensions!
From there, we went to stay at Annette’s sister’s for a brief first stop. Then, we headed up to Scotland. We stayed with number one son, his partner, and our feisty grandson Jamie. We did manage to get some decent weather up there for a change. We had some great days out and about with him. We also got to do the school run a few times too. Annette and I even got a day off and visited a nearby park and castle which was amazing.
That was our furthest northern point for this visit. From there, we headed south to Yorkshire. We went to visit Wayne’s sister, niece, and grand nephew. Wayne’s niece and her husband have recently renovated a flat in Filey as a rental. It was unoccupied for a weekend, so they offered us to use it during our stay. We gratefully accepted and had a fabulous time in Filey. Wayne spent some time there when he was younger. It hasn’t changed much over the years. We enjoyed dipping our toes in the chilly North Sea once again.
Before long, it was time to start heading south again. We stopped first at Annette’s sisters for a second time. Then we went across the country to visit the Worcester gang for a final time. After that, we headed to Plymouth to catch a ferry back to Spain.
It was good to get back home again. We had a couple of months just chilling. Meeting up with our friends and neighbors here in central Portugal and getting some nice hikes in too. This area of Portugal is quite stunning. It never ceases to amaze us how the countryside can change in such a small area. Every time we go out we discover new amazing places on our doorstep!
This is also the first year we took part in the olive harvest. Our small plot of land does have quite a few olive trees. However, they are not yet maintained to produce a good harvest. Not yet anyway. Luckily, our friends Peter & Irene live in our local town. They also own a few plots that have been prepared. They kindly offered us help in the harvest. It is hard work, but it is very rewarding. The process is fulfilling, from picking the olives to seeing the extraction of the oil. Finally, we are rewarded with the most delicious olive oil. Just fantastic.
Then in November, we noticed a house sit come up on our app, in Évora. We had always wanted to visit the city. So, we tried our luck to see if we would be accepted by them. We then had a video chat with the owners. They were happy to have us. We were thrilled. To make the visit even more special, we booked a spa at a Roman bath experience venue. We had a great time. We explored every part of the city and saw ancient Roman structures. We experienced what it would be like in a Roman bath. We loved the trip to Évora. Staying in the apartment within the walls of the city was fantastic. Taking care of the two dogs Kardi and Kat was just a bonus!
Then, before we knew it, Christmas was upon us! It was a crazy time with so much food, drink and laughter! We attended our friends get-together, then we hosted a night too. But somehow it felt different than when we were in the UK working. It felt magical, on a different level. Yes, we had Christmas parties in the UK. Still, many of those were work related and centered around job relationships etc. It never really felt as free. It wasn’t as special as spending it with folk who are enjoying a life of retirement. We enjoy the freedom that comes with that. We all moved to a new and exciting country. We are sharing our lives with new friends. It definitely feels great.
And so now we are in a new year. Let’s see what 2026 has to offer. We are not looking too far ahead, but living in the moment and enjoying each day as it comes. The house is almost finished. There are still a few teething problems we need to get sorted out. We are still waiting for the sewage pipes to be closed off eighteen months later! And there is some minor water infiltration issues that need to be dealt with. Most of the outstanding tasks are minor issues which arise from settling. This is after all a brand new house and these things are to be expected. This being Portugal though, things take time.
The project of the house build started in 2020. It is now 2026 and we still haven’t got the house fully registered and we don’t have our habitation licence! I know, it sounds crazy. But the project included a walkway around the house. This is done by the council, and as yet hasn’t been completed. Also at the start of the project We had agreed to rebuild the walls in situ myself. But it turned out the council wanted to move the walls in by a few meters. Now, if this meant just moving the stones, then it would have been fairly easy, with some help. However, the walls encompass huge boulders of bedrock and massive stone. Moving them would need machinery. It is unrealistic for us to do, and we simply don’t have the budget anyhow.
And so the saga continues…
Let’s hope 2026 sees us being in our new house with all the relevant paperwork and work fully completed. (Fingers crossed).
Our Portuguese Life 