August in Portugal
A man and his cat admiring their new big window.
Hello! I wrote a blog post about stencilling and never got around to posting it. Why? I think because the builders finally showed up, and it got very busy around here. It has quietened down again, so I figure I’ll just get you guys up to date on the renovations and the garden, and we can return to the stencilling post another time.
We had a very busy summer, and autumn has been about paying off that work while we get things ready for the work we’ll be doing over winter! So there’s a lot to talk about.
The builders showed up! They had previously done the demolition downstairs and built a brick wall to separate the garage from the main house. In August, they came back, replaced all the windowsills, put up a steel beam and column and levelled the floors for us. I could have cried!! We’d been waiting for them to come around and do that work for months, so we could get on with putting up the structure for the internal walls. We’ll be tackling that job ourselves next month, hopefully. I am very excited! Our builder, Sr Manuel, his brother and his son did such a beautiful job downstairs. It’s still just bare bones, but it is really neat, clean work. I have zero architectural or engineering experience, but I had to stand back and admire their work. They also left everything as neat as possible at the end of each job. It was absolutely worth the wait.
We replaced our marble windowsills with blue granite from Ponte de Lima, and we really like it. I think the marble was a bit too classy for us. The granite feels just right, and because it was locally sourced, it was really well priced! Thank you, Sr Manuel, for the tip! We also left the granite a little coarser, so I think it’ll hide the fly poop a bit better. - Flies leave visible poops behind, here in Portugal. I’d never seen it before moving into this house, but it is a real nuisance. They also have a preference for pooping on lighter surfaces. The marble was just never going to work.
Our windows for the downstairs arrived early and were installed in September. They are so nice. We went with aluminium over PVC, but I think they are much of a muchness really. We decided on aluminium because it may be more resistant to Portugal’s summer temperatures, but I’m not going to lie, I did not do any extensive research into this. We also replaced our shutters. We weren’t going to, but they’re incredibly affordable! We were very surprised. Windows are insanely expensive, but the shutters only added a couple of hundred euros onto the insane final bill, so. 🤷 We’ll be spending another winter in the freezing tundra that is our upstairs, but next year will be a new year, and hopefully we’ll have all the windows replaced and the house sealed in time for winter 2026/2027! Thoughts and prayers, please.
Around the same time, our front door was installed! I have a thing about doors, and I just really, really wanted a wooden door. So we designed one with a lovely carpenter named Antonio. We now have a door that opens out from the middle; each side has a glass window with a metal grate sitting over the glass. The metal was worked by hand by José. The door has beautiful floor-to-ceiling locks on the inside, and I am just in awe. Sr Antonio and José did such a beautiful job. It was worth the wait and every penny. And now I know exactly who to go to for future projects.
Honestly, I think what I am enjoying most is working with local craftsmen. We’re supporting local businesses, and we’re forming a little community. It feels very authentic. Considering we’re complete foreigners (no family in Portugal whatsoever, no ties to speak of), we’re a little desperate to make connections and form roots here.
Lastly, the most expensive project so far, our borehole, has been drilled. We now have our own water. Bring on the lawn!!
The door, the windows, the floors, the beam and the borehole were all completed between August and September. And that was just unbelievable. For those who don’t know, Portugal basically shuts down in August. Or at least, traditionally it does! The Portuguese shut up shop and migrate to the coast, usually to the south of the country, for a beach getaway, and the towns just go to sleep. We did not expect to get anything done in August. Honestly, we didn’t expect to even hear from these tradesmen, but we did, and they all showed up! It was incredible. A few weeks of a lot of noise and bustle, but now the downstairs is ready for some internal walls. I am so excited!
Luke and I frequently take a moment to appreciate how blessed we are. Things may be moving more slowly than we’d hoped, but they are moving in the right direction. And we’re really enjoying the process. Surely that’s what’s most important.
The next step is to put up the structure for the walls and ceilings downstairs. We’ve already had the plumber come around to see if what we want to do is doable - it is. And we drew up an electrical plan with Hugo, our electrician, who quite literally saved Christmas for us last year! We look forward to working with him again in the coming months.
There’s more to mention, but that’s enough for one post.
Enjoy the rest of the season! Hopefully, I won’t take so long to get back here next time.
