Orange Office

Supposedly meeting the owner of the Land today to go to notary office, but ended up standing under an orange tree with him and a lawyer, petals drifting down on us and the most heavenly smell of orange blossom enveloping us, for AGES, talking... We'd met the lawyer before (been to look at his land in the dark ages ago) and he said he was so glad it was us buying land here, so that was encouraging. Anyway, another appointment made for next Thursday...

With time to spare, went on a walk we'd not been on before, and got this view of Mourão - the land is hidden in the trees below the castle, to the left somewhere.

Tonight just got back from having our feet washed by the priest in the Maundy Thursday service. He introduced us to the whole town (well, the many in church) as a very special couple - not Catholics, but "Jesus came for everyone and that included us"... I thought the washing was very special - the acolytes (youngsters dressed in white) put a beautiful basin under our feet, Pe Luís knelt down and poured (hot!) water from an elegant silver jug over our right foot, another acolyte handed him a white towel and he dried it, smiling and talking to us.

Afterwards, we were invited into the incense-filled vestry to be given a packet of sugared almonds, along with the other five couples who'd had their feet washed. The woman next to me chatted to me in English - she worked for Apple all over Europe.

So lovely to begin to feel more at home here...