Our Alarm Clock

Every morning we wake up to the sound of sheep bells. They start as a distant sound and get nearer and nearer until they are all around the caravan, bells ringing, snuffling at the door, and giving the carvan a casual knock as they herd past.  If it really is too early to get up and you fall back asleep they return an hour or so later to repeat the message that it's time to rise and shine.
Adding to the noise, Lula (3 month old puppy) barks at them but is totally ignored unless he gets too close, in which case the sheep move towards him and he retreats.
In this picture there is a dark sheep under a tree. In the extra the sheep is climbing into the tree to grab some olive leaves. Unusual behaviour for a sheep (as far as I know) though perfectly normal for a goat.
Sometimes the bovine alarm clock is needed because socialising can be a late night activity here in Portugal (compared to Sweden). Last night we were out at the Sem-Fin restaurant, eating with a group of people who have all moved to Portugal. It was an interesting experience and we even got to speak some Swedish!  The evening ended relatively early, perhaps because it was Sunday, so we were home by 11:00.
Today we are moving back to the coast and Faro, to spend a day there before flying back to mid-Sweden, where hopefully the snow will now be confined to melting heaps as spring begins to bite.
Once again many, many thanks to amandoAlentejo and M for their hospitality. We've had a lovely time, with lovely people and hope to return!