Soothing Interlude

The beauty of the Alqueva Lake never fails to soothe me. Love how here the rosy light from the disappeared sun concentrates in the middle bit of water, just this side of the causeway; and the lights coming on in Monsaraz, our twin castle across the waters.

Where we'll be going again in a bit for the stars; it never happened last night. The Padre invited us for pizza, and decided not to rush but enjoy being together, with him and Cecílio and Ermelinda.

Lunch today was a magnificent caldeirada (fish stew) in Évora with Ricardo and his parents, and adopted grandad, who I spent most of the meal chatting to. Interesting man, who has lived everywhere and done all sorts, from being a mercenary with the French, to buying lingerie in Brazil to sell in Africa, to acting as a chauffeur to diplomats during the Salazar era, and is also a lover of the seventh art. We didn't run out of topics to talk about.