Finding a Brother

Tonight we drove the almost two hours to Vendas Novas, where our Padre has moved to, and met up with all the Amigos for a typical Alentejano meal. So, so good to see them all again. Ricardo and Tom looked so alike, and managed great rapport in spite of the language barrier. Ricardo said, "I don't have a brother, now I've got an English one!" The three of them are drinking the Portuguese liqueur, Beirão, made from a double distillation of, among other things, eucalyptus, cinnamon, rosemary and lavender - and aromatic seeds. 

The earlier part of the day passed in a blur of utter tiredness, clearing out rat poo and getting a meal ready for our colleagues, nine of us. Was good, though. And then we had a nap, and it got even better.

Gratefuls:
- Julia and Tom's help, they drove to Reguengos to buy the food. I'm not used to someone being able to drive, and impressed Tom offered to drive a car he wasn't used to, with the steering wheel on the left, to somewhere he'd never been
- that they got a swim in the Lake while we had our meeting after lunch
- all these special people that we've been gifted with, colleagues and Amigos