back home in aveiro for a bit of a strange week, spent mostly back and forth caring for an iron-deficient senior (who required a couple of blood transfusions to get back on her feet). i empathize, because my usually low ferritin levels are currently being dragged even lower by a malfunctioning baby box. 🙄 ah… the joys of perimenopause!

still, the week had some fun stuff in it! on friday, i went to a “peking opera mask workshop” by the local confucius institute, where we learned about this art form and even painted our own masks. i also got to meet my teachers in person for the first time!

and on the weekend i spent an afternoon with little niece, looking at my brother’s new chickens and old tractor, and also taking the kid on her second ever halloween walk. halloween is not a big thing in portugal, with just a few kids trying their luck here and there — but there’s one small village nearby that goes the extra mile, and we went there to check it out. whoa, i was not expecting such a mega production… and so many people!

the kid came home with lots of lollies and gummies and loved the whole thing, though afterwards she was so exhausted from all the excitement that she just fell asleep without having dinner…

a week in aveiro, back at the desk!

the boy passed the 1500kms run milestone in 2026, which is huge! he really upped his running this year, and has a half-marathon coming up next week.

the painter came and did some touching up on the wall that was damaged by the water. it was looking a bit darker than the rest of the wall, and we thought it was because the paint was still wet… then, later that same day, he came back and said “i used the wrong paint! i will paint it again!” :D ahah! but now it’s perfect again, and the insurance covered it. pfew!

the chinese history course turned to buddhism this week, and i read piranesi, which had an unexpected plot. i also read begin again, from the library — an oliver jeffers’s book for grown-ups, for once! :)

the parents farm is filled with figs, soft persimmons and quince — all my favourites! got back some cholesterol results this week though, and the numbers are creeping up again… so i’ve decided to make sure i walk a bit everyday, at least 5000 steps (but ideally more). walking seems to be the one thing that tends to keep my numbers in check (they’re never as good as when we come back from holidays), so i’m experimenting by changing just that one factor and see how that goes.

we gave the little one her first push bike, a kind of early christmas present. she’s took to it like magic, gliding through the grandparent’s yard like she had been doing it all her life. we investigated ladybugs and played in the swings — everything is new and interesting to her! what a gift to be able to rediscover things through her eyes.

and then, we packed our suitcases and took a couple of flights to a place we love and miss… but more on that next week! :)