april was the homeliest of months, calm and quiet, and just what the WHO ordered. after coming south, we did nothing besides work, study, eat and putter around in the garden.
improbably, there are now pumpkins, tomatoes, physalis, sage, mint, lemongrass, chives and lettuce growing… as well as an ever-expanding collection of succulents, and passionfruit. :| the hands want to keep busy, i guess, and things grow, little by little. i’m ok with this.
march was… the longest year. i didn’t even remember we had been up north in the beginning of the month until we started compiling these seconds.
the first half of the month was fine. we played games, met with friends, went to a concert, walked the hills… and then the world changed suddenly, and we hunkered down to weather the storm. we spent our days struggling to cope with the constant changes in the postal world, fighting the slugs in the garden, and catching up with friends online. at the end of the month, we drove north again to help p.’s parents with groceries. we’ve been in my parent’s empty apartment ever since, and i can’t wait to go back home.
february went by in a blur.
the big thing this month was finishing the rota vicentina hike, from aljezur to porto covo. a few days of sun, sand and cliffs, and the freedom to just walk with a backpack on our shoulders… bliss! i’ve tried to keep up the pace, reviving my half-dead fitbit and squeezing in some steps everyday or biking to town instead of driving — so far, so good. towards the end of the month, we took the train north, to check on family and plant some trees with other postcrossers. :)
january was full of mundane, unhurried days — not a bad thing in our book.
we did lots of planning, worked, played, met up with friends and appreciated the peace and quiet of the beginning of the year… and also complained ad nauseam about the lack of heating in portuguese houses. *insert exasperated emoji*
seeing the whole year in a few minutes always makes me a bit teary-eyed.
2019 had lots of highlights: hiking in nice places, going back to asia, lots of good food and boardgame nights, family and friends staying over, discovering new local farms, picking up on chinese, tons of passionfruits, a new car, the 150 years of postcards and the exhibition at UPU… and no major health problems (apart from the annoying persistent tendinitis).
there’s a few things i’d like to do better in 2020, starting by this blog which has been somewhat neglected. so here’s to a new year filled with adventures… and many posts to tell those stories! :)