In the morning I took the dogs out for a quick round, then fed them breakfast. While they were eating, I got ready, ran to the bakery for sandwiches and fresh orange juice. I packed up, we walked to the car together, I pulled up to the gate of our accommodation and loaded all our stuff. We set off at half past 10, we weren’t in a hurry, we had time. At that time I didn’t know that in Portugal it’s one hour earlier, and I told D’Arcy that I thought we’d arrive at their place around 4 p.m. We did arrive safely; I get out of the car and proudly show on my phone that it’s 16:04. Then D’Arcy shows his watch. I look and look, but I was only focusing on the minute hand. Then he told me to look at the hour hand too: 15:04. Oooops!  The guests arrived an hour earlier! That would have been awkward at dinner, but in our case it was perfectly fine. He threw the front door wide open and happily ushered us in. As if three years hadn’t passed since we last saw each other. It was good to share our experiences again, the stories of the past years, even though serious tragedies had happened too. Happiness and grief are both easier to live through and process if there’s someone to share them with.

D’Arcy’s wife Ingrid and her friend Brenda came home a bit later. I knew Ingrid from the time when they visited us in Hungary three years ago; I met Brenda for the first time — they’re really cool. They’re sixty-eight, full of life and curiosity. And everyone loves dogs. Bonus!

They really love Portugal and the people here. For D’Arcy and Ingrid it is their fourth time in the country. One evening, when they came home from dinner and got out of the car, Brenda didn’t notice that she had dropped her wallet. They had already been home for about an hour when the doorbell rang. A Portuguese man was standing there with Brenda’s wallet. "I found this next to the car. I thought it must be yours." Well, isn't that wonderful?! I like this country already!

We talked a lot, tasted a few wines, then I said goodbye at 9 p.m. because the poor sleep from the previous night and the fatigue from driving caught up with me.