Day 68 of Lockdown in Portugal

Ah, Ferragudo. The most perfect place to be stuck during a pandemic! No cases of the virus, no deaths, warm temperatures, blue skies, blue seas, kind and generous locals who follow all the social distancing rules without complaint, fabulous landlords and a beautiful home with everything we need to live a good life. What more could we want?

Maybe something to do other than one 40-minute walk a day, reading 2-3 books each week, binge-watching Amazon and Netflix (The Good Fight, Vera (we love British dramas), Tiger Joe Exotic, Picard, The Last Dance, etc. etc.) Oh, and eating!

Food, Glorious Food! Cooking and eating has become our biggest event each day. Three planned meals a day. We might start with avocado toast with bacon and an egg in the morning, homemade tomato-basil soup and sandwiches and chips for lunch, and dinner is whatever tickles our taste buds based on a recipe we can remember or find on the internet.

Here is a collage of just a few of our dinners using the amazing array of fresh vegetables, fruits, just-caught fish and good meat that was sourced at our little local markets. And, don’t even ask how much weight I’ve put on!

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This week we celebrated my birthday. Last year Joyce and I celebrated that auspicious day in Paris!

This year Joyce planned a Mexican-themed dinner for Tuesday night of guacamole, chicken enchilada casserole, black bean and corn salad, and chocolate brownies with ice cream and caramel sauce for dessert. Cathy and Joyce (yes, another Joyce), lovely American ladies who are also stranded here, were invited to join us – social distancing around our big outdoor dining table.

There was just one little problem. While my Joyce was preparing the chicken on Tuesday morning, I was tasked to take out of the garbage and recycling. Ferragudo has cans and bins on the street corners around town. I put everything in the correct bins, and, as I was stepping off the curb, I managed to catch my toe on a raised stone and landed splat in the middle of the street. Besides scrapping, cutting and bruising my hands and knees, I was fine.

At least 7 locals stopped driving their motorbikes and/or came running from their stores to help me up. Sylvia, who owns the restaurant on our corner, brought out a chair for me to sit on and a glass of water – and I promptly passed out! So, against my wishes, an ambulance was called, and I was whisked to the hospital only to be told what I already knew, my BP had spiked, I had cuts and scrapes but I was fine! But, because of all this – my birthday party was cancelled!

By yesterday I was much better. Still sore and stiff – and a year older – but ready to enjoy a couple of bottles of Prosecco with friends. The menu remained the same with the addition of fresh melon wrapped in prosciutto. Cathy, Joyce, Joyce and I had a fabulous evening. We discussed life in lockdown in a country that has followed all the rules and is slowly reopening. We wondered what life will be like in Columbia where Cathy and Joyce live as ex-pats and isn’t scheduled to allow even residents to return until September 1st. And, Joyce and I talked about our planned return to our homes in Atlanta and San Miguel de Allende on June 20th.

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Yep – we’re heading home and I’ll talk more about that in my next post. Until then…..

Stay safe and well!