Tuesday, November 27/2018

The gulls aren’t the only source of noise. Actually, this is a quiet building in a quiet, mostly residential neighbourhood. But unfortunately there are renovations going on in the building. Not every day since we arrived, but ongoing. Today the work is in the vacant flat next to ours. Hammering, but also something I take to be a drill but J thinks is a tile cutter. Incredibly invasive sound, and hard to believe it’s more than six inches away. 

Happily, it’s a nice, sunny day, so we go down the street past the cemetery to sit in the sun and look at the sea. Handy bench overlooking a working marina. Boats aren’t large - many no more than sixteen feet - but must be fishing boats as there aren’t more than one or maybe two seats in most. Just room to dump the catch. 

 The gate to the old cemetery is open as we pass, so I go in. Always seems slightly strange, the European custom of having cemeteries with no grass. Maybe it’s only in crowded urban locations - Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris comes to mind. There are trees here, though, and it’s peaceful. Quite a few small mausoleums and many more graves with marble covers or enclosure. Many 19th century and some 20th, with the mausoleums usually engraved with the name of the family head and saying something to the (Portuguese) effect of “and his family”. 

After lunch when the drilling resumes our walk ends at the Arte Bar, where we enjoy the sun and the sea view with a slow pint until the work is finished.