Weather - frost, mist, thunder

We always knew that buying a place in Portugal would demand some thought as to the aspect of the property (consideration of the compass direction). It's common sense that if you buy a place on a north facing hillside then it can mean you are left in the shade (cold) for most of a winter's day.

We have experienced 3 nights of frost so far, though talking to a friend yesterday, she says they have had a run of frost 10 nights in a row almost. But they are higher up in the mountains. We are at the bottom of the valley so when we wake up to a mist we have probably been saved from the worst.

The forecast for last night was a Low of -4 degrees celsius, and that is probably the coldest we have experienced here. In reality however, today is overcast and milder than expected. It is difficult to get an accurate forecast, and though we do keep an eye on a weather internet site the forecast does alter from day to day.

Mist; frost; neither lasts too long once the sun is on it. We are fortunate that the house we are staying in is positioned so that we get early morning sunshine, and then it is upon us all day until it disappears behind the hills near to sundown. If were were in the shade, the frost or mist would probably linger a lot longer, maybe all day.

The sunshine is still very strong compared to what we are used to in the UK for this time of year. It feels more like a warm spring day. Our washing dries on the line, and it's still warm enough to sit on the patio and soak up a few rays.

At the moment, the forecast for tomorrow is widely scattered thunderstorms. That means possible loss of electricity, internet will be out, and everything electrical unplugged for the duration. Even with surge protection we have heard that people have had electrical equipment destroyed.

Autumn has arrived

There's a definite autumnal feel and we have just lit the Rayburn (1500 hours). We are fortunate that there is already a woodpile awaiting our use. We have measured the existing woodpile with the landlady, and agreed that there are 7.5 cubic square meters of wood stacked. At the end of our rental we'll gauge how much we have used. The going rate at the moment per cubic square metre is 35 euros. All of this is forming part of our research on the cost of living over here.

The radiators are all toasty and there's an extra cover on the bed just in case we get chilly tonight. As the clocks went back on 31 October, the nights are drawing in and by 1800 hours it's properly dark outside.

The temperature fluctuates throughout the day with the changing weather. One minute it's raining and feels like it's about 11 degrees Celsius, and the next the sun is shining and it feels rather nearer to 16 degrees Celsius. However, the dark wet spells are getting more prolonged, and the forecast for the next few days doesn't seem to change much. So maybe this is it. Autumn has arrived.

While we were out shopping a little while ago (Lidl) the Serra da Estrela was cloaked with dark clouds. Wouldn't fancy being up there right now. Our bill at the supermarket came to 33.33 euros. That made us smile as these little things serve as reminders of home, Treble Three (333) being the name of the support group for the Ogwen Valley Rescue Team that we are members of. With the memory you can't but help think of your friends back there in Wales, also with fantastic views of the mountains from their homes, and all the great adventures we have had over the past few years as part of the support team, walking, scrambling, raft racing, potholing, bonfire and Christmas parties at Base, the list goes on. If they were here now we would probably be trying to drink Portugal dry of red wine!

There's something really special about lighting a fire and feeling the warmth permeate. And it's funny how Jon, being a retired firefighter, makes a great firestarter.