Mondego valley permaculture

still in the UK ...

2011-11-15T12:46:00.000Z

Here we are now in Novemebr and I have been reading about different folk I know in Portugal who are harvesting their olives.It seems to have been a patchy year for them.Some have had a bumper crop with branches snapping due to the weight of the olives.Others have expeirenced a wash out.Few olives or infected with olive fly.In the same village people can have such different harvests.It could be the local micro climate or it could be the care given to the trees at pruning time for example.I just wish I was there.We really wanted to plant at least 20 Olive trees this year ,ideally ag 3 and older but sadly it was not meant to be as we are stuck in the UK.But things are changing ......
Youngest daughter age 13 has now made the decision to be home schooled.An excellent choice for her in my opinion.Lots more freedom to develop her own interests rather than continuing to follow the crowd.
Husband has handed in his notice as he just hates his job now ,with a passion.As he works in the 'caring' profession this is not a good way to feel.In fairness he enjoys communicating with those he looks after but hates the bull that goes along with this money making rather than caring industry.
Older daughter is unhappy and bored at school.A massive change for a studnet who loved school until last term.Its all changed for her now as she has hit teen years big style.Why?Why?WHY? are the questions she is asking constantly at school.Justify..!!this in turn is making the staff see her as a problem to be dealt with rathar than someone to respect .In turn she is switching off.We are not so sure about home schooling for her as she is in a GCSE year and if we take her out of school I am not sure how she will do..motivated ?
And me?Well I am now fully established working for myself ,setting my own timetable to meet the needs of myself and the family.Portugal is becoming closer ,more of a reality.And we are now fully in the situation that it would be cheaper for us to live in Portugal.
Both girls resisit the idea of full time living in Portugal but are more open now to being there for long stretches of time in order to get the building habitable.This is progress on a grand scale!
Alas owing to the time of year we still can't go!Can't afford to rent over there and the property is in no way habitable for winter.Current plan is that husband heads off in Jan to get started on the building ,weather permiting.We will follow around March/April time and stay for 4-6 months and then see what happen next.We aim to have the building dry and habitable for next sept/oct time.
It will be a small kitchen/lounge area (with mezzinaine sleeping area)and a bedroom bedroom .Outside shower room and compost toliet.We intend to use a lot of clay for interior walls and floors.
I am getting excited and think the delays in acheiving our dreams have meant we have had more time to think about the building and what we need from it and so have managed to simplify the whole plan!

plans ,plans ,plans...

2011-08-20T17:13:00.000+01:00

Thinking of how to create a sort of habitable space that would be ok for winter is what has been our biggest conversation lately.It makes sense to use the older (granite) building as the main shared space.A kitchen sitting room .Currently its not in too bad a shape.Walls need to be filled as there are a certain amount of holes but a mud or clay based filling would most likely do for this year.Roof is questionable.Tiles are reasonably old but sort of look ok unlike some of the supporting timbers.It would need stripping off and putting back on.With some sort of water proof breathable membrane and insulation as a minimum.The floor is a sort o dirt floor and the building is on two levels inside.We would lower a middle section of the floor to allow for Pauls 6'ft2 height as this is where the roof comes down low giving only 5'ft2 height currently.Loathe as I am to use it ,concrete seems the quickest and cheapest (priority number 1) option for the floor.It would be nice to use slate from Benfeita area inlaid into the concrete also .We would need 2 new doors or 1 new door and a large window.And a decent stove.With these minimum requirements inside we could have a cosy sitting room cum kitchen with a night night sleep space for 2 people.Outside we would have to dig drainage around the building to keep out any flow of water from the rain.
We could use the top building as a workspace for me or Paul if we insulate ,put in a stove ,add a couple of windows and a door and some rugs.Or it could be used as a space for washing and storing stuff.
We can maybe borrow a 4m yurt from a friend and build a platform next to the house and erect it so that we would have another sleeping space.

We also have the job of updating and improving the loo.This means building something else located somewhere else on the quinta.Plus a shower space.
All of this would need to be completed by end of October really in order to get settled down for winter.With the aid of only 1 80w solar panel that on a good day in winter may throw out 5 hours power.
So then we start thinking again about a new caravan.Well ,new to us.But at least a 5 berth with decent electrics so again its a sleeping space with power for 2 people...??
So its what to do for the best?

Try to rent a cheap small place(not as easy as it sounds) with power just for winter and take things a bit slower with the building rather than really putting pressure on.Or buy a caravan?Or go for it?Money is very tight and all options will cost something...will keep you posted.

toilets

2011-05-24T13:08:00.000+01:00

I am back in Portugal on the 19th June and I will be Quinta sitting for a friend for about 3 weeks before moving onto our land for the foreseeable future....long term plans are not yet organised ......
A decent loo and shower will be required.
We have the most basic of composting toilets in place and also the ability to have hot showers using a shower camping bag...basically a strong black bag,filled with water and hose attached.warmed by the sun...
The loo is the more important facility to improve first as the shower bag just gets on with the job once filled ,heated and hung from a strong tree branch.
Currently our toilet is a hole in the ground.I want the loo to be a place of beauty!And googling can give me so many ideas as can the loos created by friends here in Portugal...

How do they work?
Do they smell?
http://www.compostingtoilet.org/faq/index.php

hmmmmmmmmmm

2011-04-13T18:52:00.000+01:00

So we had solid buyers set up and had wetted our appetite with a couple of new farms more in the mountain only to get a text from buyers daughter about cold feet.....so what to do?Its going back on the market and we just have to try again.Its interesting in that a small part of me was happy that buyer is stalling as I just love this place and still have new ideas of how it could be developed.I know that this is where I would like to be but....

We have a buyer..

2011-02-28T22:32:00.000Z

So we have been on the market for 1 month (almost) and now have a buyer who offered a fair price.Not quite sure what the buying and selling at the same time process is in Portugal though so not sure what happens next....

FOR SALE!!!!!

2011-01-22T14:14:00.001Z

Well we are selling up!We have decided that the quinta is no longer for us as we bought it thinking the whole family would be living there and we had lots of exciting plans for development.Now however the children are settled in school in the UK with exams looming and it looks like we will be here for the next 5 years.So we have decided that we need something smaller that will be more manageable from the distance of Yorkshire.We have found the next new place so now we need a buyer......anyone interested in this lovely place??Contact me on sheridanmichele@hotmail.com

The building and plans...

2010-09-25T15:12:00.000+01:00

The building needs a lot of work.
The top building is stone block and nice and cool in summer ,very cool in winter.This is to become our storage spot for and food preserved.To the left we will extend the roof out to build a workshop .To the right is a water tank which we will remove and use the space as a wood store for winter fires.The granite building will be restored and become a kitchen/sitting room and to the right of it we will extend to include a bedroom and bathroom.The roof needs removing and repairing ,the floor needs fixing ,windows are needed and doors,insulation,stoves,solar panels,waterwheel potentially for some winter power.....the list goes on and on.This is definitely a long term project but its got my heart so it will be a labour of love.

girls with their friend who is from Scotland and living about 40 minutes away in the mountains at http://www.permaculturinginportugal.net/ where she and her family are developing their place at a rapid rate!

September in the valley

2010-09-25T14:54:00.000+01:00

We have just returned from a couple of weeks camping on the Quinta.It was hot so we did only half of the work we had planned to do which is a shame but at the same time the enforced periods of rest were much needed so its all good!

We are lucky to have the river Mondego so close by for quick cooling dips .So quite.All you can hear are the birds and occasional car.

I was last here in June and was expecting the land to be really over grown but it wasn't.This seems to be due to the high temperature and lack of water.The long grasses were scorched by the sun ,the brambles had grown a few more feet(the clearing of 2 hectares of brambles is a job we long to complete!)and the hillside effected by fire 7/8 years ago is beginning to look lovely.This is were the most growth appears to have been over the last few months with a selection of trees developing height.

We have loads of vines on the land and amazingly they continue to produce fruit despite being untended for the last few years.The black grapes were small and a little tasteless but the white grapes were a decent size and really juicy and sweet.The vines have gone mad over the last few months and they are everywhere you look.I cannot wait to be able to start looking after them well and learning more about them.

I am not sure how many fig trees we have ,maybe 5/6 but the ones I could get to are also producing a lot of fruit.I like fig trees as they always seem to grow in a way that gives a good shady spot underneath.I am not so keen on the fruit itself.

Yummy.I love olives .I love everything about them!Sadly this is what we are short of on the quinta.We have only about 6 olive trees at the moment and I could only get to 2 of them as the others are buried on a part of the land that we have not accessed yet due to the aforementioned brambles.The 2 I could reach need pruning but they are producing good size healthy looking fruit as it is.I hope to be back in late autumn to plant some trees on the top few terraces.We eventually hope that the terraces leading down to the building that will eventually be our home will become an orchard containing all the fruit we need for fresh eating and preserving.So lots and lots of clearing ,planting and mulching needed.

Most of our steps joining up terraces are a bit lethal in terms of slipping and so youngest daughter (and main opposer to moving to Portugal)got out the tools ,did a bit of digging and stone moving and created these steps at the bottom of the building so we could get about without falling and breaking something.She did a good job!

Our basic accommodation at the moment.We gutted the bigger caravan so that it now has a proper bed inside and not much else.The smaller caravan will be a kitchen if we are there in colder months.The green netting provided much needed shade.Solar lights and candles provided illumination at night.
All in all it was lovely to be back on the land and getting to know it better.It was the first time that the whole family was there together(except for the pets but they will have a long holiday next summer!).We saw only a handful of friends and found we just wanted to work on the land rather than be sociable.I think I met more neighbours at the local Intermarche and Lidl than anywhere else.Everyone is busy building ,digging ,planting and strimming.....

Fire in Portugal

2010-08-13T17:45:00.000+01:00

Although we are still in England(groan) I have been keeping an eye on things in Portugal.The heat has been building for a number of weeks and fires have broken out in the south and centre of the Country.So far a small number of people have died including 2 fire fighters plus up to 13 people arrested in connection with the fires....

When looking for a place to buy I was very aware of the danger of forest fires and wanted a place with water and good access.Although we are down in the valley ,down a track our access up to the village is ok.The building itself is positioned in the middle of terraces and when the land is cleared there is a good space between the buildings and the mimosa that edges the terraces.Frightening though....

2010-08-01T23:10:00.000+01:00

Image via Wikipedia

rain and clouds are chasing us out of the UK for the last time!

so it all starts again??

2010-08-01T22:50:00.000+01:00

Its August 2010 now already.Got no work in the UK for September BUT have got a job in Coimbra in Portugal plus my on line work.Got a place to rent close to the quinta with enough space to spread out.Dogs are happy about it as is Dude the cat.Paul and I are also happy.Guess who is not?

been looking at some cool pictures of some cool houses..

birthday treats..

2010-07-22T23:59:00.000+01:00

I turned 40 a while back and received many lovely gifts and cards .Lots of books on my interests such as the sculpted house and an inconvenient truth.

Lovely Ruby enjoyed the party too!

Whats happening?

2010-07-22T23:51:00.000+01:00

I have not been at our place for a while now..think it was in June?But friends we had who were staying were living in a way that was not really companionable with the plans for the Quinta so they have now left and their good work planting out veg was a bit of a waste. It was a valuable experience in terms of understanding the nature of sharing land with others,personalities involved etc.So my work is now over in the UK and I am back to on line work and some work in Coimbra....we have grown limited dismal veg in the UK while hearing of abundance in Portugal..
We should be back in a few weeks which is about time to!

more pics

2010-05-21T18:07:00.000+01:00

These were taken about a month ago.All the spring flowers had come out.We had a meadow full of colour although the picture really is not showing it.It was still cold at night (camping ) and although I got sun burnt the rain decided to continue falling too!

what to do...

2010-05-21T18:01:00.000+01:00

the veiw from the top

the track to the house

the house...optimistically named
all up for sale sadly...

What to name the quinta?

2010-02-03T22:55:00.000Z

We don't have a name for the quinta yet....
well we do but one of our neighbours also has the same name so we want to come up with a different one.Should it reflect us or the land and what we want to achieve there?Should it just be a silly name?An anagram?Goodness knows!I have never thought about what I would name a property should I be in the position to do so...but its important to get it right as it will be difficult to rename in the future if we change our minds....
So if any one has any suggestions then feel free to suggest....

accommodation in the medium term....

2010-02-03T22:44:00.001Z

so we will be renting for 3 months at casa simones in the village but then what?We have got a tiny 2 berth caravan

and an 8 person tent .A tent is not ideal in terms of shelter from the hot summer sun..just too hot.If we had any spare cash ,which we don't, then it would be a Yurt.
One of our neighbours makes Yurts and they are lovely.You can see what they offer here www.yurtportugal.com.They also have holiday accommodation in a beautiful spot by the river.Yurts just have a lovely feel about them and of course I have always loved circular spaces .
Another circular house idea I like is similar to what you can see here... www.thatrouundhouse.info.I like the idea of having a building workshop on the quinta in the future and getting me a little(ish) round house where I can work from or somewhere to accommodate wwoofers when we get the basic infrastructure in place (solar shower,compost toilets ,cooking area,maybe a power source?) .But the question is where do we live between April and October while we prepare the building for winter?It has to be another caravan or 2 I think.So I have put out ads to try and find us a very cheap one.Loads to be had in the UK via ebay but would prefer not to have to tow one from Yorkshire so I am keeping everything crossed that someone near by has one they want to dispose of!Will keep you posted...

renting

2010-01-24T17:21:00.001Z

so we are heading back to Portugal in about 2 weeks and will be renting a place for 3 months or so until the weather warms up and while we get the basic stuf done.We have stayed in this house before so at least we know what to expect...this is the back of rental house

and this is the front..

2010-01-21T23:15:00.000Z

pictures

2010-01-21T23:13:00.000Z

quick trip to Portugal

2010-01-21T23:00:00.000Z

We have just returned from a very busy 3 days in Portugal.Had to fly to Faro as there were no Porto flights from the north of England (start again in March).Monday was all bank and property business.We did a 'Casa pronto' at the local Conservatoria .....so we did the deeds ,paid all taxes did registration ,listened to every tiny bit of the contract of sale being read out ,first in Portuguese and then again in English .Signed our signatures and initialled numerous documents,numerous times....it took 3 hours in total sitting in one room with 11 people (including all interested parties and family members as the selling of a property has inheritance issues at times).I was the legal owner of a farm house (new deed change ) and 6 different articles(1 more more than before??) of land and completely knackered.My head was spinning as I had tried to keep up with the Portuguese that was been spoken but got lost many times.We had one moment of panic when the notary demanded a energy efficiently certificate or pay a 2500e fine!!Eventually after calls to Lisboa,Coimbra and Leira it was decided that this cert was not after all needed.
We then had dinner with friends at www.portugalsmallholding.org we met old and new friends and enjoyed a tasty bean stew (thanks to Andy) in the lovely new kitchen.
Tuesday was taken up in the morning with looking for a place to rent for a few months while we get the basic infrastructure established on our Quinta.It was moderately successful...as in many cases in Portugal things are not always as you would expect so it was not as clear cut as we thought.hey ho!Tuesday afternoon we went to www.quintacabecadomato.blogspot.com where our friend Wendy www.permaculturinginportugal.net had arranged a gathering to celebrate Aonghas . There was good food to eat ,music to listen to and people to talk with.It was a peaceful and gentle day with very little rain.After this it was off to another friends house to watch the football and eat more food with a little wine.
Wednesday was back in to talk with our solicitor,who I would recommend, collect papers and pay the bill.Goodbyes were said to many and of we drove to Faro -6 hours south!!A night at the Ibis hotel in Faro was really pleasant and so was the meal we had in Faro old town.After a decent sleep we jumped on a plane and were at home by 3pm.I am so tired I cannot think any longer so plans and ideas will have to wait until the next few entries.

Endings and new beginnings

2009-12-31T23:06:00.000Z

Its new years eve and we have decided to stay in side tonight watching tv..not very exciting but the alternatives just did not appeal to us.We have had a very quite Christmas ,ate some good food ,treated out livers in a slightly disrespectful way and finally tomorrow its all over .But really our hearts and minds are elsewhere .
We are trying to get everything (solicitors /vendors/paperwork etc)all sorted so we can fly out and do all the necessary deeds but its slow going trying to get the solicitor to pull her finger out..she is good but sometimes I get a bit frustrated and have to remind myself that things do just go a bit slower in Portugal.Its our aim to have fully left the UK by end of Jan at the latest but we are completely disorganised in this regard.

When we arrive we are facing a lot of work and its a little daunting.It already looks better than in the above picture..honest..We are aiming to have the building developed enough so that there are at least 2 small secure bedrooms within 3 months and a kitchen /family room.basic but secure.From early spring we need to do some very serious labour on the land so that its producing food for us by early summer.Cash flow will be a major headache so creating a healthy veg field is essential in order to eat!

It will be good to leave this country once and for all even if it looks pretty in the snow!

things to do...

2009-12-20T01:24:00.000Z

So we do not yet have a leaving date but it will be January sometime..not sure how we are getting over ,2 kids ,2 digs ,1 cat and 2 parents plus about a van load of stuff.We only have a car....hmmmm

My first priority is the trampoline...must try to keep younger daughter in a position to get any aggression out in a fun way!She is not happy about this move....

Second priority is to catch up with people who have become good friends and gently get back in the swing of living in rural Portugal...
Thirdly is to go "WOW" ..our place ! and "WOW" on my god where do we start!

Fourthly ,I need to speed up with my Portuguese language which has not been progressing very fast ...

Fifthly I need to RELAX and get on with LIFE!!!!

finally

2009-12-13T23:17:00.000Z

So we now have sorted out our finances and we are beginning to make plans for the move back to beautiful Central Portugal and to the Mondego valley.We have got the opportunity to house sit a farm which just happens to be up the lane from our quinta which is ideal.I have sorted out my work so I am now generating an income through my online work and Paul can finally stop his nursing shifts on nights which is a big relief to one and all.The girls are not excited but hopefully they will be ok..they have friends over there to catch up with and they will be busy working along side us planting and building..and they can visit here and friends will come to see us.I know its not the same but I think its very important to show them another way of living and also show them how we are not living sustainably ...they need to be able to fend for themselves at some point in the future so this is something they can now learn.People can scoff but they may need the skills of growing food and building shelters in their futures..no-one knows what's to come in their lifetime.

So we have everything to do on the quinta!!Composting toliets,solar showers,renovate building,grow our food,learn to tend vines ,plant more trees ,learn more Portuguese,home school ,meet new people......the list is endless.How exciting .At last.

making tentative plans

2009-12-07T22:53:00.000Z

well its now December and we still have not secured the elusive funds that we need to continue with our plans but all is not lost just the pace is slow... so we are making tentative plans to leave..
we have the opportunity to house sit a small farm which happens to pretty much boarder our land.This is excellent as the place we have is not yet habitable and the weather in our part of Portugal will not be to hospitable until late March.So that's somewhere to stay ..got hot water , electricity and broadband!Yipee..
we just need to get there now.