Yesterday I thought about walking out to the lighthouse here. It’s at the end of an artificially constructed breakwater, built I suppose to facilitate boats getting into the port by the river estuary. Every time we come here I walk the mile out to the lighthouse and try to catch photos of the waves crashing down. The waves are singulalry uncooperative, working on a strict no-photos policy. They always crash just before or just after you take the photo.
While I thought about it, the relatively clear blue sky and sunshine disappeared and the rain set in again. So I didn’t walk to the lighthouse.
In the evening we set off for the chess venue, for a game due to start at 7.00. There was a delay to the start as the organisers wanted to make an announcement. Storm Charles is about to strike Portugal today. I had already had a weather update about this on my phone but it seems Charles is more serious than my notification had suggested. The organisers of the tournament had decided to cancel today’s game. Bridges and some major roads are closed. There is a possibility of power cuts. Hotels and other buildings on the seafront are advised to close blinds to protect windows. Wow!
I follow another chess site on Facebook, connected to the chess club in Silves, a place we have visited a couple of times for tournaments. There was a notification on Facebook that their usual Wednesday session was cancelled … because of Storm Charles.
Much later in the evening, after Phil had lost last night’s game, we had a couple of beers in the hotel lounge. The television news seemed completely full of the approaching storm.
Storm Charles means business! Serious stuff! I won’t be going to the lighthouse today … and the forecast isn’t good for the rest of the week. I didn’t even get to run along the seafront this morning.
Will the restaurants be open for lunch or will Charles have arrived first? We shall see!
Thinking of food, here is a link to an article about pizza, and whether pineapple can ever be added to that very Italian food. The Italians are very possessive about their food and feel that it should not be adulterated in any way. I can understand that. We should be prepared to adapt but also protect our old traditions. Long ago, when my mother was taken ill my father took over the kitchen. Now his tastes had been influenced by holidays in Spain, staying with my sister and her Spanish family. He was particularly taken with garlic, something which had never been part of our family’s culinary scene. One day my mother complained to me thatvhe was “even adding garlic to Lancashire hotpot!”. Shocking!
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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