Seated at the Convívio table

Week 22

3rd of June was Sacramentsdag, Corpo de Deus in Portuguese, the day that Jezus his body and blood gave through bread and wine, to the people, with the idea that like this he will be among the people forever. It is a bank holiday, but the baker is kind enough to bring our order for the guests. In several villages in the area the streets are decorated with flower carpets. Caminha is the place to go to see this. They decorate all the streets in the centre. It is an impressive and cheerful sight.

Today we will have guests in the bungalow who are here for the 3^rd time. On the campsite we have people with a motorhome who are here for the 7^th time and a couple in a caravan who are here for the 3^rd time. Depsite the fact that we only see them a few days or weeks per year, a friendship grows. I have to admit, the 2^nd year most of the times I don’t recognise them when they arrive, but slowly during the stay memories come back. The 3^rd time I do feel a connection. Very interesting.

Almost every day we eat with guests and have a nice, interesting and sometimes intense talks at our Convivio table.

Remarkable this week was:

-          The remark that the police stopped checking the background of people who want to be police man, because these days they hire mostly migrants and women.

-          Or the remark: I’m out of a job, but not allowed to do volunteer work when it is not related to a future job. I thought it would be a good idea that somebody does volunteer work. It is a way to distract yourself and not get frustrated and you contribute to society. We are too scared for the people who take advantage.  

-          Then there is the man of 80 years old and his wife who go on a trip every day. He still has a young spirit and is very charming. This is the way I want to grow old. He is also one of the few who doesn’t mind that he drinks fast.

Since smoking is forbidden everywhere we get this interesting situation. Almost nobody smokes. When somebody smokes he gets the remark: ‘Do you still smoke’? This is the complete opposite with drinking. When somebody doesn’t drink he gets the remark: ‘You don’t drink, at all’?