This n that update..

Well the girls left, and seemed to have enjoyed their stay, they certainly enjoyed the food... how can two such skinny things eat so much... hehehe Im glad they did!
I have another girl arriving in a few days for two weeks so hopefully she'll be as nice as those first ones.
I have tons of people applying... and tons who are so rude... sadly it seems that Australians are the worst! They apply.. tell you how WONDERFUL the place looks and how they cant wait to come... and then I tell them they can come... and they dont even reply... when you check, they've said the same thing to dozens of other hosts and picked someone else... thats not my problem... I just find it so damn rude that they dont even bother to email and say they are fixed up thanks...
Then of course you get the ones who just dont turn up... its soooooooo frustrating!!!
But... I enjoyed the experience and we will continue...

The veg plot seems to be picking up, although we wont have many peas (Ive worked out it was mice!) and the onions are not so good this year... we have beans everywhere...
The peas we do have growing are cropping now and well... we are eating some and trying to stash some for winter, we have lettuce bigger than cabbage... I picked the first baby beets the other day too but Rcky ate them before I could pickle them! Im also thinning out the carrots and we are having the first babies for dinner this evening. Plus the spuds... they are just scrummy... we've given a huge bag to some friends and are eating them almost every day... and still loads to come...
The cabbage is hearting up well and the caulis and brocc are looking good... we have tiny toms on the tomatoes, and flowers on the chickpeas... oh and the courgettes... so really everything is just poised to burst into action...

Helpers...

Well only another day or so and our girls leave us...
The whole thing has been a great experience for us, and for them I hope. We've had two lovely girls, Natasha & Phillipa. They've both been pleasant, polite and hard working, they've eaten everything put in front of them with gusto! And done the dishes afterwards...
They0've been helping out with the main task of weeding the veg patch, but i've tried to vary the tasks for them as well, we've also added in some fun stuff like picking and making Elderflower Champagne, 15litres in all. We spent a peaceful morning picking wild Lavender and hanging it in bunches in the kitchen to dry for medicinal remedies this winter, great for headaches and in a hot bath at the end of a busy day... We've also had tons of cherries so yesterday they stoned some for cherry crepes for dinner and we then made some cherry liquer to put away for Winter Solstice. Just Aguadente, 8oz sugar, and as many cherries as you can push through the top of the bottle... we did 2 litres...
The day before we cut a whole row of Coriander... then the girls spent the morning, chopping garlic and the coriander then proccessing it together with olive oil and salt and putting it into sterilised jars to keep for the winter... we then had it on spaggetti with parmesan cheese for lunch.... mmmmmnnn yummm but did we stink.... heheheh

Ive just got used to having them around and now they are leaving...

Today they are off to Coimbra for the day sightseeing, then we are out to a local resturant for dinner tonight...

Going well

Just a quick update on the girls... they are working hard, and it all seems to be going well. Its a little hard having people around so much but something we have to get used too as we have lots more booked in now... I spend half my time cooking now...
We just have to stop being so anti social... hehehe and get used to thinking about other people more and ajust to having folk around the place.

They arrived!

Yes our HelpXers arrived yesterday, two very nice young girls, on holiday from Uni, Natasha & Phillipa. They seem lovely and very willing to work, and eat all put in front of them which is good... they spent the morning weeding the area outside the cottage and its made a great difference. Hopefully this will continue...
I'll have to supervise with weeding in the veg patch as although clever, intelligent girls, neither one knows a carrot from a weed.. but the main thing is they are very willing and hardworking... So far so good...

Tommorrow I'll pick tons of Coriander and show them how I make the herb concentrates we use throughout the winter.
Plus we are going to make Elderflower cordial.. and pick lavendar for drying for remedies for winter too... Natasha isnt too sure on the herbal remedies as she is a medical student, Im hoping to convince her during her stay..