What to name the quinta?

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....

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

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..

pictures

quick trip to Portugal

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

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!