what are you doing ?

[Ray P]

Back on the train again today, popping down to Fareham, Hampshire, to see my mum.

It was a beautiful sunrise over the Somerset Levels

[Mike H]

Wow!

I should do more train journeys.

[jack]

Trying to sort my new Portuguese Passport.

They have an "interesting" way of allocating bookings at the consulate (you have to book a slot to go in person to get a new passport).

I might just have to go outside and scream a bit...

[Dave the bass]

^^^ my chum Antonio (a Portugeezer) had the same experience you had NickJack.

[jack]

^^^ my chum Antonio (a Portugeezer) had the same experience you had NickJack.

I've been trying for over two years to sort this out... one of the crazy things is that you'd send them an email (you can't do this over the phone), and hear absolutely nothing for months. You CANNOT send a follow-up email as if you do, and your original email hasn't been dealt with, the "clock" resets back to zero and you go to the back of the queue, maybe for another 6 months or so. You therefore live in a world of shall I/shan't I, so I was a good boy and did nothing. A YEAR LATER, I finally snapped, rang the helpline and expressed my level of dischuffedness,

Bizarrely, I just had a hushed phone call back from their "helpline" saying they'd just released some new slots...

...and could I go to London tomorrow morning first thing !!!

Que porra é essa?

[Ray P]

I took my mum into town - she does like to check out the charity shops but I had one he'll of a fright in one of them and wondered if Phil might be getting his own back...

[Dave the bass]

Good lordy! I hope you did the right thing and offered to professionally clean it using fire for them?!

[Ray P]

Good lordy!

Scary Innit, I'm back home now but still feeling unsettled by the experience.

[Dave the bass]

Scary Innit, I'm back home now but still feeling unsettled by the experience.

Very scary, just use plenty of sanitising gel and maybe discard any clothing that may have come into contact with the 'product'

[andrew Ivimey]

It'll take a while.....

[Dave the bass]

It'll take a while.....

For the smell to stop?

[andrew Ivimey]

The whole thing. One can't pretend we're as young as we once were..... trauma on several fundamental levels. It should start with a deep hot scrub, two paracetamol and bed for a week - Nurse!

[jack]

Wasn't that painful in the end (*)...

Trip to London to the Portuguese Consulate, couple of hours in there, back to Bank for lunch with #2 son (he paid) and then home to Kent.

Should get the passport in 2 weeks.

(*) Snigger - just add a "?" and the whole meaning changes...

[jack]

That was quick... most unusual...

Today I are mostly becoming Portuguese

Back in Europe Baby!!

Two years ago they kindly sent me the nice cover; now, eventually, I have something to put in it:

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[jack]

Today I are mostly making pork, Bramley apple (from the garden) and apricot sausages...

3kg of piggy goodness...

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