Just the one Mrs Wembley!

Just the one box packed this week, running out of things we don't need to use over the next 4 weeks. Some utilities spoken to, a few more to go, then the tax office to inform of our impending departure.

Today has been spent cleaning as the letting agents are bringing round some prospective tenants, deep joy. I'm quite happy to clean when it's my choice, but having to do it makes me grouchy. Phil has to work so it's not his fault he can't be here to help and he does plenty of other stuff, like dealing with the utility people which I am crap at as it involves using the telephone. I'm quite looking forward to spending 11 days in various hotels where I won't even need to make the bed!

This weekend we are off to Wales to see a few good friends before we go, a few birthdays to celebrate too so it should be a good Easter weekend, I'm fairly sure my head will be out of sorts on Sunday morning, good job we don't have to travel back until Monday ~grins~. The weekend will gives us a break from routine which I think we need so we can come back mentally refreshed to tackle the last few weeks before leaving.

When we swap this view...



For this one!

Oh dear...

My brain has melted! I went to tax Roger today taking just the letter and no documents, face/palm, fail!

The box pile grows ever bigger, the inventory longer. Any one who gets presents from me, needn't expect them to come wrapped any time soon, you'll be lucky if you get a fancy bag! I've done enough packing to last me a life time. I used have a bit of a love affair with bubble wrap, just let me at those poppy little pouches and I'll enjoy whole minutes of fun, I've even played with on line bubble wrap, now I look at it and get a vague sense of horror. We have gone through nearly two rolls and piles of second hand wrap, if I never see another piece it will be too soon. Though that said I might see things in a different light when it comes to unwrapping when I can pop away to my hearts content, a little stomping may also come into play!

Today we handed in our notice on the house we are renting, which makes it feel even more real, which of course it is, we also have to give notice to all the utility providers at the end of the month.

So step by step, day by day things are coming together. Tomorrow I am taking the day off from all of it and going into Rugby to do a little shopping with a friend, provided it doesn't snow too hard as promised by the weather people.

Come Monday we will be just 6 weeks away from leaving the UK.

So what's happening...

More packing and then some unpacking as the removal company (which may I add are now booked) want us to put a price on each box, well on an inventory anyway. So boxes will be unpacked so we can work out what's in them and a rough value calculated. This weekend we plan to dismantle the dining table so we can make space for all the boxes and then determine the cubic capacity. We have chosen to use Algarve Removals as they can collect and deliver just when we want them to, so no sourcing a van or further transport from a depot, they are also competitive price wise and well recommended.

The best news is that my lovely car, Roger the Roadster is going to Portugal, I don't know why we didn't think about it before! At the end of May we will be back in the UK for Vikki, Phil's daughter's graduation, we're very proud of her, she scored a first from the Open University, we wouldn't miss it for the world. So the plan is to fly back to East Midlands and pick up Roger from my daughter Hazel's house then we have transport whilst visiting friends etc, we will then drive him back to Portugal, so another road trip to be planned. I do need to source new springs and maybe shocks and possibly a new hood. I'm very happy!

In other news we're looking forward to dinner with friends in their new house tomorrow night and then a long weekend in Wales for Easter. After that we will have to knuckle down and finish withe the packing and sorting, it's only seven weeks come Monday (17th March), not that were counting down the last 52 days...

In the meantime here's a pretty sunset over the River Mira, with Vila Nova de Milfontes in the distance.