Some geezer (can´t remember his name) once said of this town we are staying in, ¨If there were paradise on earth, it would not be very far from here...¨

Breakfast on the hotel verandah overlooking the bay.

Then my gorgeous Brazilian new sister-in-law, Fernanda, haggles with boat owners and persuades the lovely Marcello to take us out on his boat all day for 130 Reais (that´s about 35 quid... and there were 7 of us... so basically a fiver each... for our own private boat... for a whole day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

So the lovely Marcello cruises out into the Atlantic towards some of the remote islands dotted along the coast. I sit on the roof with my mum and brother and my new sister-in-law and I just can´t even begin to describe how good this was... mountains stretching in all directions off into hazy blue... and the mountains here are overwhelmingly HUGE, and not barren or craggy, but really green and foresty... sparkly clear sea... It´s the middle of winter here but it´s really sunny and 28-30 degrees (ok, I know you´ve got it hotter in the UK right now but this was just PERFECT)...

Marcello moors up and me, my brother and Fernanda jump of the boat and swim in clear waters with lots of fishes that we can feel brushing up against us as we swim.

Then we move on and suddenly see a HUGE school of dolphins, so Marcello turns the boat off and we drift in amongst them and they are leaping all around the boat...... I am so gobsmacked about this.... couldn´t take any pictures ´cos I was too busy being gobsmacked!!!

Then on to a tiny island for lunch where there is nothing but a little open air caff that cooks fresh fish in front of your eyes... so we eat freshly fried fish and mandioca chips (don´t know if I´ve spelt that right) and battered squid and garlicky rice and salad and drink Guarana, which is the Brazilian national fizzy drink and tastes fantastic.

Then Marcello heads for home with the sun getting low over the water (gets dark early cos it´s midwinter) and we go to a caff in the old town and drink Caprinha, which is the drink that made my eyes hurt yesterday. Two sips and you get a big Caprinha grin and everything is alright!

I´m gonna stop there cos you´ll think i´m just gloating like a big strump... oh ok... I am

Rio de Janeiro tomorrow!!

crossed the Tropic of Capricorn.
drunk sugar cane juice. (nicer with lemon juice in)
supped the local tipple until my eyes hurt.
been a ¨padrina¨at my brother´s wedding.
had happy birthday sung to me in portuguese.
got winked at by Berto. (bad luck mate)
tried, and failed, not to miss tings at home.
just the one ting mainly.
xx

That said:
Brazil
is
feckin
spectacular.

Cool!

I´m in Brazil.

Tomorrow:
My brother gets married
and
I am 35 years old.

So there!!

So, after days on end of blazing sunshine, Sixpence finally gets around to deciding that it's good weather for drying laundry, and ventures into the laundry basket.  I even got up early so I could get the damn stuff in the machine, with the intention of hanging it out on the line as early as possible...

And what happens?

Yep.

Thunderstorms.  Torrential rain.  Local flooding.

And power cuts.

When we first moved to this village we had power cuts all the feckin time.  It seemed to have got better, but over the past few days this has been Power Cut City.  I've stopped bothering now and am growing accustomed to all my clocks saying 0:00.

So.  Picture the scene.  This morning.  A shower room with no windows, and therefore no natural light, door closed. 

Sixpence in the shower.

(I'll give you a few extra moments to contemplate that...) 

Power cut.

Complete and utter darkness. 

Just me, and running water I can't even see, and pitch black, and silence. 

I have to say though...

...after my initial reaction

( "Oh feck" )

it became strangely pleasurable...

Please don't bother with any Freudian analysis.  (That includes you, tkk). 

Well.  After my fish fest yesterday guess what?

89 points on Countdown. 

I'm a feckin genius.

Thrashed both the contestants.  Surely even Susie D would be prostrating herself at my feet, had she the honour of knowing me. 

See ya later.  I'm off down the mackerel shop.

Yesterday
I never quite made it to fun
I got lost on the way
But then I met up with fantastic
And that was... fantastic
Aye lad
Did wheat puns on the phone with K
(can't remember how/why that started)
You'd be amaized
Settled in for formal money discussion
With Mr Expence

It's all a bit upsetting
Blinkin phone rang ALL DAY
Every time I tried to think about what I was supposed to be doing
Some fecker foned me
Do you have days like that?
Had sardines and salad fer me lunch
Tuna jacket spud fer me tea
Bit fishy
But my brain will be brimming over with Omega 3
And I'll get a top score on today's Countdown
If I can find time to watch it
(Susie D will be dead impressed)
Got 6 hrs sleep - unbroken
Pretty cool
Not dreaming though. Are you?
So hot yesterday
I had to tie my hair up
I never do that!
I'm useless with the whole hair thing
I haven't got very manageable hair
Speaking of which
I'd best go and have a shower and wash it
Before Mr Expence
(he lives downstairs, I live upstairs )
Comes back from his morning cycle ride
And hogs the shower
We can both recommend
The Divorce Diet
He's lost a stone
I've lost half
Anyway enough of my svelte and alluring physique
Time to go
x