Peter

After Buster was re-united with Rose, and Erin returned from the vet with Paul, a space opened up and I wandered to Rui's for a coffee.

Outside the bar was a Land Rover with Austrian plates, inside two men speaking German, who soon realised that my chirpy "Guten Morgen" was about the limit and dropped into English.

Peter, the Austrian from the Tyrol, has a striking appearance, not unlike Gandalf . . . maybe there will be a photo next time.

We engaged very quickly, the way it happens when the vibrations align, and he had a lot of information about off-grid living, what's going on in the 3D world and all that crazy stuff.

His land and hut are 30 km away, his wood workshop is here in Graca . . . he's building a kitchen for someone . . . his partner, Barbara, is back home in the woods.

After passing a fast hour in conversation we exchange contacts and he returns to his kitchen, I to the dogs . . . now four and settled . . . the walking ban will protect them . . . and mean some more shit to shovel up from the garden . . . I am processing the new information and aiming to hook up again before heading North . . . in any case he issued an open heart-felt invitation to stay in his guest caravan anytime . . .