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OK we've got access to a computer for a couple of days but no luck with downloading photos - so you'll just have to excuse the lame images I'm putting up at the mo'. It won't let me post a blog without including an image. So I have to use what's loaded on the ipod- kids drawings, family photos - sorry everyone. Anyway, we had an early start to the day after such a late night - starting to feel a bit worn out. Such full on busy days. Once again we're up this morning and the hospitality is amazing. It's so wonderful living with a Spanish family and experiencing their way of living. So different to ours. Much more leisurely and very family and community oriented. There has been a constant stream of visitors - endless relatives, neighbours, friends and just general community. Maria's family live in a rural area on the outskirts of Tui. Surrounded by farms and vineyards. Tui is probably the size of say Nambour. Aunts and uncles and other family live next door and in the street. They pop in and out and look after the children and cook food and are a constant presence in each others lives. Wonderful sense of community. No such thing as a daycare centre here.
We spent the morning in Valenca in Portugal which is a short drive over the river perched high on the banks of the River Minho. Stunning location - huge wall and turrets with cannons. The kids crawled all over it and imagined life fighting the Spanish on the other side. The views over to Tui were spectacular. We wandered the cobblestoned streets of the old town - great shopping - everything is so cheap. Beautiful hand painted ceramics, embroidery and hand stitched quilts.
In the afternoon we wandered down to one of the uncles farms. It was like stepping back in time. Odd animals kept in little rooms. Huge room for making the local vino and liquors. By the way the wine and alcohol here is SO CHEAP - heaven.
The evening was filled with a houseful of visitors - mountains of food, drink, music and waiting for the main event - the arrival of the traditional drums. Apparently it is a Galician tradition and we were not quite sure what to expect. They are a group of locals who come to the brides house the night before the wedding. We were expecting them around 10.00pm and they arrived at 11.15pm. And it was the most awesome thing I've seen and heard. There were about 12 men on enormous drums and a few Galician bagpipes. The noise was booming, huge vibrating sound. And then the dancing started - we were all up and getting into it. It was an amazing night and ended around 1.00am.
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