The Labraventures of Carbón, Spanish (ex-) foster dog extraordinaire

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Well this sounds exciting @Emily_Babbelhund. I am aware that Portugal is very popular now for people making their forever home

Yes, Portugal started as my backup plan for German immigration and I’ve been wanting to go check it out. Also been studying Portuguese for nearly two years so it’s time to actually try it on the locals. Which I believe will be a bit of a catastrophe, but at least entertaining.

 

[Stacia]

Have you always had wanderlust? Will you be able to settle in one country (Portugal) for ever? To me, you have the most fascinating and adventurous life. I live within 2 miles of my birth! My sister is different, she lives in America and travels!

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

When your ML takes you to a muy divertido super fun Christmas market for your vet’s rescue charity and buys you this happy bear head filled with homemade dog cookies!



Pues, buuuuut…then she makes you pose in the back of a VW camper van with reindeer antlers. This is no bueno amigos. Sometimes the price is too high. Pfft!

 

[Cath]

Your don't look very happy Carbon but its a lovely photo of you and ML

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Your don't look very happy Carbon but its a lovely photo of you and ML

He was mainly worried about his bear head filled with treats that I’d set by the camera. I could have forgotten it and then his life would have been OVER! Heh, heh.

He had SUCH a good time. It was kind of a free for all - you could donate anything you wanted for the items you wanted (it was essentially a car boot sale without prices). The lady who had made the dog treats kept giving Carbón samples, so I asked for one small bag of banana biscuits to go with the bear head. Instead when she took my donation, she filled up the entire bear head! Carbón is in HEAVEN.

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Have you always had wanderlust? Will you be able to settle in one country (Portugal) for ever? To me, you have the most fascinating and adventurous life. I live within 2 miles of my birth! My sister is different, she lives in America and travels!

Good question and one I get a lot! I’ve been on this current ‘trip’ for 14 years. That’s a long time, even for someone who loves to travel. In fact since 2005, I’ve only lived in my house in California for four years.

However after so long, I do feel now that I stay on the travel hamster wheel less because I love it, and more because I don’t know how to get off. At least having a look at Portugal will give me an idea if I WANT to get off there, but the ‘how’ is still a logistical quagmire.

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Hola amigos! Just a short leeeetle greeting from your Señor. I am very happy right now as we are visiting my Regensburg people and today I got to hoover up the bratwurst from the ground at the Christmas market. It is truly a magical time of the year!

ML and I also really like our casita (little house) in the country. There are friendly neighbor dogs and many new things to sniff. It is much more relaxed than the city.

Pues, what I really wanted to show you was a big skeleton in ML’s closet! Guess what? I found this funny photo of her from many years BC (Before Carbón) when it seems she was a CAT PERSON!

WHAT?

Or maybe rather a Tigger person. He is kind of guapo!

 

[Cath]

Lovely photo Carbon x

 

[Stacia]

Carbon your ML is very beautiful and it is a tiger not a cat, so I don't think she will swap you for a tiger!

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Pues amigos, that is all for Germany. The TARDIS is now taking us to France and tomorrow back to my Spanish homeland. Qué bien! I have been promised a beach but maybe no surfing as brrrrr it is cold!

Y tambien, look what Germany gifted us with today? Just a leeeetle despedido from our Teutonic adopted land. Did I mention ‘brrr’?!

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Buenas días España! We arrived at the border yesterday after another 8 hours in the TARDIS. Not that I notice the time, as I siesta all the way. It is lovely and warm here and everyone speaks my lingua. Que bien!

Today we go to Malpica, where we stay for a few days. ML picked it because it looks like Cornbeefwall in photos. We will judge if it is true or not!

The only surprise is that ML thought today would be an easy drive of 4 hours with time for beach stops,. BUT she was tanta, silly, and did not consult with Señor Google until last night…when she learned it is in fact ANOTHER 8 hour drive today. Pfft! So no beaches for me today, but another lovely siesta.

 

[Jacqui-S]

Looks beautiful.
Sorry about all the driving.
Where will you be when Santa comes visiting, Señor?

 

[Cath]

Where will you be when Santa comes visiting, Señor?

Yes Santa Paws

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Looks beautiful.
Sorry about all the driving.
Where will you be when Santa comes visiting, Señor?

Meh, driving is not my problem, no? I just relax and let the kilometres flow by! For Santa Paws, we will be in another place in North Portugal. It is right on a dog-friendly beach and has a leeeetle balcony where I can lie in the sun. If there is any sun, because the weather is a Cornbeefwall-esque up north.

I just finished the world’s best breakfast and we are off. Vamanos!

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

We arrived! It was a leeeeetle hard but ML was a superestrella in getting all my food up the stairs with no elevator (which was a surprise). We also had to wander around in the TARDIS to find parking, but ML chatted up a señor on the street who then helped us. See, it helps to speak my language!

The apartment itself is very nice: we even had the choice of three bedrooms. It is loco crazy because it is very cheap. I am thinking maybe because it comes with an axe murderer? Or worse, the refrigerator does not work and my deleeeecious food spoils? Que horror!

But for tonight I am just happy to be out of the car. Tomorrow maybe we just walk on the beach and watch it rain from the comfy sofa.

Our building is on the far right.

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

We know now why it’s cheap - intermittent electricity! Carbon’s beloved food may be at risk! 🫣

 

[M.F.]

Put water bottles in the freezer. Don’t fill all the way otherwise they’ll burst open. Then, when the electricity goes off, put them in the fridge to keep the fridge cold. If it’s the freezer you need kept cold, the frozen water bottles should also help.

(Tip learned in a country that experiences a lot of “load shedding”.)

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Amigos, it IS just like Cornbeefwall here: lots of horizontal rain! We left our apartment, drive the TARDIS for just 10 minutes, and the sun turned into rain and wind. We have decided to just enjoy the lighthouse view from INSIDE the car.


De hecho, in fact the land here looks more like Brittany than Cornwall, both beautiful but a leeeetle different.

Muchas gracias, @MF, on the tip on how to save my beloved dinner. We always have extra water bottles we can use. However we do have hope because the owner of our apartment has spoken to the electricity company about not cutting the current. Since she did that, it has not cut. It seems a suspiciously simple solution, but as long as it works for the next couple days, I can have food and ML can have a hot shower. Then we are both happy!

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Amigos, I am a leeeetle perplexed because somehow it does feel like we are in an alternate Cornbeefwall where everyone speaks Spanish! Pues, also no fish and chips so I KNOW it is not really Cornbeefwall, but it is still muy bonito.

Here is my confused face.


And here is my “who cares, be happy!” face

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

We are on a mini tourism expedition today. I got some modelling done, as did the TARDIS. I got paid in deleeeecious cookies, while poor TARDIS has to work for free!

A sanctuary at Muxía


It is right on the sea: can you spot me here?


I am espectacular, amigos.


And here is our leeeetle TARDIS parked by the church.