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It's just not fair. Other people come to Portugal to lounge around on the beach and sit in outdoor cafes drinking long cold drinks. They get to enjoy the hot weather by wearing very few clothes and occasionally jumping in the sea to cool down. I have to spend my whole day in the National Library reading microfiche copies of 80 year-old newspapers! Nevermind, after my state-subsidised lunch of grilled sole of shoe and hard-boiled potatoes (three courses for 5 euro - and, technically speaking, I am an employee of the Portuguese state), I went for a leisurely stroll up through the park at Campo Grande to Sporting's stadium - just to prove that I wasn't lying when I told you last week that it is just five minutes from my office. Five minutes in Scottish weather - 30 minutes when you are melting between the isolated oases of shade en route. By the time I got back to the National Library, I was dripping in sweat. I really hope you appreciate the lengths I go to to bring you your daily bowl. After I finished up at the library, I went to meet Sílvia in the Graça - and she complained that it was cold! She's got a new car - a Clio (just like me), and, just like me, she hates it. I appreciated it though, because Alexandre came to pick her up in it, and they dropped me off at my flat. Tomorrow they're off to Barcelona for the weekend, while I'm going to Marinha Grande to meet up with Pedro and José. I have taken hundreds of photos, but my computer is too slow, so I will probably wait until I am back in Scotland before putting them up. Hope you don't mind... Oops! I've just noticed that I don't have to use the Carl Zeiss anymore - I've already done a whole week! So tomorrow I can be more adventurous... but I like the Carl Zeiss, so I might just stick with it... or maybe I won't!!!

On this day last year I was cold