So where were we…
Ah yes, we finally had a plan.
At 2pm I would go to pick up the hire car from the airport. Also at 2pm, Vitor and Vitor would pick up the big van and head to Fuseta to collect the fridge/freezer. They would also take a small fridge and a washing machine from Olhao to Fuseta so that I could sell them.
Yes, we had a plan.
So off I went to the airport in my mate’s small van.
I decided that the best way to work this was as follows:
Park up in Montenegro (a small suburb of Faro)
Follow the instructions on my ‘booking confirmation’ to get to the rental place on foot
Pick the car up
Drive it back to Montenegro
Park it by the van
Drive the van back to my mate
Then return to Montenegro the next day (catching the train to Faro and walking the rest of the way) to pick the car up
I know it sounds highly convoluted, but it worked as far as I was concerned.
So I managed to park, walked to the airport (only 10 minutes away), then followed the instructions: Turn left out of Arrivals, walk past Departures, follow the signs to P4 (Car Park 4) and go to the rental desk there to sort your paperwork.
So I did that.
When I got to the rental desk, I slipped my mask on and was immediately approached by some random guy:
“Can I help you?”
“AirAuto Rental, please?”
“Go and stand over there and wait for the shuttle bus.”
Over there was a tall lamp post in the middle of the car park, with an AirAuto sign. There was no shade anywhere and it was boiling hot.
I stood there for 10 minutes, with no sign of a shuttle. I checked the paperwork, found a phone number and called them. Fortunately, they spoke English.
“Can you tell me when the shuttle will be coming please?”
“5 minutes.”
“OK, thank you.”
I could wait another 5 minutes.
Whilst I waited, I noticed that the AirAuto outlet was probably only 300 metres away. So near and yet so far.
I carried on waiting: 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes…
After 20 minutes of futilely waiting for the shuttlebus and sweating profusely, I called Airauto again.
“Do I have to wait for the shuttlebus, or can I just walk over to you?
“You can walk if you really want to…”
I could sense that this meant: you can walk if you’re mad enough…
I’ve found that the Portuguese don’t like to walk too far. They like to drive. They lke to park as close to their destination as they can, and if this means stopping in the middle of the road and blocking all the traffic for 5 minutes whilst another car vacates its parking space, then so be it!
Anyway, I walked, and 5 minutes later I was there. So much for having spent 30 minutes in the baking sun!
After this fiasco, I’ll be honest, service was quick and faultless, and 5 minutes later I was driving off with a brand new Peugeot 208 with only 15km on the clock. Perfect!
I drove back to Montenegro, parked up, got into my mate’s van and headed back to Fuseta. I went via Olhao to see whether the two Vitors had left yet. They hadn’t. There was only one Vitor and no van.
“Vitor and the van come at 5:30!”
At least it hadn’t been cancelled…
“And Carlos came. He’s no longer in the house for mad people, but he has been stabbed. He showed me the wound. Him and his wife…”
He let it trail off there…
A bloody domestic… and quite a serious one by the sound of it!
“He will finish painting tomorrow!”
So it looked like things were back on track.
“Now we take washing machine and small fridge to Fuseta!”
Eh? I thought the two Vitor’s were going to do this in the big van?
Obviously not…
The next thing, Vitor and I were grunting and groaning as we lifted first the washing machine and then the fridge into the back of the van. I was surprised that they fit, but they did.
Then the two of us jumped in the van, drove to Fuseta and unloaded them. We then drove back to Olhao where Vitor told me that I also needed to take the beds. I had three beds, still in boxes, stashed in Olhao. They had to go too apparently.
So we packed the van again and I was on my merry way, with Vitor telling me he’d arrive with the big van at 5:30pm.
At 7:10pm they arrived.
I’d almost given up!
I’d cleaned all the boxes that the beds came in. I’d also cleaned the fridge and the washing machine. I’d almost, in fact, been ready to leave the house and go for a swim!
It was lucky I hadn’t for the two Vitors were now here. They knocked on the door and before I knew it, they were lugging the fridge/freezer out of the house. It’s bloody heavy, and I should know! I’ve moved it myself before! They were straining, but they made it.
Result!
“Beer?” I suggested?
“Nao,” said Vitor No 1. “I not drink this week!”
Vitor No 2 replied: ‘Only small please.”
The next thing we were back inside – Vitor No 2 actually had a big beer, and Vitor No 1 had a small beer after much persuasion.
It was at this point that Vitor No 2 spied my washing machine. He doesn’t speak much English, so he spoke to Vitor – in Russian I presume.
They chatted.
Vitor No 1 knew that I wanted to sell it:
“Vitor wants to know: how much you want?”
I thought about it (I hadn’t previously) and gave him a figure.
Vitor No 2, listened and nodded: “I buy!”
Fantastic! Although I did wonder why he hadn’t mentioned this when the washing machine was still in Olhao. It would have saved me a lot of effort!
Anyway, eventually they disappeared into the sunset.
I only had two more things to do:
Return the van keys to my mate and have a recovery beer!
I managed both!
So after so many problems, I eventually had all my furniture in the right place, the painting was nearly finished and the kitchen was going in.
All in all I was happy!
Amazing!
Only Leroy Merlin to worry about now. Will my items be ready for collection on Friday?
Who bloody knows?