Summer has finally arrived in this area of Portugal. After several weeks of (welcome) rain, it has turned hot hot HOT! The combined rain, and now sun, has made everything shoot up, and we have spent two days trying to find the vegetables amongst the wild flowers! Our neighbours have been constantly complaining that this weather is causing problems with the crops, particularly the potatoes, and you can hear the sound of chemical spraying all around the village. We won't use any chemicals here, even though our neighbours think we are crazy, we hope that the using new seed potatoes and not third/forth/fifth? time-round spuds will give a better, disease free result- and be more cost-effective in the long run.