O meu trabalho

In a way work here is the same – assessing prospects, planning holes and probably will be all too familiar once a rig gets here. Just like in Australia my head fieldy tells me what to do (except here I get told to take off my seatbelt instead of to put it on!). I also get the feeling that people are waiting for me to start telling them what to do or how to do things. And as I havent started telling them what I want done Im often waiting on others as they've been caught up doing other things which probably aren't as important.\ Dealing with Portuguese bureaucracy can be counted on to take up a significant part of your day. Attitudes are certainly a lot more relaxed – the normal driller’s obsession with earning money is incomprehensible to the guys here as their priorites are food, drink, football, women and then money. Instead the most important part of the day is lunch/almoco. It takes at least an hour (its written into every work contract) and spent either in a restaraunt or back at home for the guys who live close. Guys working in the field will drive back into town for it and dont understand why the rig doesnt stop for it. And It gets a lot harder when we’re celebrating as we head to the next village for the local speciality (stewed wild pig), have a couple of beers and a liquer then have to get back to the office for the afternoon.

Another difference is the countryside as its green - not red or brown. We work in movie-like farmland not like the stations or bush at home so Im still getting used to driving past more than one farmhouse in a day (hell more than one village!) plus all types of cows/sheep/goats/turkeys/geese/pigs. Our main enviro issue is cork trees - if we knock one over or have to take one it out its a big deal. Roll on screw-top wine bottles (Im not allowed to say that too loud round here!). Archaeologically there are apparently enough Roman artefacts for metal detectors to be banned although I havent seen any yet. The one place I’ve visited where there were definitely Romans (they had some mine workings there) doesn’t look any different to anywhere else – you can play “Spot the Roman” at home if you scroll down.

But its lunchtime now…

Traffic jam

Rockship sampling pretty much in someones backyard!

Cork trees - the number painted on the trunk is the last digit of the year the bark was harvested. After that you wait 10 years and then harvest again. Not exactly a consistent or secure income - a lot can happen in 10 years.

Old Roman workings - apparently?!