Winter Season: The Chestnut Trees

No, this is not our guests practising their hobbies, this really is "men at work"!
They are specialists climbing up the big trees, taking away dead branches and restoring the allover shape.


This 80-year-old tree bears big chestnuts: 25 - 30 g each.





This tree had to go completely: nearly dead, the electric cable close to the trunk, and 2 telefone cables on the other side of the trunk. Not an easy job. The tree had to be taken off piece by piece. Dismantling, that's what they call it - "desmontar" in Portuguese.
Last not least: we have planted 20 new chestnut trees!

Winter Season: The Vineyards

Winter is something special here in Central Portugal: the camellias have come in bloom already ...



... at the same time the usual winter jobs are waiting to be dealt with, for example trimming the vines. These ones have already been finished.










New vines have been planted here. The above-ground part is still covered with wax to protect from drying out.