Our only neighbours, Luis and Laurinda, are shouting distance away. I usually meet Laurinda in the morning when she feeds their ever growing mountain dog who, when standing up, is much taller, and certainly much heavier, than her. She wears a beanie hat and is never seen without her pinny on. She calls across Bom dia, Dona Jacqueline and then quite often she disappears into the house only to return minutes later with her basket. It’s always laden, really laden with excess produce which she insists we have. I wish I had started a photographic record. There have been beans, tomatoes, red peppers and lettuces. There have been strawberries, plums, cherries, grapes and then the other day a basket of quinces. And as always twice, no thrice, the size of anything we have growing. Some of you may remember from a much earlier post our ailing quince tree, this year (despite being pruned and lovingly rescued from the vines and brambles that had been sprawling all over it) there has been just a handful of quinces. Whereas, of course, Laurinda’s quinces are the biggest I have ever seen. This can only mean one thing – I’m back in the kitchen making more quince jelly and quince cheese. Delicioso!