(There’s the border, remember when borders were places you had to stop and show your passport?)

We have arrived in Portugal and the weather has changed! There’s heat! We had decided to go just one hour south from Santiago but our phones both stopped getting service. That’s unusual. Forty five minutes further we were crossing the border and service was back.

(We are parked beside a park…)

It’s funny how you (we) get used to something. Our phones for example. Of course they are more than phones now. They are weather forecasters. They are parking finders. They are restaurant finders. They are route finders. They are birthday greeting senders, get well message senders, how are you doing? senders.

(That’s Spain over there and the bridge joining the two countries in the distance)

They are notebooks. They are book writing helpers. They are blog message savers. They are newspapers. They are cameras and photocopiers. They are flash lights and alarm bells and reminders. They are books, a library of books. They are exercise monitors. They are music players. They are photo albums. They are offices.

(A little bridge in the park joining us to the island)

They are clocks and calendars and bus timetables. They are televisions and translators. They are recipe books and talking books. They are information holders and sharers… and they are phones.

(The little island)

The phone network issue is making me grateful for my phone. Leaving my friend is making me sad but hugely grateful for friendship. Crossing the border is making me grateful that I am part of this place and sorry that our neighbours are leaving.

We’ll miss them when they’re gone, Mairead.