Home is where I park it

    Be kind, be love, fuck the haters xxx

But I probably won't! I post far more to Instagram so of you are on there do follow me. My personal account is @sam_van_dweller and our couple account is @atlantic_coast_nomads they are quite different and I don't post the same stuff to both. So news news news....  First, we got our vaccines at last! It took a bit of effort and then even more effort to get our digital certificate but now we can travel and see people and feel a bit more protected and that we are protecting other people too. The actual vaccination centre was super efficient and we were really pleased how they handled it.  Before I go on to other topics, I got a nasty message from someone who apparently has been following this blog for years although they remained anonymous to send me a message. It was a rant about vaccines, veganism, even my ex partner! I can only call it the ramblings of a mad person! As I always say, I am more than happy to engage with others with different views and opinions but I absolutely ...

My partner and I aged 50 and 59 would both like to be vaccinated against Covid-19. My partner is an Irish citizen, he has owned some land in Portugal since 2000. He does not have Portugese residence as this is not his main residence. I am a UK citizen trying to get residence at the moment. We were happy to see there is a dedicated website to register to get vaccinated for people without a health number at https://servicos.min-saude.pt/covid19/vacinacao-nao-utente When we heard that they were vaccinating our age groups here in Portugal we were expecting to be texted with an appointment to come in. Alas nothing and after emailing, with no response, telephoning and going to the health centre and vaccination centre, all we keep being told is we have to go back to our own countries to be vaccinated! So this is Portugal's policy is it? Vaccinate their own and let everyone else get ill? We would like to go back to Ireland and the UK but feel it's unsafe while restrictions are still in...

This isthe hardest blog post I've ever written and is definitely the hardest one to make public. I wrote most of this a week ago but have battled with a fear of sharing these personal things. BUT I am angry and need to be heard and I also want to help other women gain their voice and I feel like I can't do that unless I share what I have been through. I have empathy for others who have experienced domestic violence, controlling behaviour, gaslighting, coercion, sexual harassment, sexual abuse and violence at the hands of men. I want you to know I hear and believe you and I hope by reading this you will understand I am an ally and have experienced some trauma myself so have a level.of understanding to what you may be going through. I want to help bring a voice to the marginalised women, those women who are never believed, the women who come from the wrong neighborhood, the women who struggle with mental health issues, with drug addiction, the gay and trans women, the sex workers...

A few people have asked me if there is a petition against the new law that is being brought in on the 8th January preventing campervans, motorhomes and similar parking anywhere overnight that is not a designated campervan area, i.e. a campsite or aire. There is now a petition which can be found HERE Obviously it is in Portuguese so you may need to use a browser such as Google Chrome which translates the page automatically. You will need to register on the parliament website to sign the petition. All this involves is signing up with an email address, setting up a password and using your I.D. card or passport number to confirm your identity. Once registered you will get a confirmation email and then you can go back on the petition and sign it. It all looks a bit complicated at first but it's fairly simple and well worth signing. Please do make the effort to put your name down and showing there are many people against this ridiculous new law. Thanks for reading :)

From the 8th of January 2021 changes to the Highway Code in Portugal come into effect. The approved changes to the Highway Code clarify the places where motorhomes can stay overnight, parked. It will no longer be allowed to spend the night in car parks, laybys, on the street or on wasteland. The only authorized places where motorhomes will now be able park overnight are the areas designated for that purpose. So unless you are parked on a campsite, aire or other area deemed as an area to park motorhomes you will be breaking the law if you park overnight and sleep in your vehicle anywhere else! Parking will mean the parking of the vehicle with more space than its perimeter for example having a window open outwards or steps sticking out. A motorhome or similar will mean a vehicle that presents a living space or that is adapted for the use of a living space, or classified as motorhome, or caravan. Overnight stay will mean the permanence of a motorhome or similar at the parking place,...