Clothesline Below the Castle

The quickest way to our Land is straight along our street and past the Roma encampment into the countryside - takes 10 minutes or less. 

On the way back tonight, saw two ladies laughing together and heard one say, "No, we don't know who that woman is!" So I stopped and chatted to them; they were surprised I spoke Portuguese (ha!), but very willing to be friendly. One, called Dina, kissed me as she left, and then the other started telling me, tears spilling, about a small granddaughter she has, who lives in London, but neither she nor her son, the girl's Dad, are allowed to see her because the Mum has gone off with someone else. 

Unbearably sad.