Man, what a day! I swear, Monchique really knows how to throw a curveball. So, I’m a watchmaker, right? Just a dude trying to fix timepieces and live my life. But today? Pffft, it was like a rollercoaster on steroids.
I woke up, sun shining through my window on Rua da Igreja. Thought, “Today’s gonna be chill.” Ha! Spoiler alert: it wasn’t. I grabbed my coffee from that little café on Rua do Comércio. You know the one? The barista, Maria, always gives me extra foam. Love that lady. But today, she was all flustered. Turns out, the espresso machine broke. I mean, c’mon! How do you run a café without espresso?
So, I’m standing there, waiting for my fix, and I’m already feeling the anger bubbling. I need my caffeine, people! Finally, I get a cappuccino, but it’s not the same. I’m like, “Whatever, I’ll just fix some watches and forget about it.”
I head to my shop on Avenida da Liberdade. It’s a cozy little place, filled with ticking clocks and the smell of old wood. I love it. But today, my first customer, this old dude, comes in with a watch that looks like it’s been through a war. I mean, it’s scratched up, the glass is cracked, and I’m like, “Dude, what did you do? Fight a bear?”
He just shrugs. “It’s a family heirloom.” Great. Now I gotta work magic on this thing. I’m sweating bullets, trying to fix it, and he’s just staring at me like I’m some kind of wizard. No pressure, right?
Then, outta nowhere, the power goes out. I’m like, “Seriously?!” I’m in the dark, fumbling around for my tools. I can’t see a thing! I’m cursing under my breath, thinking about how I’m gonna explain this to the old guy.
But then, I hear this commotion outside. I peek out the window on Rua da Calçada, and there’s a parade! A freakin’ parade! I mean, who has a parade on a Tuesday? It’s all colorful floats and people dancing. I’m torn between fixing the watch and watching the show.
Finally, I finish the old dude’s watch. It’s not perfect, but it’ll do. He’s all smiles, and I’m like, “Okay, maybe today isn’t a total bust.” I step outside, and the energy is electric. Everyone’s laughing, dancing, and I’m just soaking it all in.
But then, I see my buddy, João, trying to juggle oranges. He’s terrible at it. I mean, he drops one, and it rolls right into a lady’s foot. She’s not happy. She starts yelling at him, and I’m cracking up. It’s like a scene from a comedy.
I decide to join the fun. I grab an orange and try to juggle too. Spoiler: I’m just as bad. I drop it, and it splats on the ground. Everyone’s laughing, and I’m just there, red-faced. But hey, it’s all in good fun, right?
As the sun sets over the hills of Monchique, I’m feeling good. I stroll down to the viewpoint at Foia. The view is breathtaking. You can see the whole Algarve from up there. I take a deep breath, and for a moment, all the craziness fades away.
But then, I remember I left my tools at the shop. Ugh! I rush back, and of course, I trip on the cobblestones. Classic me. I’m laughing at myself, thinking, “What a day!”
So, yeah, Monchique, you wild little town. You’ve got your ups and downs, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Just another day in the life of a watchmaker, right? Time keeps ticking, and so do I.