Funny, funny morning.

Gladys was admiring my new top at breakfast.
I look down and the top button is undone.
Not really a good look.
Hastily done up.
It pops again.

Hmmm ...
Safety pins safely locked away in the suitcase that is now in the bottom of the bus.
Hmmm ....

So ( holding myself together ) I approach reception ...
The man there does not speak English.

And, the sheet of common Portuguese phrases that Tiago has given us does not include anything resembling ...
' Hey , I keep exposing myself. Have you got a pin?'

So ... charades it is.

Well, that was funny enough as it was.

' Pin?'

' Paperclip?' ... ( Just try miming that!)

Aha!

' Stapler!'

That is a lot harder than it looks.

So I now have a new top with half a dozen staples in the front and still gaping ...

And, no, I didn't have assistance.
( The poor man was desperately looking for somewhere to hide.)

Then, a lovely young man who had been collecting our cases and taking them to the bus, and had been seriously trying to not notice what was going on ...

Held up a tiny safety pin, passed it to me and looked highly embarrassed, but triumphant!

Well, he was my best friend!
Much hand shaking and laughter.

He has a mother too, doesn't he?

So off to the privacy of my room.

( The horse had really bolted though, hadn't it?)

Unstapled my shirt ...

There you go, ready for the day.

Count the morals in this tale!