I had plenty to get done today, but fate and the weather conspired to stop me. My first task was to get a key cut. The last time I got keys cut at home it cost me £27; this time it cost 80 euro cents - or roughly 50p. That's the difference between the UK and Portugal in a nutshell: £26.50 for a new set of keys. Next task was to get myself a pass for Lisbon´s public transport. Once again the difference between home and here is clear: a five day pass for unlimited travel on the buses and Metro costs just over £9, a day ticket for Dundee's buses costs £2.50. Where Portugal doesn't score so highly, however, is customer service. Because I have been out of Portugal since March, my Portuguese mobile phone service was suspended (despite my account being in credit!): this is because I failed to make a call or send a text at least once a month. I can live with that. It ought to be a simple thing to get the phone reactivated: it was straightforward the last time I had to do it. Not this time, though. I went to the big shop at Parque das Nações, and was told that the phone would be reactivated. I waited. I waited for four hours. Then I went to another of the company's shops, where the assistant was unable to sort the problem out. He suggested that I purchase a new phone and get everything transferred over because there appeared to be a problem with my existing phone (which is quite old, it must be said). Since the new phones were cheap, and they came with a reasonable credit; and since he told me that I would be able to keep my existing number, and transfer my existing credit, it decided to go for it. Much to-ing and fro-ing; much discussion between my assistant and his colleagues; much removing and replacing the SIM card; and much serious looks at the computer screen ensued. I was informed - after I had paid for the new phone - that they couldn't do anything because my account remains suspended until tomorrow. Only then can they activate my new phone with my old number and transfer over the credit and all of my contacts. In the meantime, I have not to use my new phone or the SIM card that came with it. So, here I am €100 out of pocket and still no phone. And, just to top it all, the weather is miserable. Que vida é!