I have recently returned from a one week holiday in Portugal. Among other things, I spent a few days at my uncle Necas' farm. He is a part time Cherry producer and his farm which contains hundreds of cherry trees. Since it is now cherry season, I spend the days picking (and eating!) cherries. Cherries are a great fruit, and believe me if you eat ripe ones straight from the tree, it is as sweet as honey! It is hard labour though and I am not surprised that they are so expensive to buy. Basically, it takes around 45 minutes to pick 5 kilos. And this is just picking, let alone the work (and luck!) that is required to ensure that the trees produce good quality cherries. The weather was great, sunny and a warm temperature, so besides an active day in the countryside you also get a nice sun tan...
With my uncle Necas
Boxes ready to go to the market
Cherries in the tree 
My first bucket!I brought with me a suitcase full of cherries, which I have sold to colleagues and friends: £4 per ½ kilo bag! I did this as a means to raise funds for charity. In the UK it is common for people to raise funds for the charity(ies) they support and I have taken this opportunity to do it myself. The money raised - £82 - has been donated to 3 charities:
- Pebble Beach Charitable Trust – UK (£20): Trust associated to the Pebble Beach Restaurant in Barton on Sea (Hampshire). 50% of the monies raised by this charity are given to a local Hampshire and Dorset charity (currently 'help the aged'), while the other half provides computers and educational equipment to schools and youth projects in Brazil that would otherwise be unable to have access to essential technology
- Portuguese Association of Cerebral Palsy - Leiria Branch - Portugal (£20/€22): My friend Nuno Brilhante Pedrosa just fulfilled his dream of uniting the 2 Poles of the Globe, travelling as far as possible, by bicycle and in autonomy, from the Canadian Artic to the 'Tierra del Fuego' in Argentina, cycling over 42.000 kilometres. During his journey, he raised the flag (and money!) for this charity. To celebrate his achievement and the important work of the charity, I have decided to share the money with them.
- Leukaemia Research UK (£42) - the only charity in the UK dedicated exclusively to researching blood cancers and disorders including leukaemia, Hodgkin’s and other lymphomas, and myeloma. One of my best friends has recently been diagnosed with early stages of leukaemia, and the 3 year son of a colleague's best friend is also undergoing chemotherapy, hence the ‘double’ amount to this charity.
On behalf of the charities, a big thank you to all who have bought the cherries, as well my uncle Manuel Antunes Rodrigues (aka Necas) who kindly donated them.
