Christmas is a-coming and the delivery men are in overdrive trying to deliver Christmas gifts. Finding our house is challenging enough, but when people do not provide our correct address, we are nigh on impossible to find. Needle and haystack springs to mind. Our son ordered my Christmas present and told me it was on... Continue Reading →
I've had many smiley moments over the last week so to keep this short I'll only share three. Onions - A Lost in Translation Moment How can onions make you smile when they are renowned for making you cry? I always grow red onions as they are quite expensive to buy in the shops. So... Continue Reading →
Learn the “Lingo” or live life in an “Expat Bubble”!
I am a great advocate of the fact that when you move to a new country you ‘attempt’ to gain, at the very least, a basic understanding of both language and culture. Without this ‘basic’ knowledge so much of everyday life and cultural opportunities are lost, and you effectively live a parallel existence in your new environment; there in body but not quite in mind. You still watch English TV, read English Newspapers and mainly interact with your fellow compatriots or those who speak English.
I accept, everyone is not a natural linguist and I certainly do not fall into that category – far from it! Despite years of studying Portuguese very little has permeated the grey matter and words just float aimlessly in my memory in disjointed sentences. However, on a positive note, I now often read a Portuguese…
One of my personal pet peeves are my square stumpy feet. They resemble pig's trotters and make me feel like one of Cinderella's ugly sisters. It's official: I hate shopping for boots. Why? Most standard shoe retailers, such as Guimaraes, only seem to focus on women with Cinderella feet, so if you are blessed with... Continue Reading →
There is a campaign to create a "carpet of poppies" in different countries across the world to mark 100 years since the end of the World War I. Can we create a campaign across the net, a link of poppies across the blogosphere? Centenary Commemorations for The First World War started on 28 July 2014... Continue Reading →
Are you on, or contemplating going on a diet and need moral support? Do you have a sense of humour and the ability to laugh at yourself? If so, I have started a fun FaceBook support group called Piglet's Porkers for like-minded people. This is not a formal group selling a particular diet. Which each... Continue Reading →
As the autumn evenings draw in, my thoughts turn to log fires and battening down the hatches in readiness for the long winter nights ahead. Summer clothes are now packed away and replaced by winter woolies, thermal PJs and of course my faithful 'onesie' which was a present from a friend. Not the most flattering... Continue Reading →
When I was young it was called graffiti now it's moved upmarket and is called Street Art or Murals. At least it has given some artists an outlet to display their work. A few years ago I was walking down a side street in Lagos on the Western Algarve and happened upon this larger than... Continue Reading →
There is a new addition to the disabled and mother and baby parking bays. Or maybe it's always been there and I've never noticed. There is now designated parking close to the entrance of the store for people with walking disabilities. (At least that is what I think the sign means). Fourteen months after injuring... Continue Reading →
I am usually not too squeamish when it comes to insects, but snakes... ewww... Natrix_natrix_(Marek_Szczepanek).jpg Last week, I was walking in the garden at the side of the house when a snake, about 1.5m long, slithered onto the path in front of me. I froze in terror as it reared up and then zig-zagged towards... Continue Reading →
Last September I injured my knee, so after months of pain I finally consulted with an orthopedic specialist who organised an MRI scan and X-ray. The diagnosis: I had a ruptured meniscus, tendonitis, arthritis and a crack in my knee bone. Ouch! I consoled myself with the fact there are people far worse than myself... Continue Reading →
Hibiscus are my favourite plants (shrubs) because they are SO easy to grow and reward me with an abundance of beautiful flowers throughout the year. I began experimenting as to the best method of propagating hibiscus from cuttings a couple of years ago when the cost of buying plants in Portugal rose significantly. I’m talking... Continue Reading →
Do cats and dogs need us as much as we need them? When I was a child I had two cats both of which were killed on the road. When I lost my first cat I was heartbroken so my parents, in an attempt to soften the loss, bought me a kitten which I named... Continue Reading →
Today I was driving down a very 'wibbly wobbly', twisty narrow road to my mosaic class. Given my knowledge of the road I drive steady. Real steady. I call it the road of Hell or the pathway to Heaven. I always anticipate the unexpected as it is not unusual to drive round a bend to... Continue Reading →
National Geographic will be streaming Leonardo DiCaprio's environmental documentary 'Before the Flood ' entirely free from October 30th till November 6th. Before the Flood will also be available on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, iTunes and Google Play, in over 170 countries and 45 languages. https://youtu.be/8dxAgt9XXPU National Geographic says it’s distributing the movie for free as part of... Continue Reading →
I accept I'm not the sharpest tool in the drawer when it comes to mastering technology and digital gizmos, but even I had to groan at this particular 'senior blond' moment. Wanting to lose weight I invested in a FitBit Charge HR. So far so good. Much to everyone's surprised snickers I managed to 'set... Continue Reading →
The theme for this week's WordPress challenge is 'Opposites'. Contemplating the differences in opinion for Brexit: 'Remain' or 'Leave', how could I express the extremes behind the vote and the wisdom of the 'Leave' result in terms of a photograph? In the end it will boil down to money. Some think the UK will be... Continue Reading →
Are you stuck for somewhere to eat and looking for inspiration such as a nice restaurant with good food as well as great views? Here are my suggestions (listed in no particular order) for the wild West of Portugal. . LAGOS Lazy Jacks Lagos Marina Tel: (+351) 911568143 Wheelchair access: Yes Parking: Yes Accessible by... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 