A Creative Spirit
Moving to a country where English is not the first language definitely has its disadvantages if you are not a natural linguist. Some people are fortunate to learn a language purely by osmosis, but not me - I have the retentive memory of a gnat. In the past I’ve spent a small fortune on Portuguese... Continue Reading →
Imagine the scenario: you've taken the children/teenagers on holiday to a beach only to discover there are no touristy beach activities such as banana rides, pedalos and beach trampolines etc to keep them amused. They survey the location in horror as they realise there's nothing but sand, shells, stones and sea. Help! The family are... Continue Reading →
Millions of "beef" burgers were removed from supermarket shelves across the UK because they contain horse meat. The nation is outraged and justifiably so when it's reported some burgers contain as much as 29% horse! The nation is then informed, as I discovered in the Telegraph newspaper, "Horse meat in burgers 'could be health risk'.... Continue Reading →
Piglet put the kettle on Piglet put the kettle on, Piglet put the kettle on we all want some tea... Except we won’t have some tea because the pigging thing won’t work. A couple of months ago we had a problem with our kettle. Now in the grander scheme of things a dodgy kettle is... Continue Reading →
This week's theme for Jakes photo challenge is City Living in a city I'm sure has many advantages, but I've always pondered on the problem as to where city-dwellers hang their wet washing to dry in these tiny trendy city apartments. Now I know! Every time I visit a big city claustrophobia washes over me,... Continue Reading →
The UV levels in Portugal can be really high and because I have very fair skin (Piglet pink) I regularly apply sunscreen, even in winter. You can imagine I was quite perturbed when I read this article so thought I would share with my readership! By Leah Zerbe Not all sunscreen is created equal—some varieties... Continue Reading →
Recycling in the home is one of my passions, so before disposing of anything from egg boxes and string to plastic bottles and containers I now ask myself "How can I reuse this item - either in its current form or in an alternative way?" It's amazing how creative one can be! Recycling and conserving... Continue Reading →
A year or so ago we went to a brilliant Italian restaurant in a seaside town near Portimão, in the Algarve. The staff were efficient and friendly, the pasta was perfect, the sauce delicious and the desserts outstanding! Even the decor and ambience were welcoming, so we vowed to return next time we were in... Continue Reading →
Holidays and House Guests I was recently asked by a friend living in the UK: "Do expats still take holidays and if so where?" What a strange question and one I’d never considered! So what's the deal with expats and holidays? Do you return to your homeland to visit family and friends, explore your new... Continue Reading →
Do you remember this picture? It was my interpretation of the theme "Broken" for the “Wordpress Weekly Photo Challenge on the 6th August. It was my “Broken” oven and guess what folks? My oven is still broken! Initially, I was very impressed when the appliance engineer actually arrived on the agreed day and more or less at... Continue Reading →
After traveling over, 5400km across Portugal, Spain, England and France plus two ferry crossings and five weeks away the “Grandparents Tour of Europe” (as our friends aptly named it) is over and we are now home! Exhausted we must now return to the treadmill of normality, whatever “normal” is here in this la la land... Continue Reading →
Margaret at Cachando Chile challenged her followers to write a post about "Stuff that just bugs me…" This challenge was not too difficult as I've definitely become more "grumpy" as I've grown older! Not that all older people are "grumpy", I hasten to add!...Hmmm I think I am digging a deeper hole here so I... Continue Reading →
This week I felt extremely sad as yet another close friend, who opted for early retirement, announced she is “selling up” and returning home to good old blighty (UK). Not only is Portugal not the “promised land” she had imagined, but now the honeymoon period is over, at fifty two years old she is totally... Continue Reading →
How do you feel about answering census questions; do you feel it is a useful exercise, a waste of money or a further intrusion into our privacy? Last Sunday the woman from our local Camara (council) delivered our form and a slip of paper with our pin number for the 2011 Portugal Census on the... Continue Reading →
When we opened our first bank account in Portugal the only thing I remember was our lawyer marching us up the road to a bank. The rest of the proceedings were a complete blur because said “proceedings” were conducted in Portuguese. Various pieces of paper were passed back and forth across the desk, our signatures... Continue Reading →
What makes a "Perfect Sunday" when every day is the same? When you retire early - days, weeks and months are only punctuated by special events and highlights as one day merges with the next. Early retirement in the sun may seem idyllic but in reality you no longer have the anticipation of the Monday... Continue Reading →
I am rarely lost for words but on this occasion I was almost speechless. To set the scene we had been walking around Lyon (France) taking numerous photographs in sub-zero temperatures and I was desperate for a hot cup of coffee and the loo (toilet). Frozen to the bone we decided to stop at a... Continue Reading →
One of my passions is gardening and the Gazanias reward me with an ongoing display of unusual daisy-like flowers twelve months of the year. These photos were taken today after weeks of showers, gales and heavy rain. I was amazed any had actually survived such an onslaught, so with a break in the weather I... Continue Reading →
Every year we make New Year’s Resolutions, but why? How many of these “resolutions” do we actually achieve? I am pleased to say that last year one of my resolutions was to start a blog about life in Portugal. It was quite a challenge for a “technomuppet” such as me, especially as six months before... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 