A Creative Spirit
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 →
Have you ever tried Geocaching? I had never tried it until recently and now I'm hooked!! Geocaching can best be described as a high tech worldwide treasure hunt game using a GPS enabled device. The Geocache is the treasure. Not treasure in the true sense of the word but a container (cache) which holds the... Continue Reading →
The run up to Christmas this year feels rather flat and for the first time I feel homesick. Perhaps not "homesick" in the true sense of the word, but everything just feels alien. I think it’s down to the fact that it does not feel Christmassy. Our nearest town has decided not to display any... Continue Reading →
Recently we went to a restaurant where the service was so abysmal and we were treated in such an off-hand way that I asked for the "Livro de Reclamações" (this is the complaints book). Despite being invisible for 90 minutes it was amazing that the manager of the establishment, like a Gene from the lamp,... Continue Reading →
Take me out of my familiar surroundings in Portugal, plant me in France and I feel like an alien newly arrived from Mars. My attempt at pigeon French, unlike my Portuguese, was apparently so incomprehensible I was viewed as some alien being. Hmmm mental note to google Martians to see what they look like! I... Continue Reading →
Are you a “Technomuppet”, Technophobe or a "Techie"? I have just checked an online dictionary and there does not appear to be a definition for "Technomuppet" so perhaps one needs to be created...any ideas please? I am new to blogging and the challenges presented by the behind the scenes WordPress Dashboard are still, for me,... Continue Reading →
Normally, you have to wait about a month to see a Doctor at our local Centre de Saúde (Health Centre). Even then, you can’t guarantee the Doctor will actually turn up! Probably the scarcities of appointments are due to people booking appointments on a ‘just in case I’m ill’, basis. You can imagine my surprise... Continue Reading →
One of the downsides of living close to the beautiful beaches of the Western Algarve is the Tourist Season or as we have aptly named it “The Terrorist Season” Portuguese, Spanish, French and a handful of British Tourists descend on this normally quiet and as yet unspoilt area from mid July to the end of... Continue Reading →
At the beginning of June I decided I would attempt to grow my own salad in containers. My goal - to grow lettuce, tomatoes, radish, courgettes, cucumber, spring onions, French beans and beetroot! An experiment prompted by the fact my little veggie patch now had to share soil space with some maturing trees and a... Continue Reading →
Do you ever look in the mirror and think - "who is that person?" I feel the same inside but WHO is that stranger glaring back at me in the mirror? Oh my God "Bom Dia" it's Mrs Blobby! Reality check! - I'm becoming both FAT and FRUMPY! Oh to wind back the clock -... Continue Reading →
Dear old Victor - We religiously watched "One foot in the grave" every week for years. The situations in which he found himself and how he reacted were an amusing reflection of everyday life. I thought I better introduce Victor quite early on in my Blog, as he will be referred to quite often. I... Continue Reading →
I always cursed driving in the UK until I drove in Portugal. My first experience and practice drive was round the roads of a holiday complex in Albufeira. Everything felt the wrong way round and back to front. For example when I instinctively reached for the seat belt on the right hand side I found myself... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 