A Creative Spirit
The statue of Infante D. Henrique (Henry the Navigator), sits pride of place in the Praça do Infante Dom Henrique within a few metres of the "Slave Market". Born March 4th, 1394 Henry was an important figure in the Portuguese Age of Discovery and sponsored exploration voyages in search of new trade routes down the coast of Africa.... Continue Reading →
So what's with the studded boots and 'hot lip' leggings, you may well ask? My friends inform me I'm having a midlife crisis - that or I'm going barking mad. I even threatened to have pink and purple rebellious highlights in my hair but the jury is still out on that idea! So why have... Continue Reading →
My Mum passed away in December at the grand old age of 87 years young. Although her mind had long-ceased to focus on the here and now and she lived in the past, she was a tough old bird and I expected her to live to a hundred. When I received the call to get... Continue Reading →
When it's a choo choo... noooo that's not a Portuguese sneeze! Feeling rather adventurous during a recent shopping foray to the local farmers' market, I stepped outside my cautious 'foodie' comfort zone and decided to experiment with some, shall we say... some of the more weird and wonderful vegetable offerings they had on sale. As... Continue Reading →
Please check out my latest column at Expat Focus.There are many different exercise classes here in the Algarve including yoga, zumba, and aerobics, so whatever possessed me to join a pilate’s class? ...I asked myself as I lay on the beach, covered in sand and frizzling in the midday sun.My friend, who introduced me to... Continue Reading →
The theme for this week's WordPress Photo Challenge is "Unusual". This is an unusual photograph of a piglet's ear. Yes, you read correctly, and what's more, I was about to eat it! Lunching with some friends I reluctantly ordered Leitão assado à Bairrada (suckling pig). "Okay, no pig deal," I thought as squirmed in my... Continue Reading →
If you enjoy writing and are looking for a 'creative' weekend away in a beautiful location, why not check out Anne Ayler's creative writing course? Read more about my personal experience of last year's course here. In October 2013 the third “Write Now! in Portugal!” creative writing course will be held at the Holiday Inn... Continue Reading →
Last Saturday in our quiet corner of "La La land" (aka Portugal), was just like any other day until we noticed plumes of dark grey smoke rising above the rooftops of the villas opposite. Sandwich poised, and hovering en route to my mouth, I remained motionless as I stared at the thick billowing smoke in... Continue Reading →
In January I started my diet (RUDE word, but needs must). My goal: lose 42lb in 21 weeks. Achievable? Climbing Everest is achievable! My personal trainer convinced me it was possible "Anything is possible if we put our minds to it." That's diet of course, not climbing Everest, which of course would not. She's obviously... Continue Reading →
Jenny recently contacted "Piglet in Portugal" (unaware she knew me through her monthly writing group), to ask if I would help promote her e-book through my blog. What a small world! Naturally I was delighted to help. Jenny's book presents a great opportunity to learn even more about Portugal, past and present. Her book Firewater,... Continue Reading →
When I saw the theme for this week's Weekly Photo Challenge was "UP", I immediately thought of this photograph! No, I was not persuaded to climb up a snaking ladder to the top of this enormous slide. As I pointed out, I may be cabbage looking but I'm not completely mad. So, who's daring enough... Continue Reading →
We've attended many fairs and festivals in Portugal, however this has to rank as not only the most interesting but the most humbling lesson in social integration and how welcoming a small community can be. The day of the "Feira da Sopa" (Soup Fair) dawned cold, damp and miserable. In fact, it was the sort... Continue Reading →
I don't have any pictures of Easter Bunnies or Easter Eggs, so hope a picture of Folar da Páscoa will suffice. I'd planned to drag Mr. Piglet along to a Folar da Páscoa festival today. However, as it's being held outside and the weather is SO awful I will have to wait until next year!... Continue Reading →
For those still trapped by the daily working rat-race of life how many times have you desperately waited for a Bank Holiday weekend, and then the weather is pooh? All week you’ve looked out of your office window longingly at the sunshine, counting the hours before you can escape. The big day arrives and then... Continue Reading →
Since moving to Portugal one of my favorite meals, when we eat out, is a fish stew (Caldeirada) but the type which is cooked and served in a copper dish called a Cataplana. As you can see from my photograph the dish has two hinged clam-like shells which are clamped tightly together during cooking. Researching... Continue Reading →
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 →
A few weeks ago I broke one of my back molars on some crusty Portuguese bread. For the uninitiated the crusts are rock hard so lethal if you have crowns, false teeth or indeed any other form of dentistry! Despite my aversion to dentists, the noise of the drill and that enormous needle they inject... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 