A Creative Spirit
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 →
Feriado Público As I often forget some of the public and regional holidays in Portugal I thought it would be a great idea to kick off the New Year with this list as a reminder. I have also added this post as a "page" for future reference. Please let me know if there are any... 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 →
Shopping!! I absolutely hate supermarket shopping with a passion! Living quite a way from the big supermarkets, as we do, I organize meal plans and my store cupboard with military precision. However, we usually end up visiting at least 3 supermarkets to make sure we procure everything on the “list”. The shopping expedition usually involves... Continue Reading →
Shopping – The survival guide and more... ...or should I say a stress free guide? 1. Write your shopping list in Portuguese. This is really useful if you are unable to find a product and you do not speak Portuguese. You can at least point and grunt to the item on your list when asking... 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 →
There are many things to consider when moving to Portugal but the one question that seems to be the top of most peoples list is... "How much will it actually cost to live in Portugal?" It was certainly on the very top of my list and I spent hours on the internet looking for clues,... 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 →
My second fishing lesson, SIL very wisely did NOT ask me to cast. The tide was just coming in so we were hopeful the fish would approve of SIL’s new hook combination; which to me looked quite complex. However, I was assured it would yield results as the hooks were smaller and therefore attracted a... Continue Reading →
If anyone ever tells you fishing is easy I can assure you it’s not! Looks easy – but trust me physical strength, perseverance and cunning are all attributes a ‘wannabe’ fisherman/woman needs to acquire. My teacher is my poor son in law (SIL for short). An unlikely combination! My first fishing attempt was about a... 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 →
Piglet in Portugal 