A Creative Spirit
This week's coffee share comes from a cafe on the promenade overlooking Praia da Luz. As I sip on my coffee and stare out to sea across the beautiful sandy beach, I reflect on the last week. I can honestly say my days are never mundane; boredom does not feature in my vocabulary, and I... Continue Reading →
Thanks to the weather, I lost my momentum in the garden this week. I now understand how the UK gardeners struggle when they experience weeks of rain. The drought here continues, and I have just been alerted that we are in an area of maximum fire risk. In fact, there was a fire very close... Continue Reading →
How time flies! It only feels like yesterday we were having coffee last weekend. This time last Sunday, we were at the local bar watching England lose to Spain in the European Football Championship. Well done, Spain, who, to my inexperienced eye, looked the stronger team. I don't usually like watching football, but I did... Continue Reading →
'Hey, tell me about your week,' you ask. 'A week, I've had a crazy two weeks since we last met for coffee and a catch-up.' 'Why crazy?' I blow a long sigh and take a sip of coffee. I want to order a Pastel da Nata but resist the temptation. 'We went to France to... Continue Reading →
"How was your week?" Mine...? My sister and her hubby arrived on Tuesday to stay for a few days. She lives in Spain, and I've not seen her for two years. It was great to catch up, but I did feel sorry for them as I'm unable to walk far on a good day, but... Continue Reading →
How was your week? Sigh… Let's start with the dreaded 'D' word. I hold my hands up in despair. I am a porker. I've put back on all the weight I've lost. Can food talk to us? The little voice that says, 'Eat me. You know how much you love cheesecake, tiramisu, pavlova, pastries and... Continue Reading →
What a challenging week! I received an email from the sister of my closest (online friend), Darren White, stating that he had sadly passed away at twenty-six. Darren had always prepared me for the fact that he had not long to live, but as months turned to years and numerous operations later, I filed the... Continue Reading →
Because there are many swimming-related accidents/deaths a year in Portugal, I'm sharing these video clips I found on YouTube: 'How to Spot a Riptide Current' and 'What If You Were Caught in a Riptide?' I've lost count of the times I've seen children left unattended to play in the waves or inexperienced swimmers/surfers/bodyboarders take to... Continue Reading →
If we were having coffee this weekend, I'd have to decline cake and cookies and watch while you enjoyed one of these delicious offerings. Tempting desserts at Sugar and Salt, Portimao. It's been a hectic week—a very hectic week socialising or, as my American friend calls it - 'gladding'. I've been gladding when I should... Continue Reading →
Are you sitting comfortably? Do you take your coffee with or without sugar? Or maybe you would like something stronger? When we were in Annecy, France, a couple of weeks ago, I was heartened to see this street art in one of the back streets by a cafe. The artists were protesting about the use... Continue Reading →
A week ago today, we were in France staying with our daughter and family to celebrate our granddaughter's 13th Birthday and support her in the regional basketball semi-finals for age groupsthirteen and under. Microsoft 365 A few days before our trip, I discovered the laptop I use when travelling decided to have a hissy fit.... Continue Reading →
It's been a busy week! My coffee comes from a coffee shop in Lagos, in the Western Algarve. It is Friday, just after 9:30 a.m., and I'm killing time before my appointment at the hairdressers. Much to my surprise, the street was deserted, so I checked my watch in case it was 8:30 a.m. Where... Continue Reading →
This is a tough post because I don't want it to come across as a whine. However, I hope this sign resonates with those who are frustrated due to reduced mobility and strikes a chord with them, like me. Anyway, I saw this sign in a local restaurant. It reminded me to stay positive and... Continue Reading →
What a week!! I need something more substantial than coffee to celebrate! Before I take my first sip of Irish coffee, I apologize for not visiting/commenting on many of my favourite blogs this week. I've not been slacking, honestly! My collab partner, D.L. Keur, and I have been working through the final draft of The... Continue Reading →
On January 1st, 2024, I only made two New Year's resolutions: Abstain from alcohol for the month of January. Lose 15kg in weight by June 2024 I am proud to say I completed Dry January with flying colours, but the diet resolution and motivation are flagging. I didn't specify when in June or which year.... Continue Reading →
Apparently, we scroll miles every year on our mouse and perform millions of clicks. Since my beloved ergonomic HP mouse died a few weeks ago, I have been limping along, moaning and groaning. Would you buy ill-fitting shoes? I trawled around the shops with my dead mouse, searching for a replacement, but it felt like... Continue Reading →
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Rock is situated on the promontory between the beaches of Praia da Sra da Rocha and Praia Nova, Porches in the Municipality of Lagoa. We stumbled across the ancient chapel purely by chance while looking for the Vilarinho Beach restaurant. After lunch, we drove up to the chapel... Continue Reading →
The first part of the week passed slowly, probably due to the weather - strong winds and heavy showers and I didn't feel like going out - not even in my garden, which is rare. I wrote a job list to try and motivate me out of my funk and then just looked at it. Meh... Continue Reading →
According to Wikipedia In Portugal, the holiday is known as "Dia dos Namorados" (Lovers' Day / Day of the Enamoured). As elsewhere, couples exchange gifts, but in some regions, women give a lenço de namorados ("lovers' handkerchief"), which is usually embroidered with love motifs.[180] I love the idea of a 'lovers' hankerchief'. Something simple. Not... Continue Reading →
In November 2022, we decided to don our green halo, join the club, and install solar panels. Had to do our bit to help save the planet, right? The sales rep interrogated us on the appliances we used and then recommended four panels. I scratched my head at his assessment. Once we had installed the... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 