A Creative Spirit
Another Wild Wednesday. This week, I feature wild fennel, Foeniculum vulgare. Everywhere I look, I see wild fennel. Apparently, you can use it for cooking, but although there is an abundance growing on the land near our property, so far, I've not been tempted. * * https://www.letseatweeds.com/look-alikes/fennel-look-alikes/ The Let's Eat Weeds website offers interesting references... Continue Reading →
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 →
I love the Helichrysum Italicum, or as I sometimes refer to it, the 'curry plant', because of its curry-scented leaves. According to Wikipedia, other common names include Italian strawflower and immortelle. It grows on rocky or sandy ground and can reach up to 60cm high. After picking, the yellow flowers retain their colour and can... 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 →
This week, the weather in our corner of the Western Algarve has been mixed. There has been sea mist and temperatures varying from between 20 to 34C, but there has been no rain. It's only a quick six this week. Breakfast Patio Trying to revamp the back northeast-facing patio to catch the morning sun in... Continue Reading →
We returned home from France to damp and humid weather. When I woke up the following day, this is the view I was greeted with. I initially cheered because I thought it was raining. Nope, we were enveloped in a cloud! Sea mist. We often experience this in July and August as we live so... 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 →
Another week and another Six on Saturday, although by the time I finish resizing and preparing all the photographs, it could well be Six on Sunday. The weather this week has been more mizzle and overcast than sunny. We've enjoyed the occasional shower of rain, but not enough to make a difference. 1. Bromelias Mr.... 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 →
For this week's Gardening Six on Saturday (SoS), I have chosen the fruits of my labour. A shout out to Mr. Piglet, who is now the main grafter while I supervise. A nod to our gardening host, Jim, over at Garden Ruminations. 1. Red Onions - June Harvest Finally, the red onions I planted in... 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 →
For this week's Wild Wednesday in the Western Algarve I offer wild yellow lupins. These can usually be seen between March and August. Como citar este mapa F.Clamote, J.D.Almeida, A.Carapeto, P.V.Araújo, P.Beja, M.J.Correia, J.Lourenço, M.Porto, et al. (2024). Lupinus luteus L. - mapa de distribuição. Flora-On: Flora de Portugal Interactiva, Sociedade Portuguesa de Botânica. http://www.flora-on.pt/#wLupinus+luteus.... 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 →
Do you enjoy photographing wildflowers, bugs, birds, snakes, and other curiosities in the wild? I decided to revisit the meme I created 'Wild Wednesday", where I share a photograph of wild flora or fauna in my local Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina area. Why not join me, share your photo on your... Continue Reading →
This morning, I wandered around our garden looking for plants to feature in this week's Six on Saturday and with so many surprises, good and bad, I struggled to make a selection. I shamefully neglected my garden last week while we entertained family over on a week's holiday, and now I am playing catchup. It's... 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 →
For this week's Six on Saturday, I focus on some of the fruit and vegetables we grow in pots with varying degrees of success. Growing fruit and vegetables or indeed any plants in containers, creates various challenges, which include: Too much water or not enough: I use a moisture meter because often the top couple... Continue Reading →
My Blog, 'Piglet in Portugal,' was born on May 21st, 2010. YaY! 14 years old. How time flies and how the blogging community has changed over the last 14 years! During this time, I have published 662 posts and acquired 3,309 subscribers I still remember my daughter 'Piglet in France' sitting at my computer and... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 