A Creative Spirit
When my son and fiancée moved to their new home in the UK they inherited a neglected, but nevertheless healthy rhubarb plant which had masses of thick juicy stalks. I was green with envy as the plant was growing in a small container and I'd desperately tried for years to grow rhubarb in containers, with... Continue Reading →
Beginning to feel faint from the intense heat I paused in the shade of a large tree to people-watch. I smiled as tourists, oblivious to the scorching sun and their already lobster-red arms and faces, rummaged enthusiastically through the clothes stalls. Brightly coloured tie-dye dresses and tops at just two for €15.00 were waved in... Continue Reading →
But not as we know it! Perhaps looking at this photograph you would be forgiven for thinking the shot was taken in the heart of the country, and not in a small town in the Western Algarve. When I captured this moment it was if I'd stepped back in time to another era and a... Continue Reading →
Hibiscus are my favourite plants (shrubs) because they are SO easy to grow and reward me with an abundance of beautiful flowers throughout the year. Unable to grow them in England I was naturally delighted to discover not only did they grow well in the Algarve, but also the amazing different varieties to choose from.... Continue Reading →
The theme for this week's WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is"Free Spirit" Sitting on the shoreline Looking out to sea. Body boarding or fishing The challenge sets me free A free spirit in the water At the mercy of the sea. The sunset lifts my spirit But boarding sets me free.
The Medieval Fair held in the historic town of Silves is our favourite event of the year. In fact, we enjoy it so much it's always the first social event flagged, in advance, on our Calender. If you live in the Algarve and have never been to the Silves Medieval fair you must go once,... Continue Reading →
Are they the eyes of a GM critter? Have aliens arrived from outer space? hmmmm I'm not convinced. OK, humour me and let your imagination indulge itself - what do you think? Please check out Piglet's new gardening blog - Piglet's Plot for the answer...
The theme for Jake's Photo Challenge this week is: Black and White however, I am not a great lover of black and white photographs. Yes, I know they can be "Arty", but to me they look rather bland and soulless. (Please feel free to disagree) Perhaps, because I am rather a colourful person I can't... Continue Reading →
My container gardening diary continues... The temperatures in July, after scorching winds, soared into the 30Cs and certainly tested my tenacity and ability to grow fruit and vegetables in containers. Unlike cacti, succulents, hibiscus and the other variety of plants I grow, container grown fruit and vegetables are certainly more challenging for the novice gardener.... Continue Reading →
The theme for this week's WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is "Wrong". I often reflect on the heated and ongoing debate about the traditional spectacle of bullfighting which is popular in several countries including Spain and Portugal. While some people refer to bullfighting as an "Art" others refer to it as "Sport". Either way should people... Continue Reading →
Or should this be "10 useful facts I did not know about the Carob tree"? Lacking inspiration for this week's Wordpress Weekly Photo Challenge - theme: "Growth" , I stumbled across this picture of an old Carob tree (Árvore de alfarrobeiras). I'd taken the picture on our first geo-cache expedition and according to the accompanying blurb about... Continue Reading →
During one of our visits to France I discovered an addictive sweet biscuit called nougatine. It's a wafer thin almond concoction eaten with coffee/tea or used as a decorative wafer when serving ice cream. Or if you are like me, and a real pig, you could munch your way through this addictive creation in one... Continue Reading →
You certainly reap what you sow! I've devoted hours tending my vegetable garden this month and I'm now reaping the benefits with an abundant crop of tomatoes, lettuce, radish, carrots, peppers, red cabbage and French green beans. The crops are fed at regular intervals with the MiracleGro kindly donated by a friend. However, I can't... Continue Reading →
Praia da Ingrina is a Blue Flag beach located in an idyllic and unspoilt country setting "far from the 'maddening' crowds". As I sat on the beach enjoying the tranquility and natural beauty I could even hear a cockerel crowing in the distance. That's a first, I've never heard a cockerel crowing from my vantage... Continue Reading →
The theme for this week's WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is "Inside" In 2011, stranded in the UK due to the volcanic ash cloud we took the opportunity to visit many old towns and villages in the Cotswolds. Rather than taking their quaint charm for granted we viewed the architecture with fresh eyes and appreciated its... Continue Reading →
The UV levels in Portugal can be really high and because I have very fair skin (Piglet pink) I regularly apply sunscreen, even in winter. You can imagine I was quite perturbed when I read this article so thought I would share with my readership! By Leah Zerbe Not all sunscreen is created equal—some varieties... Continue Reading →
I love painting street scenes, however because I'm absolutely hopeless at drawing and especially "perspective" I needed to find a creative way to overcome my lack of talent. With this in mind I decided to cheat and with the aid of Photoshop created an outline picture from one of my favourite photographs which I could... Continue Reading →
Last week, on a grandparents day out, we took our little granddaughter to a huge lake with a beach and supervised swimming area. Once we'd found a suitable shady area to set up camp, laid out her blanket so she had a place to crawl, she sat motionless - almost mesmerised as she surveyed all... Continue Reading →
Orange trees grow almost like weeds here in the Algarve, except when I try to grow one of course! However, driving through the Algarve countryside it grieves me to see the amount of oranges that are just left to rot on the trees or on ground where they fall - what a waste! Still, hopefully... Continue Reading →
My monthly garden diary continues with my ongoing attempts to grow fruit and vegetables in pots and various containers. After various gardening disasters in May I learned some valuable lessons such as a basic understanding of soil nutrients, watering (under and over) and the size of the pots I should be using to name a... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 