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 →
FADO – is like Marmite!
"Fado cannot be explained, it must be felt and experienced” (quote from http://www.fado.com) The word fado I am told means fate but the music portrays a far wider range of emotions from love, betrayal, sorrow, death, hopelessness, passion and more - in truth all the emotions we feel and can relate to. I personally believe... Continue Reading →
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Silves Medieval Fair 2010
Silves Medieval Fair (7th- 15th August 2010) Video of opening Procession The annual Medieval Fair is held over nine days and well worth noting in your diary for future reference should you ever visit the Algarve during this time. This year the fair covers the period of the Moorish domination - five centuries of urban... Continue Reading →
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“Ugly Bug Ball” Insects in my garden
This is a pictorial guide to just some of the unusual insects, bugs and critters which inhabit my garden. I have not, as yet identified "what" they are or whether they are friend or foe - so if you can help - that would be great! We live in harmony, each of us avoiding the other;... Continue Reading →
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A visit to the Centre de Saúde
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 →
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Piglet’s Portuguese Salad
This is a great recipe for a quick and simple lunch complimented by a couple of glasses of Portuguese white wine. I was originally told this recipe was called Salad Nicoise but I have since been informed (after a heated debate with some French friends, from Nice) that it's not! Authentic Salad Nicoise apparently does not... Continue Reading →
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Cost of Living in Portugal
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 →
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Tourists terrorize the locals – Vuvuzelas find new use!
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 →
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Courgette and Tomato Chutney
Piglet’s Courgette and Tomato Chutney My courgettes (after a rather feeble start) have now grown to the size of marrows! Presented with a 'glut' of both marrow sized courgettes and tomatoes I decided to make some chutney rather than taking the easiest option which would have been to freeze them. Ingredients 2lb courgettes (peeled) 1lb... Continue Reading →
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Seeds in the post…
The internet is certainly a great place to interact and share hobbies and interests with people from all over the world. I recently started corresponding with a lovely lady in Northern Portugal and soon discovered she shared my passion for growing her own vegetables and even saved her own seeds. She kindly sent me a... Continue Reading →
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Learning the Lingo!
Learn the “Lingo” or live life in an “Expat Bubble”! I am a great advocate of the fact that when you move to a new country you ‘attempt’ to gain, at the very least, a basic understanding of both language and culture. Without this 'basic' knowledge so much of everyday life and cultural opportunities are... Continue Reading →
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Bread and Butter Pudding
Bread and Butter Pudding This is another traditional English recipe handed down through the generations. Originally, the recipe was created to utilize stale bread. However, since moving to Portugal, I have adapted it slightly by using Jean Pierre ‘milk rolls’ (purchased in Lidels), instead of normal bread. The Portuguese bread just does not work well with... Continue Reading →
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Salad Days
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 →
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Mrs Blobby’s 10kg Fat Attack!
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 →
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Celebrations!
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 →
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‘Poorly’ Zucchini (Courgettes)
My courgette celebrations are short-lived. The zucchini (courgettes) have matured but the problem of rotting and yellowing ends return. I despair! What next? My tale of woe is shared with my favourite gardening expert, Gene, who I just happen to meet in a supermarket 90kms from where we both live. What a stroke of luck!. Gene listens carefully, asks questions thinks carefully and then ... Continue Reading →
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Gone Fishing!
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 →
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Courgettes!
You may recall from my previous post that my baby courgettes just turned yellow, withered then died. I asked various people for advice and the common consensus was the courgettes either did not have enough nutrients from the soil, or the flowers were not being pollinated. I duly fed the plants with a tomato feed... Continue Reading →
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Victor Meldrew’s Appreciation Society
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 →
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Football, football and even MORE football
Football anyone...do you love it or hate it? My sum total of football knowledge has been acquired through osmosis. A constant drip of information from the news, hubby, friends and the internet. The World Cup started today, so a whole month of highs and lows. Our social diary will totally revolve around which games are... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 