Last Monday the overnight temperature dropped to 3.5C and we had our first light frost on the roof of the car. However, while we were away at the hospital in Coimbra neighbours reported on Facebook that temperatures plummeted to -4C. This is the lowest (in our area) in over a decade so hopefully my plants... Continue Reading →
Shopping in Intermarche this week we (actually the OH) noticed this Bacalhau Christmas tree. What a creative way to display and promote Bacalhau! This certainly made me smile. Related Posts: Bacalhau anyone? It’s as stiff as a board, smells disgusting and looks about as appetizing as the prospect of munching on chipboard. In fact,... Continue Reading →
We are plagued by wild campers who have no respect for the countryside. This sign near Praia da Amoreira made me laugh, and inspired me to write a poem which is also about crap! Please Scoop Your Poop Wild campers, (PLEASE) scoop your poop or dig a hole we don't want your faeces on our soles nor your toilet... Continue Reading →
Planting Daffodils and Narcissus brings back memories of gardening in the UK and the arrival of Spring. William Wordsworth's poem captures the moment perfectly. I wandered lonely as a Cloud That floats on high o’er Vales and Hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of golden Daffodils; Beside the Lake, beneath... Continue Reading →
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 lost, and you effectively live a parallel existence in your new environment; there in body but not quite in mind. You still watch English TV, read English Newspapers and mainly interact with your fellow compatriots or those who speak English.
I accept, everyone is not a natural linguist and I certainly do not fall into that category – far from it! Despite years of studying Portuguese very little has permeated the grey matter and words just float aimlessly in my memory in disjointed sentences. However, on a positive note, I now often read a Portuguese…
One of my personal pet peeves are my square stumpy feet. They resemble pig's trotters and make me feel like one of Cinderella's ugly sisters. It's official: I hate shopping for boots. Why? Most standard shoe retailers, such as Guimaraes, only seem to focus on women with Cinderella feet, so if you are blessed with... Continue Reading →
While driving through the sleepy village of Brejão in the Alentejo, we happened upon the most amazing street art painted on the side elevation of several houses. Curious to discover more I took several photographs and sent them to my Portuguese blogging buddy, Sami, in Oz. Sami quickly identified the lady in the series of paintings... Continue Reading →
One of the highlights of our trip to Porto was not the port, but the magnificent vestibule and azulejos tiled images at São Bento railway station - Estação Ferroviária de São Bento. Further research revealed that approximately twenty thousand tiles were used to decorate the station's vestibule which I think you will agree is spectacular!... Continue Reading →
... That's the million dollar question. I've never had any inclination to grow roses until an unusual striped variety growing in a friend's garden, caught my attention. It was love at first sight and I wanted one! A woman on a mission I went in search of this mystery rose. Armed with a picture of... Continue Reading →
When I was young it was called graffiti now it's moved upmarket and is called Street Art or Murals. At least it has given some artists an outlet to display their work. A few years ago I was walking down a side street in Lagos on the Western Algarve and happened upon this larger than... Continue Reading →
Have you ever felt grounded in the daily groove like a bicycle trying to escape from a deep tyre rut on an unmade road? The rut of random puddles and hidden potholes sucks you in and throws you off balance. You keep pedaling but to no avail. You are the tyre stuck in the rut.... Continue Reading →
Last September I injured my knee, so after months of pain I finally consulted with an orthopedic specialist who organised an MRI scan and X-ray. The diagnosis: I had a ruptured meniscus, tendonitis, arthritis and a crack in my knee bone. Ouch! I consoled myself with the fact there are people far worse than myself... Continue Reading →
I was searching through my photographs when I came upon this mystical sunset. The cross was evanescent, fading just as quickly as it had appeared. I still wonder if there was some spiritual significance.
The theme for this week's WordPress photo challenge is Heritage. Thinking of the words 'heritage' and 'Portugal' in the same sentence the first thing that comes to mind is Fado. We were fortunate to see the highly acclaimed Fado singer Mariza in concert in 2010. It is one of those treasured memories that will always... Continue Reading →
You name it, my fruit and vegetables probably have caught/will catch it. I was a sickly child and my fruit and veg seem to be following in the family tradition. With this in mind I literally love my plants to death, or so I've been told. In December I added rotted horse manure to the plot,... Continue Reading →
I've been meaning to set myself this challenge for some time so after reading the theme for this week's photo challenge is 'Quest'. and according to Merriam Simple Definition of quest : a journey made in search of something : a long and difficult effort to find or do something I think a 'quest' to pick... Continue Reading →
This week's WordPress Photo Challenge is all about reflections. One of the least memorable trips on our Douro river cruise was a visit to Palácio de Mateus, near Vila Real. Please don't ask why but I was expecting to visit a vineyard for the Mateus Rose wine. Yep, the devil is always in the detail... Continue Reading →
Is there a cure? About a year ago I noticed my Aloe Arborescens were covered in dappled black marks. After a few months the leaves turned black, shriveled and died. There is an old adage: Don't put off till tomorrow what you should do today. Unfortunately, I never acted immediately and when I did seek... Continue Reading →
The theme for this week's photo challenge is narrow. When I was reviewing my photographs for this challenge I was reminded of a weeks cruise with Croisi Europe along the Douro river in Portugal. The river cruise was a seven-day leisurely return trip from Porto, in northern Portugal, to Vega de Terron on the Spanish... Continue Reading →
The theme for this week's WordPress challenge is 'Opposites'. Contemplating the differences in opinion for Brexit: 'Remain' or 'Leave', how could I express the extremes behind the vote and the wisdom of the 'Leave' result in terms of a photograph? In the end it will boil down to money. Some think the UK will be... Continue Reading →
The Algarve, is not only blessed with over sixty blue flag beaches, numerous golf courses, vibrant nightlife, glorious weather but also a host of other activities visitors to the area may not always be aware of. When booking hotels and flights for your trip to the Algarve, there are several helpful websites, such as First... Continue Reading →
A couple of years ago I bought a peach tree. I planted the baby tree in a large pot, talked to it daily and it thrived. This year it flowered and the flowers, to my delight, turned to peaches. After months of waiting for the peaches to grow and then ripen, I decided today was... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, I was pegging out the washing when I heard a persistent clicking noise coming from the general direction of my vegetable area. "Tick...tick tick... tick... tick tick... tick.." (You get my drift) The ticking, sounded almost like Morse code. Intrigued and thinking it could be a bird in distress, I went to investigate. The... Continue Reading →
What is the point of graffiti? Why spray-paint buildings with pointless words and random letters? Yes, I understand and admire street art but graffiti. Come on... if you guys want to decorate buildings why not make a proper job of it and give some pleasure? This picture I admire and is pleasure to behold. The... Continue Reading →
The statue of Infante D. Henrique (Henry the Navigator), sits pride of place in the Praça do Infante Dom Henrique within a few metres of the "Slave Market". Born March 4th, 1394 Henry was an important figure in the Portuguese Age of Discovery and sponsored exploration voyages in search of new trade routes down the coast of Africa.... Continue Reading →
As the ongoing debate concerning dogs on blue flags beaches rumbles on, each party vehemently defending their point of view, I wonder who is right. "My dogs loves playing in the sand." "Your dog craps in the sand and then kids build sand castles." "But I clear it up" "You are one of the few.... Continue Reading →
It's now September and here's me wittering on about my garden activities in July. I'm so far behind with this year's "Vegetable Diary" I was almost tempted to abandon the idea. However, as I have all the notes and photographic evidence I thought it would still prove useful to other Algarve gardeners and a reminder... Continue Reading →
The theme for this week's WordPress Photo Challenge is "Unusual". This is an unusual photograph of a piglet's ear. Yes, you read correctly, and what's more, I was about to eat it! Lunching with some friends I reluctantly ordered Leitão assado à Bairrada (suckling pig). "Okay, no pig deal," I thought as squirmed in my... Continue Reading →
This year I’m keeping a photographic diary of my humble vegetable garden; what’s growing when, where and how well. Yes, I know it's August and I'm writing about July June, but with recent trips to the UK and France I am way, WAY behind on my blogging activities. I took all the photographs, so at... Continue Reading →
The theme for this week's WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is The Golden Hour. In photography, the “golden hour” is the first and last hour of sunlight of the day. The last sunlight hour is my favourite time of day, and one I love to spend close to water. This particular evening I took myself to... Continue Reading →
Last Saturday in our quiet corner of "La La land" (aka Portugal), was just like any other day until we noticed plumes of dark grey smoke rising above the rooftops of the villas opposite. Sandwich poised, and hovering en route to my mouth, I remained motionless as I stared at the thick billowing smoke in... Continue Reading →
This year I’m keeping a photographic diary of my humble vegetable garden; what’s growing when, where and how well. Despite being away for nearly two weeks I'm pleased to say my friends did a sterling job looking after all my fruit and vegetables. Everything was just as I'd left it(alive), but almost twice the size!... Continue Reading →
Jenny recently contacted "Piglet in Portugal" (unaware she knew me through her monthly writing group), to ask if I would help promote her e-book through my blog. What a small world! Naturally I was delighted to help. Jenny's book presents a great opportunity to learn even more about Portugal, past and present. Her book Firewater,... Continue Reading →
This year I'm keeping a photographic diary of my humble vegetable garden. In theory, if I take photographs on the 19th of each month they will offer a direct comparison as to what’s growing when, where and how well. The purpose of the exercise is to provide a record for next year so I can... Continue Reading →
My original idea was to try Chica's recipe of Broad Beans with Griddled Pork Belly, but silly me left the shopping list at home and I forgot to buy avocado pears. This is my version of the recipe which I served up hot one day with roast chicken, and as left-overs the following day as... Continue Reading →
We've attended many fairs and festivals in Portugal, however this has to rank as not only the most interesting but the most humbling lesson in social integration and how welcoming a small community can be. The day of the "Feira da Sopa" (Soup Fair) dawned cold, damp and miserable. In fact, it was the sort... Continue Reading →
This year I plan to photograph and record what's growing in my humble vegetable garden on the 19th of each month. This will give me a better idea of what’s growing when, and how well. Hopefully, it will act as a record for next year and I can learn from my successes and failures. The... Continue Reading →
Since moving to Portugal one of my favorite meals, when we eat out, is a fish stew (Caldeirada) but the type which is cooked and served in a copper dish called a Cataplana. As you can see from my photograph the dish has two hinged clam-like shells which are clamped tightly together during cooking. Researching... Continue Reading →
Cozido à Portuguesa is a typical Portuguese stew cooked from a range of wholesome ingredients such as cabbage, pig's ear, porco rabo, blood sausage and other various "unmentionables". I'm assured it's absolutely delicious and a real gastronomic delight...err...experience. I'm not normally one to back down from a challenge (except for eating snails and oysters),but as... Continue Reading →
Every week WordPress posts a Weekly Photo Challenge and this week's theme is Lost in the Details . The instructions direct from the horse's mouth (aka WordPress) are "This challenge is about getting lost in the details". Hmmm ponderous! The theme of the challenge was rather lost on me to begin with, until I downloaded... Continue Reading →
