A Creative Spirit
I've not posted any updates to my blog for a while. That's not because I've been slacking, nope. I've been working on a romance novel that has consumed all my spare time. Even my beloved garden has taken second place, as have my other creative hobbies such as creating mosaics and painting. Anyways, a chance... 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 →
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 →
I don't have any pictures of Easter Bunnies or Easter Eggs, so hope a picture of Folar da Páscoa will suffice. I'd planned to drag Mr. Piglet along to a Folar da Páscoa festival today. However, as it's being held outside and the weather is SO awful I will have to wait until next year!... 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 →
Moving to a country where English is not the first language definitely has its disadvantages if you are not a natural linguist. Some people are fortunate to learn a language purely by osmosis, but not me - I have the retentive memory of a gnat. In the past I’ve spent a small fortune on Portuguese... Continue Reading →
Imagine the scenario: you've taken the children/teenagers on holiday to a beach only to discover there are no touristy beach activities such as banana rides, pedalos and beach trampolines etc to keep them amused. They survey the location in horror as they realise there's nothing but sand, shells, stones and sea. Help! The family are... Continue Reading →
Waiting to be served at our local butchers for "home-made" beef, and hopefully horse-free, burgers gave us the opportunity to study the array of "unmentionable" delicacies on sale. The dubious identity of which even made Mr. Piglet's toes curl in horror. However, our debate is quickly forgotten when I whip out my camera and start... Continue Reading →
Azulejos are hand-painted tiles used to decorate properties in Portugal both internally and externally since the middle ages. They were introduced to by the Moors and originally decorated with geometric patterns in a single colour. This post was inspired by the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge this week's theme is Geometry.
This week's theme for Jakes photo challenge is City Living in a city I'm sure has many advantages, but I've always pondered on the problem as to where city-dwellers hang their wet washing to dry in these tiny trendy city apartments. Now I know! Every time I visit a big city claustrophobia washes over me,... Continue Reading →
Piglet in Portugal 