Thursday, March 28, 2013

Cee's Fun Foto challenge catch-up

I've decided to do a catch-up post with squares and angles, circles and curves and lines. I hope nobody minds. 

I'm skipping the one-colour post - it was taking too long to choose just one colour, then the day job and the bad weather got in the way... I simply haven't had the time to do Cee's challenges, however much I enjoy them.

 Squares and angles

Hotel, Salgados Beach
Modern hotel, Salgados Beach
Carpets of flowers
Streets decorated with carpets of flowers, ready for the religious procession

Circles and curves

Algarve oranges
My juicy oranges
Pavement along the beach
A long walk and then coffee at one of my favourite cafés (the white building), Granja Beach
Roman bridge, Silves
"Circles", Roman bridge, Silves

Lines

Block of flats overlooking Aveiro Lagoon
Painted lines, Aveiro Lagoon
Zebras in Zimbabwe
Natural lines, Zebras in Zimbabwe


For the latest Fun Foto challenges, visit Cee's blog.


Oh, I've updated Cee's link.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Sentimental value

1950s earrings
These were my late mother's favourite earrings! Every time I look at them or wear them I remember her and I remember two particular photos of her as a young woman, before I was born, looking very pretty and wearing those earrings. They are not worth much because they don't have the gold mark and the "diamonds" are just glass but I would be devastated if they were to get damaged, lost or stolen.

I could have chosen quite a few other items of sentimental value because you may as well know - I come from a long line of hoarders. My mother used to quote my grandmother or grandfather (I can't recall exactly) on the virtues of putting away stuff that was of no use in the present because it would one day be needed. She usually came up with this quote when my father or I wanted to declutter!

With the passage of time, I followed in her footsteps, so for me decluttering is something which never seems to get done properly. Moving house is a nightmare! When we moved from Zimbabwe, my father built two enormous crates that were filled with much of our stuff. A few years ago I inherited my parents' house and I still have too much clutter there. It's amazing how much a small family can accumulate over a period of 20 years!

It was only when I moved to the Algarve and lived in a rented, furnished house for the first year that I realised, to my great surprise, that I didn't miss most of the things I had left behind. 

The smallest things can hold the fondest memories!


To see what fellow bloggers attach sentimental value to, visit Jake´s blog.


Monday, March 18, 2013

Bay

North...

Espinho seafront
Espinho

South...

Albufeira bay
Albufeira - a view of the bay from the top of the new car park


This post was inspired by Jake's Sunday Post challenge.



Friday, March 15, 2013

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day: March 2013

There is not much to report. The rain and wind have been present most of the time so the garden is still a bit of a mess. There have been a few good sunny days and the gardener finally came to prune that orange tree, which is now looking a lot different.


Orange tree before being pruned
In February...

Orange tree after being pruned
Now pruned!

This planter is looking colourful, with yellow and red freesias and flowering succulents. They had the company of daffodils and irises a couple of weeks ago.

Yellow and red freesias


By the gate, lavenders, rosemary, lamb's ears and a perfect, miniature rose.

Fragrant shrubs and rose
A fragrant section

Red tulip
The first tulip

Fragrant jasmine and potato vine entwined

My red and pink orchids are taking a long time to open, so I have no photos of them yet.

I'm now looking forward to a sunny weekend that will let me spend a few hours planting some bulbs and generally sprucing things up.


To see what is happening in gardens all over the world, pop over to May Dream Gardens.


Sunday, March 10, 2013

Arrangement

students' ceramic tiles
Simple geometrical arrangement

students' birds and flowers panel
Birds and flowers arrangement

Sea themed panel
Elaborate arrangement with sea creatures as the theme

Typical Algarve houses panel
Typical houses and trees arrangement

All this artwork on ceramic tiles was made by young students at an Algarve school (with expert guidance from their teacher, of course). 

I hope you like my selection of arrangements. For more, visit Jake's.




Friday, March 8, 2013

International Women's Day 2013

Man, I feel like a woman!



Here's hoping you are having / have had a wonderful day!

 

The other side of the coin

After posting Shania Twain's very upbeat song, I realised I had treated this subject too lightly and hadn't focused on the reality facing many women not only in Portugal but all over the world, where it is still very much a man's world.  

Too many times bad things happen. Sleeping with the Enemy is a 1991 film with Julia Roberts (one of my favourite actresses). It is the film I always remember when I think about the horrific psychological and physical cruelty that many women still have to endure. 


  

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Cee's Fun Foto challenge: Rainbow colours

Cee has challenged us to show off a few photos of rainbow colours, so here goes:

Let's start with an actual rainbow:
Rainbow over the Alagarve
A rainbow!




And continue with a beach:
Colourful beach umbrellas at a beach north of Oporto
Then add some flowers:
Flowers at Algoz market
Flowers at the Algoz market

And end with children's playgrounds, which are usually very colourful and eye-catching:
Playground, Quarteira beach, Algarve
A playground at Quarteira Beach
Near a playground it's always a good marketing idea to have a café for the parents to relax and keep an eye on the kids.

Café by the beach, Quarteira, Algarve
The brightly-coloured café next to that playground

And that's it from me. For many more interpretations of the rainbow colours theme, you can visit Cee's.


7th November 2013 - updated Cee's link.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Captivating

My smallest dog craves attention and has perfected a few, sure methods to captivate everyone she meets.

Dog at Quarteira beach, Algarve
 
Dog rolling about on the lawn 1
Dog rolling about on the lawn 2

 Captivating white dog




Captivating is her middle name!




For other captivating posts visit Jake's latest Sunday Post.




Related posts on this blog:



 

Friday, March 1, 2013

Plains

This is the theme for Jake's most recent Sunday Post challenge.

Flat lands have been rather neglected by me and my camera because I have, until now, found hills and mountains more appealing. However, I live on the coastal plains of southern Portugal, so I went out and took some new shots this week. Citrus trees, carob trees, olive trees and almond trees do well here. 
Young orange grove - Algarve
Oranges and lemons ...
Fertile Silves - Algarve
Fertile lands between Silves and Messines
Pera grazing field - Algarve
Grazing - there is a flock of sheep just visible in the distance
Blossoming Almond trees - Algarve
Almonds trees in a line





Never-ending expanses of grazing land can be found further north in the Alentejo region. On one of my future car trips to the north I must get off the motorway and take more photos of this beautiful landscape.

Cattle grazing in Alentejo plains
Cattle grazing in the vast fields of the Alentejo


To find plains from other parts of the world, visit Jake's.


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