Thursday, April 4, 2013

Entrance


From the very elaborate...

Melgaço Spa building
Taking the waters at the Melgaço Spa - glass and wrought iron entrance

Arouca monastery gate
Arouca Monastery - elegant entrance to a courtyard

Alcobaça Monastery
Alcobaça Monastery - grand main entrance

 ... to the very simple...

Fort at Armação de Pera, Algarve
Entrance - archway to the fort at Armação de Pera, Algarve
Although I had made plans to take many photos at various locations during this year's Easter break, it rained and rained and then rained some more so my camera stayed in its case most of the time.

When I read Jake's suggestion of "Entrance" as the theme for the latest Sunday Post, I thought of all the entrances I would have loved to share with you but, alas, I don't have photos of most of them. Maybe next time..

Right now you can visit Jake's to find many other takes on the theme.



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.


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