Wow.....this week in Andalucía and Seville in particular has been simply incredible. Seville is stunning in its own right, a sizzling sun drenched, blossom soaked city with flamboyant architecture, gorgeous gardens, and a very definite feeling of ‘joie de vivre’. The centre of town houses the colossal gothic cathedral which like many in this region started life as a …
golden sand, golden sun and dolphin day – holiday time in the algarve
Heading down from Lisbon to the Algarve, we had a two night stop in a Unesco heritage town called Évora. Évora is a 14th century walled town most famous for the ruins of a Roman Temple (Temple of Diana) which was an interesting spot, but what we will remember most is the Chapel of Bones …
Continue reading golden sand, golden sun and dolphin day – holiday time in the algarve
lisbon – what was, what is and what might be…..
What an enignmatic city Lisbon is! Situated at the mouth of the Tagus River, the estuary provides a glorious backdrop to the broad avenues of Rossio, with it’s grand station and cobbled squares, as well as to the windy tight alleys of the old town in Moorish Alfama. There is an unexpected mix of old …
Continue reading lisbon – what was, what is and what might be…..
the rain in spain…..
and portugal and the uk and everywhere in between… falls mainly on the....well...mainly on us. We have decided on our new careers….drought breakers! Wherever we go at the moment – it seems to rain. Our last night in London was spent with rain pelting in Purley, the Bay of Biscay was blowing and blustery, we …
message in a bottle
The Douro Valley, with it's dramatic scenery, steeply terraced schist vineyards and winding roads that follow the river was just gorgeous. We joined the river at Pinhão, driving down toward Porto, through Peso da Regua, Lamego (where we stayed the night) Ancede, leaving again at Santa Leocadia to cross over the mountains and to the …
mad dogs and englishmen
For some reason that I am not sure of, Deane has decided to wear shorts and flip flops at all times. The locals (and Will and I) think he is quite mad as it is unseasonably cold....so cold that as we drove over the mountains from León we drove into a smattering of snow on the roadsides....then …
four seasons in one day
What a touch down we have had in Europe. It was a mommoth ferry trip from Portsmouth across to the Bay of Biscay, with such high seas that they took along a spare captain and pilot, only to drop them mid journey(!) on a small boat. Despite trying to convince ourselves that it was merely …
and they’re off…
They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. After a year of planning, many sleepless nights and a few tears the day finally came to say au revoir to Cheam, and our journey of twenty five thousand miles officially began….. The last few days in the UK are all about …
beautiful butterflies
What is it about butterflies that entrances us all? We have been going to see the butterflies in the glasshouse at RHS Wisley every February for several years and we never tire of it (neither the gardens nor the butterflies). Yesterday was no exception. The rain held off, which makes a change as we usually …
home away from home (just up the road….)
Have you heard of house-sitting? It is a brilliant idea where homeowners advertise for a house sitter to look after their home and pets while they are away - bringing peace of mind that the house is secure and the pets happy, and in turn providing a home away from home for house-sitters (whether for …
The Winding Road 