Iberian Bird

New blog

2010-09-17T23:23:00.002+02:00

Hey everyone!
Well, I've created a new blog which I'll be using more than Iberian Bird. You can find me at suzyturner.blogspot.com

You can also find me on Twitter @2010suzy

Hope to see you there!

Authonomy

2010-06-08T17:18:00.003+02:00

After finishing my novel, I now want as many people as possible to read it. I'm looking for constructive comments to help make it as best as it can possibly become. Which is why I have uploaded it to a great website called www.authonomy.com
Specifically for writers (and readers), the site allows authors to upload their novels and be read by anyone keen enough. Those registered on the site can then 'back' the books that they like the most. This leads to publishers Harper Collins picking the top five books every month and reading them - which could potentially lead to a publishing deal. That's the hope anyway!
If you would like to have a look at my book, entitled Raven, visit the site www.authonomy.com and search for me, Iberian Bird.
I'd love to hear your comments.

Hard at work... writing

2010-05-24T15:56:00.004+02:00

Well... it's been quite some time since I last posted anything here on Iberian Bird.
I have, in fact, been quite busy.
Not, as you might imagine from reading my last post, working alongside my husband (although I have assisted on occasion), but writing a novel.
Although hard work, I am thoroughly enjoying the process.
The book is aimed at teens and young adults and centres around a girl, Lilly, who discovers her whole life has been based on lies.
The woman she thought was her mother turns out to be a witch who kidnapped her and her father shortly after she was born.
When her father and her 'mother' mysteriously vanish from their London home, Lilly must move to Canada to meet the family she never knew existed. But that isn't all she didn't know. She soon discovers that her family has an amazing secret.
But that's all I'm telling you for now!
Bye for now
Iberian Bird

One door closes... and another opens!

2010-02-27T18:00:00.003+01:00

So it's true then.
Being made redundant stinks.
However, as one door closes another one opens and so I am going to join my husband's business. We have been talking about it for a while but we now have the perfect opportunity to expand it to include property management. So that's what I'll be doing from now on.
It's great that I can now work for myself so, although I had a massive shock last week when I was told the news, I am now, in fact, rather a happy chappy (or chapesse)!
I hold no grudges as I fully understand why the move was made. In the current economic climate, business is tough for everybody and publishing, I think, has been hit hard. I wish the group all the success in the future.

Editor!

2009-07-16T23:39:00.003+02:00

It's been well over a month since I updated my blog and lots has happened in that time. The biggest thing being that I have just accepted a full time job as the Editor of a number of magazines - Algarve GoodLife, Algarve Property Magazine, Algarve Golf Magazine and Welcome.
It's a wonderful opportunity to really bring the magazines into the 21st Century and I am very excited at being given the chance to do so.
I am open to any interesting ideas that readers may have to improve any of the magazines and would love to hear from you if you have constructive (!) criticism to make.
You can email me at work on suzy.turner@fleet-street-portugal.com or at home on info@suzyturner.com
I'd love to hear from you!

Outrageous!

2009-06-09T23:07:00.001+02:00

It’s been a while since I wrote, for various reasons, including the purchase of a new computer which we haven’t been able to connect to the internet! In the process of trying to connect it, wirelessely, we also completely lost connection on hubby’s laptop too. Grrrr..... very irritating, I can tell you.
On the subject of irritations, buying this (pink!) laptop was another. Ok, it wasn’t the actual purchase that was annoying, it was the delivery method.
We decided to order from the UK, which would save us several hundred euros so we chose a popular website that we had used once before. Once the item was ordered (we paid an extra 40 pounds for delivery) we received a thank you email, followed by a ‘dispatched’ message. We waited... and waited... and waited. On the dispatched note, it had said that it would take 5 to 6 days for delivery. At the end of the week, I sent the company an email asking for confirmation on how delivery was expected, ie was it sent via Royal Mail or was it dispatched using a Courier? A response was never received, so I sent a further message several days later. Again... nothing.
At the same time that the computer was ordered, another item was ordered for hubby’s motorbike (also from the UK). We knew this had been dispatched via Parcelforce.
Some 14 days later, I received a phone call from a lady that lived elsewhere on our urbanisation. She had arrived home to find two parcels ‘thrown’ over her fence with our name on it! Fortunately she was a lovely and honest woman and so had located our contact details in the phone book, in order to tell us she had our parcels in her possession.
I was shocked to find that one of these parcels was my laptop. Fortunately it was not damaged. I am absolutely outraged that Parcelforce have acted in such an irresponsible way. Our address was written very clearly on the parcels... and on one it stated that it contained a new laptop! It is disgusting... to say the least. So I urge you... if you are ever ordering anything over the internet, be very wary if it is sent via Parcelforce.

Oh no... here comes the summer!

2009-05-11T10:56:00.000+02:00

It’s that time of year again when the sun gradually gets hotter and hotter and the mosquitoes start to materialise everywhere you look. Last night was my first night in summer hell. It was warm but not quite warm enough to warrant switching on the air conditioning, so we opted for the fan instead. Having said that, the fan was on more to stop the mosquitoes from landing on us. It didn’t work too well, however, and I found myself swatting them around my pillow for much of the night.
When I did finally manage to sleep, I had heart stopping scary nightmares. And to top it all off, I had to wake up earlier than usual to drop my husband off somewhere this morning before heading to the office. I was exhausted. I was irritable. Not a good combination but what can you do?
I always forget how much I dislike the summer here. Almost everyone else I speak to comes to the Algarve for the sun. They simply love May through September because it’s “gloriously hot”. I, on the other hand, could quite easily move somewhere cold and dreary just to get away from it.
The first signs of the summer are enjoyable and relaxing, but after about a week or two, I’ve had enough…!

Roller skating

2009-04-24T14:08:00.001+02:00

Hubby and I have taken up skating. I have a great pair of roller boots that allows me to stand up straight, while he has a flash pair of inline skates.

As a kid, my best friend and I used to skate almost every day, up and down the roads outside our houses, across to the park, occasionally to a roller disco – but that’s going back some (and we were very, very young!). The roller discos were big in the early eighties but I doubt if they even exist today. Having said that, almost everything else that was big in the eighties seems to be making a comeback so maybe we’ll be in luck?

Although, I doubt that I could actually dance on skates now. Back then, I was a bit of a mover and shaker – these days, moving and shaking just leaves me in a heap on the floor, with grazes on my knees and bruises on my bum (although it has a fair amount more padding now than it used to).

Today, we take our skates down to the local marina, where the surface is just perfect for skating. Half an hour to an hour and I can’t take any more. It’s not that my muscles ache, or anything, it’s that the boots keep your feet so rigid that your feet hurt so much. But it certainly is lots of fun!

Has winter finally come to an end?

2009-04-19T17:20:00.003+02:00

This winter seems to have been endless. The rain never seemed to stop and the wind never seemed to stop blowing up a storm. Everybody seemed to be getting down and fed up, waiting for the Algarve sun to finally show its face and for the summer season to begin. After all, we're not far off May!
Yesterday evening was spent in a stunning location - arguably the Algarve's best marina, Vilamoura. Friends invited us to join them at a favourite Chinese restaurant of theirs for a sumptuous meal. We certainly were not disappointed with the surroundings, or the food - it was, without doubt, the best Chinese meal we have ever eaten in Portugal! The only drawback was the weather. It didn't just rain a little - it poured and poured! We had intended to arrive early and meander around the marina to soak up the atmosphere but with weather like that... the ambience was certainly missing.
Nevertheless, a fantastic evening was had by the four of us and culminated in the bar at the Tivoli Hotel, where we had a (rather pricey) drink, whilst enjoying the live music by a fantastic musician, who serenaded us with his guitar, his trumpet and rather impressive vocals.
This morning, much to our delight, the sun was shining. We're hoping that the summer might finally have arrived but I'm not going to get my hopes up just yet.
We've had a great morning with the same friends down in Praia da Rocha. Starting off at the marina where we embarrassed ourselves with our lack of talent on our roller skates (hubby on roller blades, however, knows what he is doing), we then proceeded to the local cafe, overlooking the beach. We ate breakfast and drank coffee while slowly my white wintery (practically translucent) skin became red and burnt, indicating a good time to leave. Arriving home, we noticed that the rain might have gone for the time being, but the wind certainly hasn't. It sounds like it's blowing a gale out there. Oh well... we can't have it all, can we?

A trip for two reasons

2009-04-09T19:25:00.001+02:00

I have just returned from a short trip to the UK. Sadly it was for the funeral of my step mother-in-law’s brother-in-law. He was in his early eighties, but it still came as a bit of a shock to the family. He was a much loved gentleman in the community and the service was attended by a vast number of people from the little village in which he lived in Northamptonshire.
Although my husband and I are not direct blood family members, we are always treated as such, and it never fails to touch me how warm they are towards us. I do hope they will continue to visit us, even though my step mother in law is no longer with us, and she was obviously the main person they had always come to see.
The funeral was not the only reason for our visit, it was also the ideal opportunity to see my fifth nephew for the very first time. Born last September, we had not had the chance to fly over until recently. My sister’s fifth baby (all boys), is an absolute cutie! Seeing the little ones never fails to make me broody; hubby, on the other hand, seems to get a little traumatised just at the mere thought of having to hold the little ‘un. I put him on his lap, and my dear hubby froze – not wanting to move a muscle. The 7 month old didn’t seem to mind, however, happily looking him straight in the face with a smile and a gurgle. The look of absolute terror on hubby’s face led me to remove the babe from his vicinity. Hopefully, should we ever have our own, he might be a little different!

Jasmine

2009-03-30T11:13:00.006+02:00

I received this wonderful email this morning and just had to share it with you... be sure to read on below the pictures.

In 2003, police in Warwickshire, England, opened a garden shed and found a whimpering, cowering dog.. It had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It was dirty and malnourished, and had clearly been abused.
In an act of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a Greyhound female, to the nearby Nuneaton Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, run by a man named Geoff Grewcock and known as a willing haven for Animals abandoned, orphaned or otherwise in need. http://www.warwickshirewildlifesanctuary.co.uk/index.htm
Geoff and the other sanctuary staff went to work with two aims to restore the dog to full health, and to win her trust. It took several weeks, but eventually both goals were achieved.
They named her Jasmine, and they started to think about finding her an adoptive home...
But Jasmine had other ideas. No-one remembers now how it began, but she started welcoming all Animal arrivals at the sanctuary. It wouldn't matter if it was a puppy, a fox cub, a rabbit or, any other lost or hurting Animal, Jasmine would peer into the box or cage and, where possible, deliver a welcoming lick.
Geoff relates one of the early incidents. "We had two puppies that had been abandoned by a nearby railway line. One was a Lakeland Terrier cross and another was a Jack Russell Doberman cross. They were tiny when they arrived at the centre and Jasmine approached them and grabbed one by the scruff of the neck in her mouth and put him on the settee. Then she fetched the other one and sat down with them, cuddling them."
"But she is like that with all of our animals, even the rabbits. She takes all the stress out of them and it helps them to not only feel close to her but to settle into their new surroundings.
"She has done the same with the fox and badger cubs, she licks the rabbits and guinea pigs and even lets the birds perch on the bridge of her nose."
Jasmine, the timid, abused, deserted waif, became the animal sanctuary's resident surrogate mother, a role for which she might have been born. The list of orphaned and abandoned youngsters she has cared for comprises five fox cubs, four badger cubs, 15 chicks, eight guinea pigs, two stray puppies and 15 rabbits.
And one roe deer fawn. Tiny Bramble, 11 weeks old, was found semi-conscious in a field. Upon arrival at the sanctuary, Jasmine cuddled up to her to keep her warm, and then went into the full foster mum role. Jasmine the greyhound showers Bramble the Roe deer with affection and makes sure nothing is matted.
"They are inseparable," says Geoff "Bramble walks between her legs and they keep kissing each other. They walk together round the sanctuary.
It's a real treat to see them."
Jasmine will continue to care for Bramble until she is old enough to be returned to woodland life. When that happens, Jasmine will not be lonely. She will be too busy showering love and affection on the next Orphan or victim of abuse.
From left, Toby, a stray Lakeland dog; Bramble, orphaned Roe deer; Buster, a stray Jack Russell; a dumped rabbit; Sky, an injured barn owl; and Jasmine with a Mothers heart doing best what a caring Mother would do...

How time flies!

2009-03-25T19:15:00.000+01:00

I seem to have a time monster with me at the moment. It’s sitting on my shoulder and eating away at all my time! Although, having said that, I do know where all my time has been going…

Firstly, I have recently met lots of fabulous new friends and, whenever possible, we meet up, even if it’s just for a cup of coffee. The problem lies there. The cup of coffee. We arrange to meet at, say, 10am and then we sit over said cup of coffee and chat… and chat… and chat! On Monday, I met my good pal, AW, and I didn’t get home until 4pm!

A week before that, I met up with AW, HJ and SK and again… we just chatted and chatted and chatted and before we knew it, the time had just flown by.

However, I’m not spending all my time just sitting and chatting about everything and anything… I have actually begun doing something a little more meaningful with my Friday mornings. I have started to volunteer at a local children’s home.

Although I am only with a few of the children for a few hours per week (I have been taking them to their weekly swimming class), I do feel as though I am doing something important. With so much for the staff to have to attend to at the Home, I am able to free up a couple of hours for them to do other tasks which may have otherwise been difficult.

There are currently around 30 children at the Home and almost all of them are siblings. The Home is one of the very few in the country that caters for girls and boys, allowing brothers and sisters to remain together. They are all aged between three and 17 years old (younger babies are looked after at other homes throughout the country), allowing this Home to concentrate on older siblings.

All the people I have met at the Home have been absolutely fantastic. They are firm with the children when they need to be, using what would be called ‘tough love’, but you can tell the children are well looked after and loved.

It’s heartbreaking to hear the stories of some of these youngsters, some having lived there almost their entire lives and some no longer having any contact with their parents. Many of them have what are translated as ‘Support Families’, who collect the children perhaps on a Friday, and look after them over the weekend and sometimes during school holidays, giving them some semblance of a family life.

The Home is always open to donations and help of any kind. If you would like any further information, please let me know and I will put you in touch with them.

Over the past few days, my time has been taken over by a book! You know when you get into a great novel and you just can’t put it down? Well… I had that problem. The book, given to me by another friend, is by Barbara Erskine and wow… what a fantastic story. Daughters of Fire is set in present day as well as 2,000 years ago in Britain. I was so engrossed that I have already bought another by the same author. Although I’ll give that style a rest for the time being and my next read will be serious chick lit!

The perfect car

2009-03-17T19:57:00.002+01:00

Several weeks ago I had a slight accident in my car. I was driving towards a roundabout and therefore slowed down to a stop. Moments later I was shunted from behind. My immediate thoughts were that the back of the car must be smashed to pieces, considering the force of the impact. However, on seeing it, I was surprised by how little ‘visual’ damage there was.
The driver of the other car was a young woman, very pleasant and very apologetic. It turns out that the car wasn’t hers, it belonged to the huge company she worked for, hence she wasn’t too worried about the damage (to the car or to her pocket!).
We sorted everything out and handed all the necessary paperwork to our respective insurance companies and waited for them to contact us. As my car is a solid little Mini Cooper S, we prefer to use the services of BMW / Mini to get it fixed. We finally took it in yesterday morning.
Fortunately our insurance company was able to offer us a hire car while the Mini is being fixed. Unfortunately, compared to the Mini, our replacement is dire... to say the least!
Although the Citroen C3 looks like a cute little car from the outside, it’s a totally different story inside! What appear to be bucket seats, hug you in all the wrong places – making it quite an uncomfortable ride, every time you change gear you bang your elbow on the arm rest, the hideous dashboard speedometer, etc is so big and in your face it almost distracts you from actually driving! But the worst thing of all is... it’s just so slow! Usually I can easily pull out into the fast lane to overtake, yet this morning I was barely even able to reach the speed limit, let alone pass anyone else! I think I will now look upon my little Mini with renewed enthusiasm and love. It’s speedy, incredibly comfortable and a strong little car!

Extra extra!

2009-03-10T21:21:00.001+01:00

I had such an unusual morning the other day. I was an extra for a commercial
that was filmed in the Algarve. Having sent in my details to the production
company, I was among 100 extras that turned up at the Alvor Aerodrome to
take part. On arrival, I felt a little lonely considering there appeared to
be numerous small pods of friends all grouped together while I stood ‘on my
tod’, trying to appear confident and casual on my own. I also noticed that
many of the extras were Dutch (it is a Dutch production company), so I
wasn’t feeling brave enough to approach them, not being able to speak a word
of Dutch. Not that that would have really mattered… most Dutch people here
are incredibly friendly and all speak English!
However, eventually I noticed someone I knew from years ago, and his fiancée
whom I’d never met, so it was great to catch up while we waited for filming
to begin.
About an hour or two later we were called out to the middle of a slightly
muddy field where we proceeded t o watch a stunt pilot in a light aircraft.
There were plenty of ‘Oohs’ and ‘Aahs’ where we all tried our very best at
acting suitably impressed (actually we were very impressed, this guy was
incredible!)
We waved, pointed, looked up and across, took photos, looked afraid (very
afraid…). Whether we were doing a fantastic job or not is another question,
of course! Hopefully at some point we will be able to see the fruits of our
labours, (perhaps on YouTube?), or the production company’s website.
I’ll keep you posted!
Oh… I almost forgot to say… we were all paid for doing
something that was actually a lot of fun. I do hope I’ll be asked to be an
extra again!

Clothes shopping

2009-03-10T20:35:00.003+01:00

Why is it that when you've got money to spend on clothes, you can never seem to find anything you like? I seem to have this problem quite a lot (well, I don't often have much money for that but you know what I mean!).This happened to me again the other day. I had just a little bit of money burning a hole in my pocket and so I decided to spend a few hours in the local shopping centre. I think I went into every single shop there, Zara, Stradivarius, Bershka, Pull & Bear, Springfield Woman, etc etc. Although the clothes all looked very pretty - there wasn't a single thing that I would want to spend my pennies on.

If I didn't have anything to spend, I bet I would have found masses of items to buy! The other side of the coin, of course, could have been the fact that I was shopping with hubby. Perhaps had I been with a few girlfriends I would have been more inclined to try things on and get their honest opinions, which would more than likely lead to a purchase or two. Perhaps that's what I should do. A good old girlie day out, shopping and lunch!

Canada coming up!

2009-03-09T21:31:00.004+01:00

I have square eyes.
I've spent almost two whole days staring at the computer screen... but for fab reasons. I am organising our next holiday... to Canada!
It's so exciting, I can hardly breathe!! (ok... maybe I can breathe perfectly well... I was just making a point). It'll be our first trip there.
Three whole weeks in Canada is going to be amazing. We are looking into flying into Vancouver, hiring a car to drive miles and miles to the likes of Banff, Jasper, Whistler, Clearwater and then back down to Vancouver Island where we will visit numerous beautiful locations. I bet we're going to fall in love with it so much that we won't want to come home.
If anyone has any tips or advice about visiting Alberta and British Columbia, please get in touch, I'd love to hear from you!

Chick Flicks galore

2009-03-03T13:08:00.005+01:00

I have probably not mentioned this before but I am a bit of an ‘aholic’. No, I’m not addicted to anything dodgy or untoward. I do like a glass of wine in an evening though, and I am rather keen on the odd piece (or slab) of chocolate, however I’m not addicted to any of these things.
I am addicted to DVDs.
I cannot walk past a DVD bargain bin without delving in and having a good old rummage to find one that I haven’t already got – or one that simply appeals to my many tastes.
I’ve probably got between 70 and 100 DVDs in total (I can’t count exactly because my friends borrow them a lot!), and I am showing no signs of slowing down.
My particular favourites are so called ‘chick flicks’, preferably with a gloriously romantic and funny ending (I can’t be doing with those films that end abruptly or sadly). Having said that, I own a few with sad endings but I can’t bear to watch them too much. Too sad, too depressing, too many shed tears. I do tend to cry a lot when watching movies (and even on TV… I have even been known to cry at the top of a hat when watching glimpses of cartoons, soaps, adverts, even). I have been called ‘sad’ and I probably am.
I could talk about movies for hours on end and I am lucky that I have a fellow colleague at work with the same tastes as me… and with the same fondness for movies. We do talk a lot about films, and little else (we do get our work done at the same time, I might – we are women of many talents!)
I have so many favourite chick flicks, but the current ones at the top of my list include Serendipity with Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack, Sweet Home Alabama with Reese Witherspoon, Hope Floats with Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick Jr (swoon), Practical Magic with Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman and Aidan Quinn (swoon).
I have so many others too. I’d love to hear what your favourite chick flicks are. Leave a comment if there are any you’d recommend that I haven’t included here. I’m always keen to get recommendations from fellow chick flickers!
Here is a list of the ones I have (let’s see if I can remember them off the top of my head) Kate and Leopold, Maid in Manhattan, Two Weeks Notice, Miss Congeniality (1 and 2), Gray Matters, Elizabethtown, Love Actually, Pretty Woman, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Erin Brockovich, The Wedding Planner, Mona Lisa Smile, Mean Girls, You’ve Got Mail, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones Diary (1&2), Chocolat, The Sweetest Thing, Steel Magnolias, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Family Stone, Ghost, Sliding Doors, The Wedding Date, Just Like Heaven, Sleeping with the Enemy. I'll add more to my list as I remember them (and buy them, of course!)
There are a few that I had but seem to have vanished into thin air… they include How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Fab films, both of them.

But its not just chick flicks I love... but that's for another post... another day!

Slow down

2009-03-03T11:59:00.003+01:00

After a few weeks of glorious spring-like weather, the dark clouds have returned with a vengeance. Last night, it rained non-stop and the drive into work this morning was hazardous to say the least. When I say hazardous, I don’t mean roads covered in ice and snow like the recent flurry in the UK, I’m talking rain so heavy that you can barely see your bonnet, let alone the car in front of you.
I love driving at the best of the times, but can’t stand it when you can’t see very well at all – this meaning either when it’s raining so hard or at night when the combination of darkness and oncoming blinding lights make it almost nigh on impossible to manoeuvre the car. OK, perhaps I am being a bit of a drama queen (it’s in my nature) but I just don’t like driving when conditions aren’t at their best.
Pottering down the motorway (I certainly wasn’t going to speed in such conditions, was I?), I did notice an accident. It looked like it might have involved two of three cars and it had only just happened. All drivers were at the side of the road on their mobile phones. Luckily, this time, there didn’t seem to be any injuries. Speed was probably what caused it. It usually is.
People don’t seem to take into account the heavy rain when driving – instead they hop into their vehicles and put their feet to the floor as if the weather was impeccable and the roads dry. It drives me mad when they come speeding past you in conditions like those, not only will they likely kill themselves, they will likely take you with them. It sends shivers down my spine just to think what might happen.
Slow down, people. It won’t hurt you. In fact it might just save your life.

A Magical Trip

2009-02-25T17:14:00.003+01:00

I’ve had the most wonderful weekend – not only did we spend it with our closest friends (J&J)who only visit Portugal two of three times a year, we also went out on the most amazing boat trip.
I had won the boat trip at a raffle at a charity fashion show that was held late last year, and as it was for four of us, we were keen to wait for J&J to come back over when the weather was good.
The weather was beautiful – perfect for a boat trip. But this was a boat trip with a difference. It was to go and see the Algarve’s dolphins. Are you surprised? Didn’t you think there were dolphins in the Algarve? Well, there are. There are loads of them.
Magical creatures, to say the least, the Common Dolphins surrounded us 15 minutes after we left Lagos Marina. We counted about 18 of them and they swam excitedly around the rigid inflatable boat – almost inviting us to swim with them. Had it been a hot August day, I would have been easily tempted (albeit, I wouldn’t have given in to temptation because I’m not very fond of the sea, especially when you can’t see or stand on the bottom).
We stayed with them for some time, enjoying the company of these exceptional creatures, watching them in a daze, mesmerised at their beauty and fun-loving temperaments. After a while, it was time to start heading back so turning around, the dolphins followed us closely. Even as we sped up, they also sped up, speeding at high velocity. It was if they were saying, ‘don’t go, stay and play some more!’ Eventually they let us go on our way and slowed down.
However just a few kilometres later we came across another pod, this time there seemed to be more youngsters among them. They were just as beautiful and we were keen to stay but our trip was coming to an end so we said our goodbyes (mentally, not verbally, of course) and went on our way. In total, we saw about five groups of them – all within about 8kms of the coast. It was mesmerising to see so many of these incredible creatures in their natural habitat and I almost felt like a child again (well…. It wasn’t THAT long ago!).
Our trip was courtesy of Bom Dia / Algarve Dolphins, who were fantastic. Really friendly and helpful and if I ever wanted to go on such a trip again, I would certainly use their services.
Normally I am quite nervous on board any kind of vessel smaller than your average ferry, however, this time I felt totally at ease the whole time we were out at sea. It appears that my sea legs are finally beginning to grow!

The sun is shining!

2009-02-13T14:32:00.002+01:00

After what feels like months of miserably wet, cold and windy weather, the sun is finally shining in the Algarve! The sky is as blue as it could possibly get and the feel of the sun of my skin is utterly divine.
I've never been much of a summer gal, having always preferred cold winters where we can snuggle up on the sofa wearing thick woolly jumpers, but I think I'm finally changing my mind. I have noticed that as I get older, I love it when the spring pushes the winter out of the way.
I feel like taking a deep breath and breathing in the real beginnings of a new year. I feel more positive and can look to the future... wherever that may be!
As I type, hubby is outside, getting rid of the tons and tons of weeds that have taken hold of the garden over recent months. Now, I'm not THAT into the sun that I will go out there and give him a hand (I don't do gardening) but it is lovely to watch him hard at work digging over what promises to be full of vegetables over the next several months. Those delicious home grown varieties that he has put so much hard work into makes them even more tasty to eat!
Don't get me wrong... I have helped on the odd occasion in the past. If he has had to pop over to the UK, for example, I've had no choice put to be responsible for the watering of all those lovely veggies. And I do pick the stuff when it's ripe for eating! The peas often don't make it to the table as they're so delicious freshly picked.
Maybe in a few year's time, I will develop a keenness for green fingers, but for the time being, I'm just going to enjoy sitting out there with a good book and (in the evening) a nice cold glass of vinho! Mmmmm
Roll on summer.....

The mind boggles

2009-02-02T17:09:00.004+01:00

My mind is buzzing..... for so many different reasons.
As I have mentioned previously, I am one of the organisers of what promises to be a fabulous girlie event this weekend. The Walk In Wardrobe is a swishing event for those in the know. For those not... come on dahlings... get with it. It's where women get together to swap clothes. Perfect for the current situation - or should I call it recession?
With businesses going bust left, right and centre, going shopping is not on many of our agendas. Let's face it...most of us just can't afford it. As much as we'd love nothing more than to go and spend our pennies on the latest fashions, we need to scrimp and save for the more mundane daily items such as food (yaawwwn).
Actually... I am a foodie. I love my food. I love your food. I love most food. I could so easily be a big fat heffer... thank goodness my parents didn't give me the so-called 'fat' gene. Yes, of course I know I'm not a skinny bean pole and I could do with losing a few pounds but I like having a bit of meat on me. And so does hubby.
Anyway... I seem to have gone off on a tangent (I do that a lot). I was talking about The Walk In Wardrobe. Having never organised anything of real importance (my step mother in law was mostly responsible for our wedding), I'm finding the whole process, although enjoyable, a tad mind boggling. I couldn't be an events organiser to save my life. I'll leave that to those who can (Eloise... that would be you... so in future....ahem).
Not only that, but I have so many other things to think about at the moment - but I won't bore you with any of that just now. That's for the future!
With little time on my hands, that's about all I can manage today... but I will be back with some great tales of swishing next week.
Now.... where did I put that Chocolate Digestive???
xx

I heart TV

2009-01-23T17:50:00.004+01:00

This horrible horrible weather is beginning to do my head in! It's been raining for days on end... the last couple of days it's been akin to the constant drizzle you get in England.
With very little else to do when the weather is so awful, I found myself sitting in front of a roaring fire, watching TV this afternoon. Although, having said that, that is where you will often find me on a Sunday afternoon!
I love my TV!!
I was rather excited last week on finding that, after returning from our holiday in the States, we had lost all our freesat channels (bummer) so I re-booted (re-configured, re-whatever!) our receiver and found a load more channels!!!
Before, we only picked up a few random channels including BBC and ITV1. Now I can get ITV2, ITV4, Channel4, Film4, E4, a whole load music channels, Zone Horror, Zone Thriller, Zone Romantica, etc, etc, etc! I now have a choice!
Although it's wonderful for such a TV addict, it's also a pain in the proverbial because I find myself constantly flicking through the channels as I'm afraid I might be missing something exciting.
This afternoon though, I found some 'interesting' viewing (you can take that any way you like!). On the E4 Channel, first was an American show about a beauty pageant for mothers and their adult daughters, where the winner goes away with 100,000 dollars. It was highly amusing to see grown women acting like little girls.
Today they were introducing themselves to the judges in order to give a good first impression. I have to say, only one duo managed to do that. Most of the others just looked, and sounded, like spoilt little girls. Each couple had to give themselves a name too... this was very funny considering one opted for 'Silent But Deadly'.. clearly they weren't aware of the connotations of such a name (unless they suffered with terrible wind, of course).
Another team chose 'Skin Deep'... not much to them, then?
I guessed that the 'Blonde Bombshells' weren't too interested at coming across at anything other than dumb blondes, which they achieved.
Mind you, it was very entertaining and highly amusing... if I'm at home, I will make at point of watching it next weekend.
Following this painfully amusing but very watchable programme was another called 'The Bachelor', filmed two years ago. I had obviously heard about this programme (wasn't Ulrika Johnson on a British version??). The guy was 30 years old and he had been paired up with a dozen or so astonishingly beautiful and successful women in their forties. Personally, I don't think there is anything wrong with the age gap but they were making a big thing out of it, and then at the end of the show they brought on a dozen of other girls to compete with them... only they were all in their twenties! Fascinating! Again, I'd love to know who he falls for! (I'll keep an eye out next weekend).
Soon after that, the rain came down even harder, clouds became thicker and the sky was as black as Bill mother's (where does that expression come from, I wonder?), which made the satellite TV unwatchable! Typical. As much as I wanted to avoid the kitchen, it beckoned... with little else to do, I ended up preparing dinner... very early!
What is there to do in this country when the weather is so appalling? You'd think after nearly 23 years, I might have come up with a suitable solution by now.

Taking a bite out of the Big Apple

2009-01-19T12:12:00.005+01:00

After we left Las Vegas, I didn't feel quite so sad because our next stop was even more exciting. Yes... we were headed to one of the most fantastic cities in the world... New York!

I loved it from the minute we landed. Actually, it was even before that. As we circled the city from above, flying out over the water, to make a U-turn in the sky, I could see a few of the well known landmarks and my heart was practically in my mouth! We were in New York!! Can you tell I was excited??

Although our drive from JFK to the hotel was pretty hairy and long winded, it was good fun. We had paid for one of those transfers that picks up / drops off other people as well - so we saw quite a lot just in that single drive. The driver was pretty fond of his horn though. But then, over the next few days I would discover that ALL New York cab / transfer drivers are fond of them.

We had chosen a hotel that looked cool and contemporary, The Hudson. It was pretty cool - the entrance was jaw dropping. The rooms were not. To maximise potential, the developers squeezed as many rooms as physically possible into that space, which meant the room wasn't much bigger than my bathroom at home! But it didn't bother us, we would be spending far more time out and about than holed up in the hotel.

The city certainly disappoint. I loved everything about it and we crammed everything possible into those five days. The Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty (although we just did a ferry ride, we didn't get off), Central Park - ice skating and a horse drawn carriage ride, Times Square - where we saw the Naked Cowboy (what a giggle that was!), Ground Zero, Broadway (although we didn't see a show), China Town, Little Italy, Rockefeller Centre.... it was all so exciting!

We had some fabulous meals - particularly in an Irish Pub & Restaurant called DJ Reynolds - super! There seemed to be a Starbucks on every street corner - good, because we had become suitably addicted to the Gingersnap lattes and the Peppermint Mocha Twists (I miss them already). We did the obligatory bus tours all over the city, although, disappointedly it rained on the occasion we decided to visit uptown so our visions of Harlem, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, etc were somewhat occluded by misty windows. Never mind... next time, we'll see it properly.

Since visiting New York, every time we see it on TV I get overly excited - as if I am now some kind of NY expert. We've been there... and there... I shout knowingly. Silly really (but, hey, that's me).

The recent plane crash in the Hudson is an example... that very ferry terminal they keep mentioning is the one we used to get a boat trip around Manhattan. Whenever they mention 42nd street, hubby and I nod to each other knowingly. We know what they're talking about.

Speaking of that plane crash... Wow. Incredible. That pilot and his co-pilot are real life heroes. It's amazing that they managed it so smoothly and without any casualties.

Next time I go on a plane, I want to hear that man's name as the name of our pilot.

On the subject of pilots, on our plane ride home from Gatwick to Faro, we had a female pilot. I smiled, knowing that we would have a great flight. Hubby, on the other hand, raised his eyebrows. I think he might have secretly prayed (and he's not a religious man).

VIVA LAS VEGAS!!

2009-01-12T13:06:00.007+01:00

I'm back from my travels Stateside and I have to say... I wanna go back!!!

I have had the time of my life in Las Vegas and then New York. Wow... what a place! No matter what I saw on TV or through the Americans that I met before I went, nothing prepared me for the amazing place that it is. The people are the friendliest and most genuine I have ever met and I would love to move over there!

Las Vegas was another world in itself. Each hotel was like a mini city - huge in every way and so impressive (or should I say 'awesome'?). I was expecting serious tackiness and I hardly saw that at all. Yes, there were a couple of places that were a tad on that side but the majority were simply beautiful - they took my breath away. We walked for miles and miles and we were there for two weeks but we still didn't get the chance to see it all.

The New York New York Hotel and Casino boasted its' own mini statue of liberty and roller coaster (no... I didn't have a go!) and inside was like taking a walk through the city itself.

The same goes for The Paris - beautiful.

I loved the MGM purely for the stunning lions that were there throughout the day. They had a purpose built area that was sound proof and smell proof so that they remained calm and comfortable while there.

One of the most beautiful, and well known hotels, was the Bellagio. Every quarter (or half) an hour, the fountains came to 'life', dancing to music so that everyone in the streets could watch. It was simply stunning.

The Venetian had its own canals, where you could ride a gondola, while the gondoliers sang to you (a little embarrassing, I guess, so we just watched!). Also there, was an exact replica of St. Marks Square - unbelievable!

Caesars Palace was by far the most impressive of all hotels and casinos. It was absolutely enormous and the attention to detail was exquisite. It's hard to describe just how beautiful it was.

The Stratosphere is a must see! Soaring more than 100 floors upwards, the views from atop were breathtaking, and not only that... there were terrifying rides up there!! I was nervous just watching people climb aboard them. I even shiver now, at the thought! The photos above sum them up!

Venturing out of Las Vegas, we hired a car and sat nav (we called her Sheila), and headed for the Grand Canyon. Sheila took us two hours in the wrong direction! And then when we were on the right road, we had to travel 21 miles on a dirt track. Bear in mind that it had also been snowing, it was a bit icy (and dicy!). We eventually got there, excited at the prospect of seeing one of the wonders of the world.

However, we would be disappointed. We chose the West Rim because of the newly built Sky Walk (where you could step out onto a glass ledge to see the depth of this impressive site). Once there, we had to pay 20 dollars to park the car. Then we had to take a bus to the canyon - another 30 dollars EACH. Once there, the main view had been blocked by the construction of what appeared to be some kind of hotel at the Sky Walk. And if we wanted to go on the Sky Walk, we had to pay another 20 or 30 dollars EACH! Obviously we could see part of the canyon but were told it had been completely spoiled. We were very disappointed to have wasted so much money. If we ever go again, we have decided to go on a helicopter tour instead - at least then we will be able to see unobstructed views of this awesome site.

The Hoover Dam was also on our list of must-sees and we weren't disappointed there. It was fantastic! A new motorway was being built across it and so it was pretty incredible to see that! Pretty terrifying too, to imagine the workers up there!

I'm sure you're beginning to get the picture now just how amazed I was by everything there was to see at Vegas. It's somewhere I would recommend everyone visit at some time in their lives. I'm sure I'll be back!

I'll tell you all about New York later!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

2008-12-15T13:30:00.004+01:00

I will be unable to update my blog for a little while but will be back in the new year!

In the meantime, have a fantastic Christmas and I hope all your hopes and dreams come true in the new year. Things can only get better so keep positive and treat people the way you expect to be treated yourselves!

And most importantly... smile (unlike me, here!!)!

Love,

Iberian Bird

xxx

The Walk In Wardrobe

2008-12-15T13:20:00.003+01:00

I'm really excited to finally be able to tell you about a fabulous event that is being organised in the Algarve in February!
The Walk In Wardrobe was the brainchild of a group of friends (including me, of course!) who had watched Twiggy's Frock Exchange on TV a few months ago and thought 'why don't we do that?!'... so we decided to!
The event is taking place on February 7th, from 10am to 2pm at the Hotel Garbe in Armação de Pêra, who has kindly offered the use of the Raj Restaurant free of charge, as the event is in aid of charity. We have chosen the Lar Bom Samaritano children's home in Alvor. Tickets for the event cost 10 euros each - all of which will be donated to the home.
The purpose of the event is for ladies to get together and swish. Sound ominous? Worry not... swishing is simply the exchange of clothes! Great huh?
All we ask is for you to bring at least two items of clothing (or accessories) that you would be proud to pass on, and then you can choose anything from the hundreds of items that will be availble for swapping!
We are also organising a fantastic raffle with some lovely girlie prizes!! It's going to be the ultimate girlie day!
We have our own blog and email address:
http://www.thealgarvewalkinwardrobe.blogspot.com/
thewalkinwardrobe@hotmail.com
If you would like a ticket, check out the blog (it's actually in my followers list to the right) or simply send an email to confirm your place. Places are limited so book soon!

Withdrawal symptoms

2008-12-06T14:58:00.003+01:00

You never realise just how much you rely on the internet until you lose it. That's what happened to me last week. I switched on the laptop and opened Explorer and then... nothing. I switched it off and on again... nothing. 'That's odd', I thought.
And then I was summoned to dinner by hubby (it's great being married to someone who does most of the cooking!), and by the time we'd eaten, I'd forgotten all about the computer. It wasn't until the following evening that I tried connecting again and realised we were offline. Our landline had also been affected.
I rang Telecom and they said we would be fixed within a day. It took a week. Typical.
Almost every night, there was something I wanted to check online for, but couldn't, obviously. Also, I was so conscious of not updating my blog... that was the worse thing. It made me realise that I had become quite dependent on my twice weekly blog updates. It was actually making me a bit irritable!
Fortunately we are now back up and running. It appears that we had a faulty line. When Telecom had initially installed the line, they had not connected it properly, meaning we'd had a dodgy line for nearly four years! Oh well... at least it's fixed now. Let's hope it doesn't happen again or I'll be getting withdrawal symptoms.
Talking of withdrawal symptoms... hubby has been suffering terribly with them. All week we have had terribe weather. It's been freezing cold and has rained pretty much all the time - well, every time that he was able to go out on his motorbike that is. He's been moaning and complaining about it, standing staring out at the window as if urging the sun to shine. I got so fed up with it, I practically forced him out this afternoon. "Just go out on your cross bike and get muddy, for god's sake. As long as you wear waterproof clothes, you'll be fine", I said to him, as I shoved him out the door. It's not that I wanted a bit of time to myself, of course....

A Lisbon trip

2008-11-24T12:00:00.007+01:00

We went up to Lisbon this weekend. The Ducati needed a service and the closest official Ducati dealer is near Sintra... shocking really that we couldn’t get it done nearer to home.
On the other hand, it meant an overnight stay and.... SHOPPING!!!!
So after dropping the bike off (in case you were wondering how on earth I managed to sit on the back of the throbbing machine ALL THAT WAY – I didn’t... we took it in the back of the van!), we headed for Ikea. We got lost of course... Lisbon wouldn’t be Lisbon if we didn’t get lost. Every time we go, without fail, we somehow seem to lose our way. Once we even ended up going BACK over the bridge towards the Algarve. Three times we went over that damn thing!
Having finally reached Ikea, we had a good wander around, met some friends for lunch and then exited... having spent rather more than we intended.
Next we headed to Estoril to find the hotel that hubby had booked online. I was decidedly apprehensive, considering he’d managed to get it for 41 euros – which also included breakfast! It was going to be dive. I was sure of it.
It didn’t take long to find it... it was well signposted and... it certainly didn’t look much of a dive. In fact, the reception and bar area looked quite funky. I was impressed.
The room wasn’t too bad either. The hotel had obviously recently had a make-over but I think they failed somewhat with the bathroom. Although the idea was good, it wasn’t quite pulled off. The shower, for example, had a tiny glass partition that wasn’t anywhere near large enough to stop water from going everywhere!
But perhaps I am biased, as hubby designs and renovates bathrooms for a living and his are, without doubt, the very best!
After a walk and a nice cold beer in Estoril, I was ready to continue shopping (that goes without saying, really), so we hopped back in the van and headed towards Cascais Shopping where we spent a few more hours having a browse before heading into Cascais for dinner. It was a lovely day but we were exhausted so we looked forward to a good night’s sleep.
Which we most certainly didn’t get! Argh!! The bed was so hard and the hotel was the noisiest hotel we have ever stayed in. The walls seemed paper thin and we could hear people walking in and out all night long. Add to that the traffic and sounds of people outdoors. Needless to say, we didn’t get much sleep that night.
We went down for breakfast early the following morning, where we were almost made to feel like children. The lady on duty clearly didn’t want to be there... she huffed constantly, uttering to herself and complaining. We didn’t stay long!
Next, back up to Cascais Shopping... I had been tempted by a pair of boots the day before so we decided to pop back in and try them on. The shops were closed as we were so early so we had to sit around for 45 minutes waiting. Lo and behold, the boots looked horrible. What a waste of time. Never mind.
It was just before 10.30am. The Ducati dealer and service area closed at 1pm so we had plenty of time to get there. At least we thought we did.
An almighty traffic jam meant we very nearly didn’t get there on time. There had clearly been a nasty accident as we sat there for nearly two hours. Police cars, the fire brigade and ambulances all squeezed in between vehicles that were bumper to bumper. What a nightmare!
I have never been so pleased to get to a bike shop!
After collecting the Ducati, we headed back towards the Algarve, not before stopping at the Almada Forum shopping centre though. There we had a quick wander round the shops, followed by a delicious lunch of authentic Italian pizza before heading home just in time for Strictly Come Dancing and our own comfortable bed! BLISS!

A little more about me

2008-11-17T12:12:00.012+01:00

It's been a few months since I created this blog so I guess it's about time I wrote a little more about me and what I do.
I am a freelance writer and I also work as the Features Editor for the best English language weekly newspaper in Portugal, The Resident (see http://www.the-resident.com/), where I can be found three days a week.
I absolutely love to write. Whether it's snippets for my blog, in depth interviews with local residents and businesspeople or general articles, I get such a kick out of creating something from nothing. Even more of a kick when I am complimented on my work, but, of course, that goes without saying!
Since completing my A'levels when I was 18, I have met so many different fascinating people that either live in the Algarve, or frequently visit this beautiful part of the world. From musicians that have worked with the likes of Sammy Davies Jr to the creator of one of the largest hotel chains in England, I've been having a ball getting to know such great personalities.
I have even met Kiki Dee (although that wasn't connected to work) - a very quiet and softly spoken lady. When I met her, she had not long since returned from Elton John's wedding!
As mentioned in a previous blog, I have had the honour of interviewing Stacey Kent over the phone. She was a lovely person and her music is just beautiful. Hubby and I are big fans. We often listen to her, alongside other jazz greats.
But it's those non-famous folk that are even more fascinating. The Algarve is full of them, I can tell you. Some people living here are, undoubtedly, a little strange (I mean... this picture of me, below and my good friend, Rambo, says it all!) but generally speaking, are a lot of fun and super to talk to.
I met a fabulous woman through work who designs her own leather jewellery. We hit it off the moment we met and I am pleased and proud to say that she will be at The Clothes Show Live next month! I am very excited for her. You can check out her beautiful jewellery on http://www.lwrap.com/
In fact, they would make the most excellent Christmas gifts!!

Laura White and the 'nasty' X Factor judge

2008-11-10T13:28:00.003+01:00

I just had to write about how gutted I am about Saturday's X Factor.
I have been a huge fan of Laura's since the very beginning. I honestly thought (and still think) she has the talent, the style and the personality to win that show.
Since the very start of the show however many years ago, Louis seems to have turned into a bitter and twisted 'old' man. He has become so aggressive and nasty about some of the acts and most of the time he is very wrong. Half the time, I think he votes against the other judges - this week I reckon he had it in for Cheryl because of her comment about JLS and Westlife!
I am so angry about it. There are a few singers in the current series that are simply amazing and Laura was one of them.
I don't deny that Ruth isn't great, of course she is - but Laura really does have more vocal talent. Louis voting for Ruth because she is a 'fighter' is absolute rubbish.
I was in tears on Saturday.
Can you tell I'm angry??
Laura is going to be a huge star, regardless of the X Factor!

Man flu

2008-11-10T12:55:00.003+01:00

I have 'man flu'.
I have been ill all weekend and feel utterly miserable. I am a terrible patient and do feel sorry for my other half who has to put up with my moaning, sniffling, sneezing, coughing etc etc.
I had been feeling as though I was fighting something for a week or so and I guess my system said enough is enough and gave up the fight on Friday.
Waking up with difficulty in swallowing, I just knew it had finally got me. That same day I had a lunchtime meeting with a few friends about a fantastic event we're organising early next year (more about that later, when I'm feeling up to it!), so I at least managed to fend it off until I got home later in the day and then it hit me. So I have been unable to do anything for myself all weekend. What a bummer. I hope I wake up tomorrow with a new lease of life. Let's see.

A Ducati incompatibility issue

2008-10-27T11:38:00.004+01:00

A few weeks ago I finally plucked up the courage to go on the back of hubby's new motorbike. OH MY GOD..... the first and the last time, I can tell you!

This bike was certainly not designed for two. The fairing sticks out in such a manner that, because the foot pegs are positioned right underneath, you get bruises on your inner calves! It also didn't help that I wore full leathers that I had bought a few years ago and I am a little bigger than I was then! Although I was over the moon that I could still get them on, they were a bit tight and sitting astride a great throbbing machine (!!) like that was not the most comfortable I had ever been! In fact it was simply the most UNCOMFORTABLE I have ever been (in my life).

Luckily the ride was equally uncomfortable for hubby... so he now knows my dislike of riding behind him aboard the Ducati is not just an excuse but a genuine incompatibility issue!

Fortunately we still own the BMW bike inherited from his late father seven years ago, which is decidedly more comfortable for me. However, it can only be described as an 'old man's bike' but its great for longer distances because it's built for comfort and certainly not speed, like the Ducati is. So, in future, if I ever feel the need to have a rather larger throbbing machine between my legs... I'll opt for the black BMW and give the red Ducati a miss!

Here is a picture of me on the Ducati...looking like a natural, I might add (YEAH RIGHT).

The constant whirr of motorbikes

2008-10-27T11:05:00.003+01:00

I've had a lovely weekend... the weather was beautiful and I'd aleady done all the housework so I could just chill out and relax the whole time. Utter bliss.
My other half decided the weather was perfect for a ride out on his motorbike so he left at 3pm on Saturday afternoon, leaving me to laze in the sun to finish a great book I'd been reading (Behaving Badly by Isabel Wolff). Sprawled out on the sun lounger, I was in a world of my own, nothing to bother me but the sounds of nature all around... that and the constant whirr of motorbikes just over the hills.
That's right.... the sounds of motorbikes... whirring away.... constantly. Motorbikes that were practising for the Algarve's very first event of its kind at the brand spanking new autodrome which just happens to be located just 10 minutes' drive away from our house.
I'm not complaining. Not at all. I actually think it's rather fab that we're so close to something so new and exciting. Hopefully the proximity might even add a bit of value to the houses around here, particularly important should we decide to sell in the near future (which I hope we will do but I'll tell you about that later).
The autodrome's opening event is this weekend. Naturally my hubby and his friends have bought tickets. I, on the other hand, am looking forward to a day of guilt-free shopping at our local shopping centre! The event is the World Superbike Championship - quite impressive, don't you think?! I'm sure the noise will be quite loud so popping to the shops is another excuse to save my delicate ears (ahem). If you're interested in the autodrome, it has a website http://www.autodromodoalgarve.com/
Back to my lovely weekend... after a number of hours I started to get a tad worried about my nearest and dearest. Lately when he's out for a ride he's only been gone an hour or two but after two and a half, I did start concerning myself as to his whereabouts.
Luckily I needn't have worried, at about six I heard the sound of the bike a couple of miles away (you could say it's a bit loud) and he returned safe and sound. Turns out he'd been riding and had met a fellow English biker around the same age and they'd stopped for a coffee and a chat. They've swapped contact details so, hopefully, he now has a pal with whom to go out riding now and again. I do worry when he's out alone all the time!
We have lots of friends over here but none are 35 year old bikers with the same taste in bikes (and the same need for speed) as my hubby, so it'll make a nice change for him!

The vintage bug

2008-10-20T10:55:00.005+02:00

Oh for the love of 'vintage' clothes.
I had forgotten what fun it can be to sort through a multitude of 'vintage' (well... second hand, anyway) items.
Last week, a friend and I decided to pop into Portimao for a coffee and a sandwich. There had been no discussions as to what else we might do... but, naturally, we ended up shopping.
But no ordinary shopping, I might add. We were bargain hunting.
My good pal knew of a great shop she had visited once or twice before. "It's fabulous. They've got this great big box and everything in it is one euro!" Had I heard right... one euro?! "Yes", she giggled.
It turned out the shop in question was a local charity shop and indeed, had this huge box full to overflowing with used and hardly worn garments.
What fun! We began at one end, turfing out all the tat and putting to one side all the items that we would try later. We must have been there a good hour, delving deep into the bowels of this amazing 'vintage' box.
Ok, perhaps I am dramatising it a little... there was an awful lot of hideousness in there but we did discover some real little treasures. I ended up with four tops:
1 deep red wool, roll neck top with no sleeves which will look fab over a long sleeved black top in the height of winter.
1 simple slit neck 3 quarter length sleeved top which look great with my new red suede shoes (see previous blog)
1 stunning purple and black cotton top - perfect for those stunning purple heels hubby bought me last Christmas!
1 fabulous black blouse with a frill down the front and super cuffs. It sounds scary but I've seen similar things on the catwalk this season - and it's just lovely!
My friend spent a massive seven euros on all her goodies.
Having enjoyed ourselves so much, we are popping out again today. This time, though, we are headed to another town that boasts a couple of 'vintage' shops.
Let's see what treasures we might uncover...

Shoes... Glorious Shoes

2008-10-20T10:36:00.002+02:00

Buying shoes has become somewhat of a nightmare. Don't get me wrong... I could shop for shoes all day, every day... but every time I am looking for something specific, I can NEVER find it!
Take last week, for instance, I went shopping (spur of the moment) and decided I just HAD to have a new pair... to add to my other 50 odd pairs. What I wanted was a simple little pair of flats, black, perhaps with a tiny bow - in Portugal they are called 'Sabrinas', in the UK I'm not so sure but they're a little like ballerina shoes. They've been all the rage for ages - especially with leggings. They are very cute.
Anyway... I looked high and low and could not find a single pair. I particularly would have liked leather, so they'd last longer. I tried a multitude of 'similar' styles but they all looked ridiculous on my size 6 feet.
Which brings me to my next issue... my size 6 feet seem to have grown! Size 6 is a 39 over here but most 39s I try on are too damn small. And to add insult to injury... 40s are too BIG! GRRRR
Half sizes are virtually non existent in this country. I know I know... I could buy online but what if they also look ridiculous?!
In the end I found a pair... I wasn't sure about them but I bought them all the same. They were a tad on the tight side but I put that down to my day of trawling round the shops, my feet were obviously 'swollen' a bit.
Anyway... that evening, I proudly paraded them in front of my husband. Expecting praise for my obvious good taste, all I got were raised eyebrows and a slight curl to the lip. He thought they were hideous.
Two days later and the two of us were traipsing around the shops, after returning the previous purchase to whence I had bought them.
Eager to find another pair in that same shop... I tried on everything... to which the curled lip and raised eyebrows appeared once again (over and over, I might add).
In the end, he picked up a rather odd looking shoe in red suede. I laughed at the oddity of them. For a joke, I tried them on...
OH WHAT COMFORT. They were almost as comfortable as my treasured Croc slippers. I just had to have them! And so... having paid a further 40 euros on top of the 25 I had spent two days previously, I am now the proud owner of a pair of red suede shoes that (surprisingly) look super with a pair of jeans!
However... they would look hideous with those damn leggings.... The hunt continues...

My sweet little Yoda

2008-10-20T10:23:00.004+02:00

I feel guilty. Really guilty.

My darling little cat, Yoda, is in 'hospital' as I write. He has a broken jaw and the reason I feel so guilty is the fact that he must have broken it when he was just a wee kitten.

When he was just a couple of weeks old, he fell from quite a height. He seemed absolutely fine after the initial shock wore off and we 'assumed' that there was no damage. In hindsight, I wish we had taken him to the vet then.

Lately we had noticed that his mouth was a bit 'yucky' and smelly so we took him to the vet in Lagos who told us that his jaw had been broken at some time in his life and had fused back together in a crooked way which was causing the problem.
The vet advised us to leave Yoda with him over the weekend and he would try and operate today. All weekend its been so strange not having the lovely little fella whining by my feet, following my everywhere. I miss him. I really do. I hope he can come home later today so I can cuddle him!!

Speaking of our vet... he is quite a celebrity in the UK. He is Dr. Scott who often appears on ITV. He is a fantastic veterinarian and a lovely guy. He recently got married - pictures of which appeared in Hello Magazine.

We only mingle with the stars... dahling!

Dad goes AWOL

2008-10-08T21:33:00.002+02:00

I had a bit of a moment last night.
My brother telephoned me from England at almost 10pm. As soon as I answered the phone and heard his voice, I panicked.
It's a seldom occurrence that I get phone calls from any family members in the UK so when they do, I instantly assume there's something wrong.
My Dad, who is visiting the UK at the moment, appeared to have gone missing! And before you have visions of Mrs Hyacinth Bucket (or is that Bouquet?) and her elderly father who frequently vanishes, picture this: my Dad is only 56 years old and is in full possession of his faculties (at least... most of the time!)
Apparently my dear Dad had left Loughborough in the morning to travel up to Rotherham to visit his father. He had told my brother he would be back in the afternoon. 9.30pm came and went and still no sign. Phone calls and numerous text messages to him later, and we were still no closer to finding out his whereabouts.
I had been called in order to obtain our Grandad's phone number, who they duly called - only to be told Dad had left their house at 3pm.
By this time, I was in a bit of a panic... picturing him lying helplessly roadside half dead (I do have a tendency to dramatise things), I couldn't possibly go to bed until I knew what was going on.
Perhaps his mobile phone had run out of credit, I thought. I immediately went online and put an extra 10 euros on it, followed by frantically trying to phone and text him. Nothing.
My brother told me to calm down and go to bed, which I duly did. I lay there until 11pm, worried sick. I can now imagine what parents are like when their teenage kids are out and about in the evening. Arrrgh!
I couldn't possibly sleep so I headed back downstairs and switched on Messenger. 'Any news?', I asked anxiously.
'I was just going to ring you', said my sister in law... 'he's just walked in!'.
A huge sigh of relief escaped my lips.... followed by this intense desire to call him all the names under the sun (which, of course, I would never do... he is my father!)
'It's alright. He's had a bad day.......... he missed the bus'.
Shaking my head and now seeing the funny side. And his mobile phone?
He'd left it with my sister down the road!
Grrrrrrrrrrr.

Stacey Kent Charity Concert

2008-10-03T16:59:00.007+02:00

Stacey Kent is my favourite jazz singer... if you don't know who she is, then you are certainly missing out. Her music is nothing less than incredible and is the perfect antidote to a stressful day at work. Relaxing with a glass of wine and listening to Stacey's music is, put simply, divine!
I had the great honour of interviewing her last year and it was, without doubt, one of the highlight's of my career.
Imagine my surprise when I received an email from her last week. Sadly, a year ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had chosen not to divulge the news to her fans until now - just before a charity concert she is giving in aid of breast cancer awareness.
Here is her press release... please spread the word about this very important cause.

stacey kent & her musicians
Live @ Indigo2 13th October 2008
Millenium Way, Greenwich SE10 0AX, 0844 844 0002, www.theindigo2.com, 7pm, £40-£10
"...she has charm to burn, a smile that could give you hope in February and sings like nobody's
business." -- WALL STREET JOURNAL
Stacey Kent (vocals) with Jim Tomlinson (saxes), Graham Harvey (piano), John Parricelli (guitar), Jeremy Brown (double bass) and Matt Skelton (drums)
A year on from the release of her Gold-selling Blue Note album, Breakfast On The Morning Tram, Stacey Kent will perform a special charity concert at the Indigo2 on 13th October 2008 as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Stacey, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, has chosen to give this concert in aid of
three breast cancer charities, Breast Cancer Care, Breakthrough Breast Cancer and the Barnet
Breast Unit Fund. All of the proceeds from the concert will go to these charities.
What is more, the concert represents the last opportunity to see Stacey and her brilliant band live in London before next autumn. And as an added bonus they’ll be joined, for this show only,
by wonderful guitarist, John Parricelli, who contributed so memorably to her most recent album,
Breakfast On the Morning Tram.
Stacey was diagnosed with breast cancer just as she commenced recording in April 2007, and
though deeply shocked, decided that she couldn’t not do the thing she loved most - make music! Bravely, she opted to complete the recording and commence with her tour - 27 countries and counting - while also under going treatment for cancer. She also chose to keep her illness private, determined to focus her interviews on how much she loved her new music. It is only now that she is completely healthy, and the album an international success, that Stacey has chosen to discuss her illness and to perform this major concert to raise awareness and in support of three cancer related charities - including the local unit where she received such brilliant care. Stacey's new album, Breakfast On The Morning Tram, is out now on Blue Note / EMI.
A ‘Limited edition’ version with bonus CD singles and DVD is released on Sept 29th
www.staceykent.com www.myspace.com/staceykentmusic
Breakfast On The Morning Tram is GOLD in France and Germany.
Jim Tomlinson & Kazuo Ishiguro's song, THE ICE HOTEL featured on Breakfast On The Morning Tram, has won First Place in the Jazz category of the 2007 International Songwriting Competition.

Stacey Kent on why this concert means so much to her:
“I was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2007, just as we were starting to record my Blue
Note debut album, Breakfast On The Morning Tram. Obviously, this came as a huge shock! I am
young and very healthy and have always looked after myself. I went in for surgery in May, and
finally, I went through radiation last July, when thankfully, the album tour kept me close to home and on the continent only. After that, we left for Japan and the rest of the worldwide tour.
I did have the choice of cancelling the recording session and subsequent tour, but Jim and I thought that as heartbreaking as this news was, we would have been much sadder to have stopped doing the thing we are most passionate about. We talked it out and realized that if everything were to become about the illness, it would be much harder to get through the illness,
the surgery, etc. But in this way, by continuing to work, we had something wonderful to look forward to and I do believe in staying positive. So, we did indeed stay positive and managed to
combine our main aims --1) to get me healthy again 2) to create this album we loved so much.
On doctor’s advice, I ended up taking one week off after surgery and in the end, I bounced
back pretty quickly. And I just wanted to get back to work and to living a normal life!
Ironically, BREAKFAST was always going to be my most reflective, most personal album anyway and then .... my world was turned upsidedown! And though there is no 'theme' on this album, so many of the songs we chose were about the timeline of life, the delicate balance of the joy and the sadness we all have to face in our lives: Songs like "What A Wonderful World" "So Many Stars" "Landslide " "Never Let Me Go" "I Wish I Could Go Travelling Again" "Breakfast On The Morning Tram" -- all the Ishiguro songs, which are heartbreaking and yet all have an optimistic undertone -- one song after the other, they are hugely poignant stories. It was an emotional time, to say the least and making the album put us on an emotional rollercoaster.
However, I decided that I did not want my interviews to be about the cancer but still wanted to
talk about the music, which meant so much to me. Also, Jim and I were just too raw at the time
to speak publicly and we had this enormous tour ahead of us. We therefore made the decision
to keep my illness private and to focus on our new album and exciting new adventure with Blue
Note.
The reason for this concert (during 'Breast Cancer Awareness Month’) is that I am now fine and
cancer free and I am now able to talk about my illness and recovery. And most importantly, the
care and support I received, which was (and continues to be) absolutely amazing. I want to be
able to give something back and to help others if I can and I have chosen three charities (one
for research, one for care, one for the centre where I was actually treated) and Jim and I will
donate all proceeds from the concert.
This concert comes right between a 3 week tour in Germany and a tour in Brazil but we wanted
to be part of "Breast Cancer Awareness Month and this was the only way to do it!
Praise for Stacey Kent’s Blue Note debut Breakfast On The Morning Tram:
"... true brilliance...a marvelously inventive launching pad for this bold, brave new Kent."
Jazz Times
'Devastatingly stylish' The Observer
"Genuinely affecting" The Guardian
"Stacey continues to deliver intimate ballads with perfect timing and control". BBC

My home and me

2008-10-03T16:08:00.006+02:00

I've not told you very much about me and where I live, have I? Are you curious? Do you really want to know? Well... if you insist...
I live in the Algarve with my gorgeous husband - to whom I have been married for ten years. We have been together since I was 16 years old!! (Shocking these days, isn't it?) We live in a beautiful house out in the countryside with our two dogs: Megan and Roxy and our menagerie of cats: Kylie, Poppy, Scully, Robbie, Hermione and Yoda. We did have another called Mr. Darcy but he moved home when Hermione and Yoda moved in... I guess he was ready for a change. Every six months or so, he does pop by for a visit, just to let us know he's alive and well, which I think is rather decent of him don't you think?
When hubby and I first moved in together (I was 19, he was ... three years older!) we rented an apartment overlooking the sea not far from a really special little fishing village called Carvoeiro. It's special because I pretty much grew up hanging out there... we had some laughs there, I can tell you. But that's a tale for another time!
We rented for about 9 months and then got sick of the whole renting malarkey and so decided to buy. Now that was an experience... looking for an apartment to buy. We went to various agents and were shown some seriously diabolical places, one we are certain was built for the seven dwarves. Everything was knee high to a grasshopper! We didn't quite get that. Why the agent would show something so ridiculously tiny and short to us (hubby is about 6ft 2"), we've no idea!
Needless to say, we didn't go back!
In the end we saw the perfect place... it was actually in the next block to where we were renting, it needed gutting but it was livable. It had the most amazing view, it was to die for... really!
It didn't take too long to sort out the mortgage and we moved in around October about 12 (ish) years ago. Over the next few years we gradually renovated it and it became a contemporary and stylish home. We loved it.
Our neighbours became our closest friends. Unfortunately they don't live here all the time, the apartment is (still) their holiday home. They visit as often as they can throughout the year though. We also became friends with their two daughters and their husbands (who are closer to our age), who call us their adopted brother and sister, which is really lovely!
About three years ago, we decided it was time to move on from apartment life and so we put the place on the market... assuming it would take a little while to find a buyer. We were so wrong... the first person to look at it, bought it!
We had planned on buying a really old cottage out in the country that needed total renovation, however, we soon spotted a real gem on the internet. It was a brand new house, all open plan with big windows. We immediately fell in love with it and made an offer straight away. The rest, as they say, is history.
Or should I say... history in the making?

Urgh!

2008-09-29T17:09:00.002+02:00

I have just had the fright of my life...
While sitting here at my laptop, browsing through sites that should help promote my work (one can only hope!), something landed on my face... on my eye to be exact.
I screamed, through off my glasses (luckily they landed softy on the desk) and jumped a mile into the air (ok... perhaps I can exaggerate a little bit) and ran as fast as I could out of our home office. I am shuddering at the thought. Urgh.
As I shook off my faithful pink cardie and headed into the bathroom to inspect my poor face. I couldn't see a thing. Whatever it was, was no longer. No longer on my head anyway.
Urgh... I can't stop shuddering.
As I carefully tiptoed back to my desk, scouring the place for anything alien... I noticed a little grasshopper on the floor. Urgh... a grasshopper had landed on my eye... of all places!
Urgh... I know I keep saying Urgh... but it's all I can think of to say.
Oh, the joys of living in this part of the world... and out in the countryside as well. Bugs galore.
URGH!

Rain, rain go away

2008-09-29T11:33:00.003+02:00

The weather has been dreadful all weekend. I genuinely feel sorry for all those tourists that eagerly arrived for a sun-drenched holiday just a few days ago, to be greeted not by the beautiful hot sun but instead by thunder, lightning and constant rain.
Proof that living here isn't all a bed of roses, this weekend's storm left us with hardly a thing to do. We also had friends staying with us... they own a holiday home in the village where I grew up but whenever they come over for a break, they always come and have a weekend out in the country with us.
But what to do? It rained almost from the moment they arrived. On Saturday morning, we popped to the local shopping centre to buy some bits n pieces for dinner and the place was heaving with people. I hate crowds. I become claustrophobic and uncomfortable... however, I do love shopping so I tend to grin and bear it. Saturday, however, was another story and I just wanted to get home and put my comfy slippers on!
Whenever it rains here, all the shopping centres fill up - it doesn't make any difference whether it is a light shower or a full on storm, shopping becomes a nightmare. Is it the same the world over? Or is it just here because there really is very little else to do but shop?
What else is there to do when it rains? You can't very well go to the beach or the local waterslide parks can you? To be brutally honest... there isn't anything else to do.
In the winter, my husband and I are almost always at a loss what to do. We used to go out for long drives in the country but even that has become a tad tedious... having gone down those same routes time and time again. We dream of faraway places where you can go ice skating, roller skating or even skiing - just for something totally different to do with our time.
Many a Sunday morning, we find ourselves meeting friends for a coffee, often at the (surprise, surprise) shopping centre where we spend an hour catching up before heading our separate ways and then wondering what else we can do to while away the time.
After returning with our friends this weekend, we sat down to a nice cup of tea, occasionally eyeing up the storm outside before my husband decided to start preparing dinner. It was, after all, something to do. With the ducks roasting in the oven, we sat and played Rummikub for a couple of hours before enjoying a super supper while watching Strictly Come Dancing on TV.
The following morning, our friends were keen to head home but found themselves struggling to get out of our house due to the ferocity of the storm. In the end, they decided to brave it and made a swift escape, leaving us, once again wondering what to do with ourselves.

Charity fashion show

2008-09-25T17:06:00.008+02:00

Last week I was honoured to have been invited to a charity fashion show. It wasn't just any old invitation... I was to be guest of honour! I realise this was due to the fact that I edit the monthly fashion page in the local newspaper. But I was still honoured, nonetheless. The event was a huge success and many more people attended than was previously thought. Everyone had a ball. The models were all volunteers or friends of volunteers at the local animal charity, Nandi, and they were all so professional. It was fantastic. What was so remarkable about the show was that all the clothes were 'vintage' (I love that word!), in other words, they were all second hand items that had previously been donated to the charity shops. You would never have known would you?!
There was also an added surprise in the form of a sensuous salsa performed by two dancers from Strictly Social Dance. It was superb! And just in time for the beginning of Strictly Come Dancing on TV. Great timing! Here are some of the photos I took of this excellent cause...

Hot summer nights

2008-09-25T17:03:00.002+02:00

I slept on the terrace a couple of weeks ago. It was such a beautiful evening that my husband and I just couldn’t resist lying beneath the stars as we dozed off into the land of dreams... that, and the fact that our bedroom had been unbearably hot.
As we lay there, counting the shooting stars above us, my husband had just closed his eyes when I saw the most magnificent one. It was the biggest, brightest shooting star I had ever seen and he had missed it. I was convinced it must have been some kind of comet... he was convinced it was probably something man made. We agreed to disagree.
Anyway, again we drifted off to sleep, only to be awoken a few hours later feeling a trifle chilly. I nipped inside and lugged our huge duvet cover outside and we snuggled up and dropped off again. Another couple of hours went by and I was woken by the feeling of something crawling on me... everywhere. I screeched and leapt up, rudely awaking my other half in the process. We didn’t even stop to see what it was. We just shook ourselves silly and shot inside to the comfort of our bed – fan on high to try to keep us cool.
The next morning as I gingerly stepped onto the terrace, I noticed hundreds of giant flying ants all over the duvet. I shuddered. I could have been smothered by those things. I could have been smothered to death (an image of my lifeless body creeps into my mind... death by giant ants...urgh). Ok... so maybe I am a bit of a drama queen sometimes.
That was the first time we had slept under the stars on our terrace. It would most definitely be the last.
Since that episode, we have, finally, had air conditioning fitted into our bedroom! After nearly eleven years of living in a hot apartment by the sea and three years of living in a warm villa in the country, we can finally sleep in a cool room in the summer. What utter bliss. For years we have, like many other expats here, have settled for the humble fan. A fantastic invention, of course, but it has nothing on the air conditioning unit. My skin is starting to feel dry and, with the lack of fresh air throughout the night, our oxygen levels are clearly lower than usual, but we have a cool bedroom! At the moment, nothing else matters! It could be sucking the life out of me, for all I care. It’s a cool bedroom!
Contrary to popular belief, it can get incredibly cold out here during the winter months. It’s not cold enough for snow but we often find a frost covering the ground first thing in the morning, particularly in January and February. Even though it is this chilly, my husband still insists on sleeping with a wide open window. “We need the fresh air”, he says. Perhaps now I have a good bargaining tool, “you didn’t say that when we had the air conditioning on in the summer”. What can he say to that? Not a lot really.

To be posh or not to be posh

2008-09-22T15:28:00.000+02:00

Having grown up in Iberia, I went to an International School. It was an amazing experience because it enabled me to learn about so many different cultures. There were kids from Germany, Holland, France, Canada, US, England, Portugal, Spain – you name it, they were there. It was a whole new world ripe for exploration.
Being just ten when I first entered that school, and boasting a strong Yorkshire accent, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to be someone else. I remember trying very hard to speak without my accent and telling everyone my name was the (rather posh) one on my birth certificate, as opposed to the (more common) one everyone has called me since I was born.
I wanted to fit in with the posh kids but I probably looked and sounded like an idiot. Eventually my efforts diminished, the accent returned (albeit strangely less pronounced) and I was known as my simple name once again. I was happy though. My posh friends only sounded posh – they were not in the least stuck up and I soon began to realise that it was the little things like our widely differing accents that made us so unique.
I had many Dutch friends who I could have listened to for hours. I just loved the way words rolled from their tongues. And I loved the way they spoke English too, almost with an American accent. To me, they were the coolest of the lot. I remember staying at my then best friend’s house for the weekend and for breakfast the whole family sat round the table chatting. There were all kinds of fascinating foods and fruit juices that I had never even seen before, let alone tasted.
To them, breakfast was the most important meal of the day. It’s a shame it never sunk in – my husband has to practically force feed me to eat food first thing in the morning these days! (Note to self: remember the Dutch, eat a hearty breakfast)
After 22 years of living in Southern Europe, I no longer have a Yorkshire accent. The only time it rears its head is when I say words like ‘bath’. According to my brother and sister, my accent is now a posh one. Funny, considering that’s what I wanted when I was a kid. A couple of years ago I appeared on a regional BBC programme about expatriates living in the region. I couldn’t believe myself how ‘posh’ I did sound! It was actually embarrassing.
Why has my accent fallen by the wayside? Perhaps due in part to my mixing with different cultures, or perhaps being with my husband since I was 16, who knows? My husband is also English, but he hails from Essex – although I do remember calling him posh when we first got together. But that’s a story for another time!

Who am I?

2008-09-22T15:04:00.000+02:00

You’re probably wondering, ‘who on earth is this Iberian Bird?’ Well, I wonder the same thing all the time. Maybe I ought to give you a bit of history to give you some kind of idea.
I’m 32 years old and I live in Southern Europe – the same place I have resided since upping sticks with my family some 22 years ago. Although I always described myself as a ‘Yorkshire Lass’, having only been ten years old when I left, I have now succumbed to my surroundings and call myself ‘European’, or in other terms, an Iberian Bird. And no, I’m not quite on the endangered species list. Well... not yet anyway.
Although I have to admit I do feel that I might just be a dying breed. You see, I’m a married woman. Not just that... but I’m a happily married woman. I’m not saying that there are few happily married women out there. No not at all. It’s just that I married my ‘childhood’ sweetheart and I intend to be married to him to the end of time. These days there aren’t THAT many couples who have been together since they were kids and are still, to this day, as happy now as they were then – or more so, in my case.
In this day and age, too many people succumb to divorce. Although expensive, it’s the easy way out. No one wants to fight for what they’ve got anymore. They forget why they got together in the first place: love. Love conquers all, remember? No? Well... perhaps you ought to think about that before jumping lock, stock into the open arms of divorce. Fight for what you’ve got... not with each other.
I’ve kind of gone off on a tangent, haven’t I? Now, where was I? Ah, yes. Me... the Iberian Bird. At ten years old moving from the confines of cold, wet, dreary northern England to the hot summers of Iberia did come as a bit of a shock, to say the least. Admittedly though, it didn’t take too long to settle in. Welcomed with open arms by the locals, we had found ourselves a pleasant little pocket in the country with a swimming pool and ample space for us three siblings to not get in each other’s way.
The Good Life continued for a few years until the tragic death of our beloved mum. Losing a parent at any age is overwhelmingly heartbreaking, but friends told us that life had to go on, no matter what. Dad continued his role as our ‘rock’, cooking, cleaning, taking care of us in every way he could. We missed mum terribly but refused to let the tragedy break us. We had always been a close family and this would never change.
As the years went by and we grew into fine young adult specimens (ahem) our lives took us in different directions. My elder sister and younger brother had both returned to Yorkshire, while I remained behind, fulfilling my dream of further education. I had always imagined I would become a professional. A professional what, I wasn’t actually sure, but I did a couple of A’levels with the intention of going to University in England. I hadn’t thought for a second that love would prevent me from doing so. And so it was that after completing my A’levels, I couldn’t possibly have left my soul mate behind so I decided to stay.
Having lived here for 22 years, I am the envy of all my old friends and family. I have been very lucky but life here isn’t all a bed of roses. But that is another story altogether.