Loving the Holiday

Monday May 14, 2007
We are half way through this amazing holiday, the Sunshine, the colours and the smells are wonderful here. We’re on the southern coast of the Algarve region in Portugal. Local history is deep with Moorish flavours, crusades and pirates. The culture is a fascinating blend of Latino, Mediteranean, North African and European and the food is …. Fish, pulses, piri prir fish (in hot chillies) spicy chourico (sausage) and salted fish! We don’t really like fish!



Our villa is spacious, cool, clean, well equipped and comfortable with an awesome pool, we have daily maid service and a gardener & pool man. We even have a cute little hire car with air con – thankfully! This is such a relaxing & delightful blessing from our God.


Every evening I walk out onto the flat roof balcony in my pyjammas and breath in the warm sweet air I look out over the white plastered homes with their Moorish chimneys stretching toward the sea and the light from the lighthouse, I listen to the crickets and the waves crashing in the distance and I breath out… and I talk with God.

Every morning I wake up early I open the shutters and walk out onto the balcony to watch the ear;y morning shadows of the palm trees creep across our pool, the sweet scents of olive groves, orange trees & flowers fill the air and I breath in… and I talk with God.


Tuesday May 15th
Yesterday evening we ate fresh fish at a cute restaurant by the beach at the end of the lane here. The mackrel was just delicious and watching the setting Sun was fabulous too.

This morning we drove inland to the Sierra Monchique region, a pretty Portugeuse town in forrested mountains with fresh springs and beautiful pottery. On the way home we stopped in Silves which is probably our favouite place here, a enormous castle on a hill with traditional narrow cobbled streets around it where ‘real’ Portugese folk (not pretend ones?!) go about their lives disappearing into fascinating doorways a tiny cafes. Right now I’m sat by the pool enjoying solitude. Adorable Beth & the children have walked down to the beach to play and I’m getting some work done editing a film. I’ve got Frango & Patatas frites in the oven (that’s chicken & chips!) for when they come back and I just love the Sun and the relaxed pace of life here. I could be tempted to live in such a climate, but probably not Portugal.

Wednesday May 16th
One of the kids favourite things here is to walk along the beach early in the morning before anyone’s there and whilst the tide is out. The rock pools are deep & clear and there’s literally thousands of them filled with fish, giant spiky sea slugs, anenomies, urchins, shells, crabs & other crustanceans. There’s loads of caves, tunnels, bridges, and deep crevaces to explore too in addition to the soft sandy beaches and coves.

Thursday May 17, 2007
How amazingly awesome, refreshing and relaxing was that, it was a little sad to leave the villa behind and as I’m sat here on the plane watching the fabulous Portugeuse coast disapear below me I’m browsing through all the photographs and remembering fondly already .

cinqo de mayo

This year's cinqo de mayo Mexican celebrations were delayed by 48 hrs due to our Yeovil weekend. We didn't do the whole fajita - taco - frozen margarita pie thing this time but we did the pinata sweets & movie though. Joff is by far our most enthusiastic pinata beater!

We have a lot on at the moment. In addition to a demanding job, and the huge & enjoyable task of homeschooling we are starting a new business. Yes we thing we're a little insane too.
If we are going to achieve all we desire then I'm going to need to put some 'time management' tools to use. The getting up and into the pool for 6:30 is going well and really helps but I seriously need more self discipline and to learn how to say 'No!' to all the people and tasks demanding my time. Finally, I need to get fit so I have more energy to get everything done. The swimming is one step, pinata beating may well be the way ahead!

Yeovil.....

Well we did it!We drove for five and a half hours and visited Adam, Rachel, Jacob, Emilia, Zacherry and Elijah! We arrived just in time for the kids to join in the youth clubs at Yeovil Community Church and hang out with their cousins.....then it was off to their house for supper. It was really fun just to sit around with Adam and Rachel and catch up on what's going on in our lives and areas!

In the morning we headed out walking. Although Yeovil is a town, its surrounded with walks and countryside so we were able to go exploring............we walked along a park area called "Nine Springs" but I'm convinced there were only seven! The kids loved climbing trees, jumping the stream and in Elijah's case clearing the pathway of every stick he could find whilst running ahead to check for obstacles (he's three but can really move for a tiny person.......thinking he might be a good jogging partner)

Then in the afternoon we went to play crazy golf...............which just for the record NIGEL WON but just to balance out the family I came last! Zacherry was however the only family member who managed to get a hole in one!

We finished off the night with a couple of glasses of wine (or coke for Adam) and a family BBQ in the garden then a movie night for the kids! It was fantastic to see them all hanging out, getting on and playing games with each other. Even Rachel's new cat seemed to enjoy the attention of so many fingers and left overs dropped in the garden!

This morning we got to go back to church and visit with some of the folks we met at the Quinta week-end in October and enjoy meeting some new faces! Adam and Rachel treated us to a Sunday lunch before we headed back home a different way that only took 4 hours!

It was really great fun and we're looking forward to seeing them all again for the family picnic in July here at the farm! (We'll start building the crazy golf course now!)