Progress /End of May

Work on my little store room is in progress once again.   

  Over a week ago, Pedro was able to purchase some perfectly good used roman tiles for the roof.  They are now ready to be put on, once the woodwork is finalized.

                                    The beams are in place and were coated yesterday afternoon with Bondex to protect them.

                                     At the moment.  Its looking a little sad on Olive cottage side.   Still more to do in the little area.  I am in no hurry.   There is always something to do around the garden and land.

                                            This pepper tree, will give nice shade.

                        Used wooden planks that I have had stored away, are now coming to life with a new coat of pink paint.  They will go on top of the beams.   Then the special plastic covering then the wood to secure the tiles.

                                 I added some white to the pink.   Pedro has nearly finished them all.  Ready for next week.   There is still a way to go.  It makes it all the more exciting , when I see progress .

                          Vouga has settled down very well and is loving being with his new family.

My last post for May dear friends.    Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.   June is upon us.
Hope some of your projects are coming to fruition.

                                                                                  xxxxx

 Val

cd's & Recipe books.

I don't know about some of you, but I have been collecting cd's for years.   I have drawers full of them. This morning, I decided to choose the ones I really like and upload them to my itunes.

   I became so involved with the music .   At one stage I was dancing the Tango around the room, doing a jig, clicking my fingers and singing opera..  wow.. what a day i have had.

                                   Can you believe, i felt 25 again.  Singing all the golden oldies..  Thought my voice was rather compatible with Anrea Botcelli.  La la la..  I think Sarah! would have been very proud of me.

                            Bee bopping around to  Dolly and Lionel Richie and music of the 60's

                                           Practicing my french with Asnavour..  Swaying to the music of  Norah jones.. dear friends- It was a delightful sunny sunday morning, listening to the delights of  magical music.
The sun beaming and the flowers smiling.  Sheer delight.

 While listening to the different songs and singers.  I decided to get out a couple of cook books.  This one above.. Mr. M, bought me for my 31st birthday.   Its a super cook book.   Recipes from Spain and Portugal.
Over the years , I have cooked many of these recipes ..   The very first I ever cooked - was Portuguese  chicken soup.  (Canja)... I still cook it for myself today.
It can be eaten during all 4 seasons.  A healthy fill in with fresh toast.

               I took  just a couple of photos from the book.   Its over 40 years old.   The women above are the fishermen's wives from the town of  Nazare.   The north Atlantic coast.  Sometimes many fishermen did not return.  The women waiting on the beach until the return of their boats.   Today of course the fishing boats are bigger ..but still a very dangerous coastline.     The Nazare beaches however are beautiful.

                                   Years ago- the woman drying the codfish-   Bacalhao.  some super dishes made with Bacalhao.. dried cod.  more than 400 recipes. Today, there is no more Bacalhao - cod fishing in off the New England coast.   All our cod comes from Norway.

                                                 Desserts and drinks.. from both countries

                      Time for salads now, with the warmer weather.   I love salads during the warmer days. so many varieties one can make.      (What is your favorite Salad!)

                                          Another  read of my lovely Avoca cook book (giveaway prize) from dear Crista.

                                      super dishes -  I have shown some recipes from this book and made a few. Its a great cookbook.

                                         Pappardelle Salad.. it looks really yummi.  Might try this during the week.

                               My beautiful roses.

                                                     Here is Tom , Filipe and a Brazilian Goucho friend.
                                                                            Tom is 15 today.
                                           He is busy sitting his O level's and working hard for the exams.
                      How quickly our grandchildren become adults.  He has 3 years left.. Then off to London.
                                             

The afternoon my D.I.L's mother came to visit me.  She is my neighbor for 4 months of the year.
Caught up with family matters.   Discussed everything.. from this to that.    Ending on how Handsome and what a gentleman our dearest Thomas Alexander has become.

Wishing you all a very happy week.

val

weather and garden

For the last week, we have been having very strange spring weather.   In one day, we seem to get all the seasons.  The sky this morning.

 I have Pascoa and her daughter surprise back with me.  Sometimes I cant tell the difference.
Pascoa is on the right and Surprise is on the left.  They look like twins .. Of course up close you can see who mummy is.      
The grandchildren are growing up so fast.  They dont have much time to ride anymore.  I am hoping that during the holidays they will all get some excercise - Sheilah and her baby Rosie..  Are up at the big farm.

 My flowers are looking good.   The rose bushes have lots of blooms.  Unfortunately lots got damaged by the heavy rain this last tuesday.  

                          bobbing their heads up and down.. my little purple pansies+ a couple of deep red.

                      I dont know the name of this flower.   But it's grown higher than me.

Like most of us who have gardens.  There is so much to do.   This afternoon I will be dead heading my roses, and trimming back some plants.   Can't really complain about the rain, as I have not had to water.  The summer will be here soon enough.

While away in Switzerland.  I put on some extra pounds.  Trying to get some of it off.  Seems the older we get the more difficult it becomes.   So, working in the garden today and over the weekend.. i should at least get rid of some of the excess lbs.  

A few days ago.   One of the gentlemen in the village , said good morning to me . We talked about the weather and village matters and so on.  He said to me.." you are looking well".. "thank you , " I replied..  he then said" ah! but you have put a little weight on"-  To this I just laughed.. and replied
"getting older".. This certain gentleman, has a larger than larger pot belly..
It always amazes me how men , mention weight, but omit to mention their own. !!!!
I had a giggle to myself .

Life here at Quintinha das Rosas.. is slowly getting back to normal.
I am waiting for the delivery of the roof tiles and the wood , in order that Pedro can start work putting on the roof of my store room.    Some excitement .  I can't wait to get it finished.

Wishing you all a very happy weekend .. val

Home again.

   Returning home from a wonderful 8 days away.  It's taking me some time to settle .  Every now and then, I get an adrenaline rush, and wish I was back in Switzerland.

Most of my followers will already know that my daughter lives in Lucern ,Switzerland.

A big thank you, to all my dear blogging friends , who left comments on my last post.
It was so rewarding to see so many great comments. You are all such good friends.  Many of you getting my destination correct.   Makes blogging, taking photos to share all the more worth while.

I hope to catch up with you all during these next coming days. I have missed you all and your wonderful blogs.
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                                            Chapel Bridge and water tower.  The world's oldest bridge. It dates back to 1332. Lake Lucern , is at the end of the river Reuss.

Lucern, is a second home to me, and I never tire of walking the old town.  Sitting by the lake , watching the swans.   Visiting tuesday outdoor organic market on a tuesday.. with all their lovely delights, with the high mountain of Pilatus .. towering above the town.

     Many of you will have visited Switzerland! For those of you who haven't.
    Our family call it -"The Fairy Tale  land of Princess castles"- of chocolate delights .delicious cheese fondue -   of  mountains where  the goats and sheep are taken by the farmers to the higher pastures during the summer months.   Where the Alps and Mountains with all their wonderful fame and names.. take your breath away.. even now in spring time the mountain peaks,  still some with snow white topped table cloths.

      Moi ------ On the patio of  The Schwazerhof Hotel in Lucern.   With its beautiful views of the lake . It's where my daughter and me like to have afternoon tea, or a light lunch.

                                                                                           The wicker chairs all covered with soft goatskin. On a slightly colder day, keeps one warm.

Club sandwich... on the patio

A beautiful church in downtown Ticino.

                                  On my last day. We drove through the Gottard tunnel.. 17 miles long. Making our way to the Italian Canton of Ticino...  When we came out through the other side.. the sun was shining bright..  Even though in Switzerland.   Italian is the language spoken.   (most people speak the 3 languages)- and in the German Canton of Lucern -Zurich areas.. they speak swiss at home or with one another.  German is spoken , if one is addressed in German. Swiss is a dialect.

Here  I am sitting on the wall of Lake leman.  In the French Canton of Lausanne.  We drove about an hour up into the high hills above the lake.    The hillsides full of vines.   Paul, my S.I.L  chose this special place for us to have lunch..  so so stunning.

                                                       Traditional Swiss - open grazed sandwich.

In most of the Cantons, the gardens are so well kept.  With such a wonderful variation of flowers.    I took these in a garden near Lake leman..  So many beautiful varieties a blaze of color all over.

The Plan.

  Reason for our trip to Switzerland.

A kept  secret  from  my eldest grandaughter  Josie. 

  lots of planning on my daughter Nina's part. 

All of us were bound to secrecy for a couple of months.  so that Josie wouldn't find out.  It was  her 18th birthday.   

  Sweet  Josie, had no idea at all , that all her family would be in Lausanne to surprise her.

Josie, was so so happy.  She smiled from morning till night. 

We had of fun , great food and a wonderful birthday dinner for Josie in an uptown restaurant .

Josie and her first cocktail and sparklers.

                                                                  I am so very proud of Josie, as all the family are.  She has achieved so much.  Is an A+ student.   And is now thinking of where she will study next.  She has just grown so much before my very eyes.   How quickly time goes by.

Guess who.! ):-

 

Wishing you all a wonderful week.   Looking forward to catching up.

Wish I could have brought back all these lovely swiss chocolates. Absolutely mouth watering.

Wonderful memories on this trip.

Diet started yesterday.!!!  Somehow, always on a Monday.!!

val 

Bamboo/travel

I noticed about a week ago , that bamboo shoots were traveling from the main clump of tree. Across the  pebble stones, in my front garden.    They were growing at an alarming rate.

                          This morning Pedro came for a few hours .He got down to pulling on the roots ..Oh my gosh. all the underlying plastic came apart .  The roots were spreading all over.
 So it was time for decision making.   Remove  the bamboo.    Pedro pulled up most of the first bush..Pulling and pulling getting as much of the roots out as possible.
 We still however have a long way to go.    I planted the bamboo , about 3 years ago . I planted it to give some privacy to Olive cottage.  After seeing this.  You can see why we started to pull it out.

         Wheelbarrow ready to put on the old olive branches to burn. You can see the long roots.

                                 It was pulled it up close to the patio,   coming more and more as Pedro pulled. It has crept over to my middle rose garden.  Saturday a special spray is being put onto the areas.  So will have to keep the dogs away.

   

             I was really upset with the bamboo situation. Leaving Pedro to the task at hand .  I turned my camera over to the other side of the pool.    The  flowers are giving a nice show. The daisies have multiplied. So will have more to split up at the end of summer, to fill in extra bare patches.

                                            A deep orange

                                                                     Yellow , with their heads facing the sun

                                         This lavender bush has been giving flower now for more than a month.. its looking so healthy.  I usually dont have much luck with this bush.  This one seems to like it here, so I must be doing something right.

   Spring is in full swing here all the flowers and bushes are growing so fast.  I cant keep up with the trimming and clearing.      I do feel that a little wild look is acceptable too.



Wishing you all a very happy May.   It seems the months are passing so quickly.

I  am off on  my travels..     I will be away for a while.    

You might want to take a guess at where I am going.
3 clues...  lots of lakes -----lots of bells that ring.  lots of cows.

Take care all my dear blogging friends..   see you when I get back.


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