20/06/2024
The sun is setting on this midsummers day, and on the other side the moon is rising.
Happy summer solstice - hello summer! Feliz solstício de verão - olá verão! ☀️☀️☀️
After London rat race and 8 years in the French Pyrenees we’re now enjoying life in southern Portugal
The sun is setting on this midsummers day, and on the other side the moon is rising.
Happy summer solstice - hello summer! Feliz solstício de verão - olá verão! ☀️☀️☀️
Today’s walk around the garden in the gaps between the rain - the orange trees are flowering, the oaks have new leaves and the wildflowers continue their beautiful display. 🌸🌼🌺🌳🍊
Spring in Alentejo is officially here, it’s my favourite season ☀️🌸🌺🪴🌼🌳🪴
Out with the old, in with the new!
Everything that has a beginning has an end, so let go of the past, plan for the future and enjoy the moment. Cheers to your best year yet!
Wishing all our family and friends a great New Year’s Eve and a very Happy 2024, health, love and peace, and may all your wishes and dreams come true 🥳🥂❤️🍀.
“The shortest day and the longest night, but after that, the return of the light.” Happy winter solstice!
Clear skies again and moon setting early, should be great conditions for watching the peak of the Geminids meteor shower later. It’s possible to see up to 120 an hour! 🌙💫✨🌟 .
Just added a picture of the sky above our house, Orion’s Belt is clearly visible. Beautiful clear skies. Didn’t catch a picture of a shootingstar, but we saw about 10 in just 25 minutes, before we got cold and necks started to hurt. Gone soft 😂
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Winter in Alentejo ❤️ Whilst a lot of Europe is under snow and ice right now, our brown parched landscape of summer has turned green and lush within the last weeks, thanks to recent rainfalls. The water is desperately needed after an extremely dry year, so we are not complaining about the rain. It’s still mild and there’s enough sun for the oranges and clementines to start changing colour too. First own oranges and clementines for Christmas? 🍊🍊🍊🤞🤞🤞
Misty Alentejo morning walk, happy Sunday everyone
Can never have enough sunset pictures 😍
The olive harvest has begun, it’s going a bit slow however, the ”staff” have been distracted 😂🐶🐶 But a few kilos are already curing in water to become eating olives in a few months time🫒🫒🫒 The last couple of days we have started harvesting the other 30 trees and will do a first drop off at the olive oil press tomorrow. To be continued 😊.
This morning just outside our kitchen window: stunning double rainbow 🌈 At last we had some decent rain, nature is breathing a big sigh of relief!
Special visitor on our patio that enjoyed feeding on the Bougainvillea so much that I managed to get a few nice pictures. A beautiful Papilio Machaon or Old World Swallowtail butterfly 🦋😍.
Only a couple of days into October but it looks like the olive harvest might start early this year, some of them are turning dark already! 🫒🫒🫒.
To the west the sun was setting and painting the sky red….
to the east Maddie was getting ready to howl at the moon 🐶😂.
6:45 this morning, just before sunrise: slither of the Moon and a very bright Venus in the clear sky. It pays to get up early 😊.
Good morning from the field, doing our weekly deep watering of the orange trees.
Looks like we may have our first oranges this winter 😋 🍊🍊🍊.
As it’s wildlife Wednesday today here are a few of the creatures that we share our piece of Portugal with. Sometimes we see them and even get a chance to take a picture (like the lizard on the terrace or the Praying Mantis on the fly screen), but sometimes they get too close for comfort and need to be evicted out of the house (see picture 3!!!) 🦎🦂.
When it’s 34 degrees outside (and rising) we tend to spend the hottest hours of the day indoors. Great idea to heat up the house by baking bread for a friend 🤣
Thank god for aircon! Before anyone says anything about wasting energy, during the day everything in the house (aircon, oven, etc) is powered by our solar panels and the big yellow thing in the sky ☀️☀️☀️
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Almost weekend, how has this come around so quickly again??? Have a great weekend everyone ☀️☀️☀️
Forecast looks good for here for the weekend: clear night skies and pretty warm over night as well. Sunloungers and drinks ready for watching the Perseids shooting star show 💫☄️✨ Some things never change 😁
Summer colours, summer flowers 🌼🌸🌺☀️☀️☀️.
Discovered this small but beautiful nest built by busy French paper wasps in our gate light this morning! Luckily there’s no need to be worried, they are beneficial wasps, feeding on all kinds of insects and bugs. 👍
The last bit of light is fading on the longest day of the year, shining bright in the sky from right to left: Moon, Venus and Mars. Apology for picture quality, I just pointed the phone at the sky.
Happy summer solstice - hello summer! Feliz solstício de verão - olá verão! ☀️☀️☀️
Happy Portugal Day 🇵🇹❤️.
Gardening here has been a steep learning curve, the Alentejo climate isn’t for the faint hearted, that even applies to the plants!
However, it pays to look around and notice what grows here naturally. There are some beautiful wildflowers that thrive in the heat, during months without water and in generally poor soil. Big bonus, most of them provide much needed food for bees, butterflies and lots of other insects. 🐝 🦋
The one in the picture is Helichrysum Stoechas, Mediterranean strawflower, Perpétua-das-Areias in Portuguese. Another name is curry plant and if you have ever brushed your hands or legs against it, you’ll know why! 😁
It grows in big clumps on our land and on the fields and tracks around us. The yellow flowers are a lovely splash of colour and last for weeks. 🌼🌼🌼
Monty and Maddie (and Brian and I as well!) enjoyed yesterday’s organised dog walk around Ourique, in support of the local dog and cat welfare association Os Rafeiritos do Alentejo.
It was a really lovely walk, and a good turnout, thank you to the organisers for a great event. We look forward to the next one! 🐕🐶🐾.
Monty and Maddie were on good form, Maddie especially had a great time putting some of the other dogs in their place, some things never change 😂.
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Happy Sunday!! ☀️☀️
We’ve not long returned from a 4 week trip to visit family and friends in Germany and France. We had a lovely time but it also feels really good to be home 🥰
Spring in Alentejo is always a special time of year, the stunning wildflowers highlighting the beautiful landscape in our corner of southern Portugal. It has already been very warm and too dry over the last two months, we’ve been grateful for the rain the other day! But the citrus trees are flowering, we have tiny apricots and pears on the young fruit trees and it looks as if it might be another great year for the olives! 😍
Good morning from Alentejo, happy Sunday everyone ☀️
Taken just a few minutes ago outside my kitchen window: Moon with Jupiter and Venus. Apologies for blurry pictures, taken on my phone.
Next week, on 1 March to be precise (😊) Jupiter and Venus will be at their closest. Hoping for clear skies then!!.
Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Carnaval, Fastnacht - this day needs pancakes 😊😋
Ours were made with sourdough discard, yummy, don’t knock it until you try it! Thanks for the recipe, one of my favourites!
Courela Das Pereiras
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Happy Portugal Day 🇵🇹❤️. . . #portugalday #diadeportugal #happyportugalday #diadecamões #ouralentejolife #newlifeinportugal #nossavidaemportugal #loveportugal #amarportugal #pasteldenata #lisboa #alentejo #costavicentina #vidaemportugal #ourique #vilanovademilfontes #alcoutim #monchique #praiadoalmograve #olivesoaksandoranges
Merry Christmas to all our friends and family across the world 🎄🎅🏻🥳 Boas Festas e Feliz Natal Frohe Weihnachten Bonnes fêtes et Joyeux Noel. . . #merrychristmas #eatdrinkandbemerry #christmasinportugal #christmasspirit #merryandbright #ouralentejolife #feliznatal #natal2023 #boasfestas #froheweihnachten #weihnachtsstimmung #bonnesfetes #joyeuxnoel #espritdenoel #olivesoaksandoranges #christmastime #peaceonearth #wewishyouamerrychristmas
What a lovely morning in Ourique. The Festas de Santa Maria started with a little market and fantastic live music, such a wonderful atmosphere. We spent a couple of hours just sitting there, with a Galão (milky coffee) watching the world go by. The Festa de Santa Maria will be on until Tuesday, a bank holiday.There will be live concerts tonight and tomorrow, and lots of other events over the next couple of days. Viva o verão no Alentejo 😁..#ouralentejolife #festadesantamaria #ourique #summerinalentejo #openairmarket #summerfete #aruidaportuguesa #livemusic #olivesoaksandoranges #mercadodavila #wherewelive #vivaavida #enjoyingthemoment #alentejo #alentejolovers #baixoalentejo #festasdeverao #lovealentejo #alentejogram #summertime #amar_alentejo #ilovealentejo #verãonoalentejo #thesimplethings
When the Volta de Portugal (Tour de Portugal bike race) comes through your local town, you just have to go and cheer the cyclists on. Some habits die hard 😁🚴♂️🚴♂️🚴♂️ Quite a challenge today for the guys, 37 degree heat, a 191km long stage going from Sines on the west coast to Loulé in the Algarve traversing the beautiful Alentejo and Algarve countryside. #voltadeportugal #ourique #alentejo #cyclinginportugal #ouralentejolife #cyclingfans #cyclingalentejo #roadcycling #olivesoaksandoranges
1 of June today, meteorologically the beginning of summer. For some here it started with a bang, a thunderstorm and rain, we only had a few drops. . . #beginningofsummer #ouralentejolife #thunderstorm #stormclouds #watchingthunderstorms #thunderflashandlightning #summerishere #summerinalentejo #alentejolandscape #olivesoaksandoranges #ourique #alentejo #alentejolovers #baixoalentejo #veraochegou #alentejogram #summertime #amar_alentejo #ilovealentejo #sommeranfang #bonjourete #trovoada #relampago #trovoadadeverao #iniciodeverão
New York Day four - 22 Oct 2022 On our last day in New York we only had a few hours so we dedicated them to exploring another iconic location: Central Park. It didn’t disappoint! We spent all morning there, clocking up a few more kilometres, and after a sandwich lunch we leisurely walked back to the hotel (including a quick picture at St Patrick’s Cathedral) to pick up our luggage. We then took an Uber to La Guardia airport for our flight to Charlotte/North Carolina, to spend two weeks with Brian’s family. When we walked to the gate at La Guardia the sun was just setting behind the Manhattan skyline, a stunning sight and a great end to our stay. New York has certainly left a mark and we hope to go back one day. . . #makingmemories #travelling #triptonewyork #thebigapple #unforgettablemoments #ouralentejolife #olivesoaksandoranges #whatacontrast #newyorknewyork #sightseeingonfoot #columbuscircle #globesculpture #centralpark #walkthroughcentralpark #sheepmeadowcentralpark #bethesdafountain #belvederecastlenyc #thegreatlawn #jacquelinekennedyonassisreservoir #themallandliterarywalk #saintpatrickscathedral #manhattansunset #iheartny #wewillbeback
New York Day three - 21 Oct 2022 Our second full day was another day of sightseeing on foot, I think we clocked about 16km again! 🤪 We started off with a walk from our hotel towards the Westside, to Hudson River Yards to pick up the High Line, an elevated walkway on disused railway tracks. The Highline was converted into a public park, with gardens and artworks along the way - a really unique way to see the city and photographic opportunities en masse! I loved the different styles of architecture. The High Line ends (or starts) near Chelsea Market. We got back down to street level, grabbed a coffee and a pastry in a Danish bakery, then walked along the Hudson River from pier 54 down to pier 45. From there we made our way east again through parts of Greenwich village past traditional brownhouses and through some lovely older residential streets. We ended up in Washington Square Park where we sat on a bench for a break to watch the world go by while a small band was playing in the park, I could have stayed there much longer, so relaxing. From Washington Square Park we walked up 5th Avenue past the Flatiron building, Madison Square Park and the Empire State Building. We cut across to Park Avenue and walked up to Grand Central station, to get the picture of the famous clock! Another coffee stop, then back towards Times Square and our hotel. In the evening we got a pizza takeaway, from a highly rated but very unassuming looking place - it was one of the best slices of pizzas I have ever had, outside Italy! We ate it on the rooftop terrace of our hotel, a nice end to a lovely day. To be continued - with the last part of our New York adventures. . . #makingmemories #travelling #triptonewyork #citythatneversleeps #thebigapple #unforgettablemoments #ouralentejolife #olivesoaksandoranges #whatacontrast #newyorknewyork #sightseeingonfoot #thehighline #chelseamarket #hudsonriverpark #thelittleisland #greenwichvillage #washingtonsquarepark #empirestatebuilding #5thavenue #f
New York Day two - 20 Oct 2022 First full day of sightseeing and we made the most of it, due to jet lag we woke up nice and early 😉 What better way to start the day than in a typical Manhattan Diner just around the corner from our hotel with a stack of pancakes and French toast with strawberries and lots of coffee on tap? 😋 We then took the subway to the World Trade Center, we had booked to go up to the One World Observation deck. Expensive but wow, what a view, 102 stories up from street level! Amazing 360 degree views of the whole of Manhattan, across to New Jersey and the Statue of Liberty and towards Brooklyn. Back down, we visited the Oculus center and of course the Twin Towers memorial, ground zero. Very moving! 😢 We then walked towards Brooklyn Bridge and walked across it, with lots of stops for taking pictures. Once in Brooklyn we walked through Dumbo, a trendy part of Brooklyn, and bought a bagel for lunch in Time Out market, a total foodie paradise! We ate our bagels sitting by the riverside near Jane’s Carousel, just people watching and taking in those stunning views of the Manhattan skyline. After a walk through Brooklin bridge park we took a watertaxi up the East river, past the lower Eastside, the United Nations building and the Pepsi Cola headquarters on the other side of the East River. We got off the watertaxi on Roosevelt island, home to Cornell Tech university but also to a cable car that takes you from the island back to Manhattan. A cheap ride but totally worth it for the views of the city. Back in Manhattan we made our way back to our hotel, past Central Park and then down 7th Avenue towards Times Square. We probably walked about 15km that day, phew 🤪👟 We definitely deserved a nice dinner in one of the restaurants in Restaurant Row in Hells Kitchen, spoilt for choice there! New York part three to follow soon. . . #makingmemories #travelling #triptonewyork #citythatneversleeps #thebigapple #unforgettablemoments #ouralentejoli
I can’t believe it’s December already. The last three months have just flown by and we have crammed a lot of travelling into them! First a trip to Germany for almost the whole of September to see a new grandchild and all my family 🥰 Then a long overdue trip to the US, to see Brian’s family in North Carolina. There weren’t any direct flights from Lisbon so we flew via New York and took the opportunity to spend 3 nights in the big apple, somewhere we hadn’t been before. It was amazing, such an experience! I must have taken hundreds of pictures 🤪 Here’s part 1, our first afternoon and night in the city that never sleeps. Our hotel was a short walk from Times Square so on our first evening we went there to soak up the atmosphere 😁 Part 2 to follow shortly. . . #makingmemories #travelling #triptonewyork #citythatneversleeps #thebigapple #unforgettablemoments #ouralentejolife #olivesoaksandoranges #whatacontrast #newyorknewyork #timessquare #cityoflights #sensoryoverload #jetlagged #tripofalifetime #notlikesleepyalentejo
Just taking a couple of minutes break from picking olives (again), sitting under a tree, so relaxing 🫒😁 Very peaceful beautiful day, who needs therapy if you can just go out into nature or your garden? Won’t have time to do more olive picking today, we have Portuguese lessons this afternoon!! 😁🤪 . . #ouralentejolife #olivesoaksandoranges #peaceandquiet #gardeningisthebesttherapy #alentejo #alentejolovers #growyourownfood #betterthantherapy #oliveharvest #autumninalentejo #olivetrees #loveolives #organicolives #ourique #lovealentejo #alentejoolives #oliveira #azeite #azeitedeoliva #azeitonas #apanhadasazeitonas #alentejosky #ceuazul #azursky #bluesky #amar_alentejo #thegoodlife #baixoalentejo #avidaéboa #alentejogram
What a lovely morning in Ourique. Small open air market with fantastic live music (Os Caprichosos) and spontaneous dancing, such a wonderful atmosphere. We spent a couple of hours just sitting there, having a coffee with friends and watching the world go by. The market is part of the Festas de Santa Maria that’s on all weekend. There will be a live Fado concert tonight and more events tomorrow. Viva a Vida 😁. . #ouralentejolife #festadesantamaria #ourique #summerinalentejo #openairmarket #summerfete #oscaprichosos #livemusic #olivesoaksandoranges #mercadodavila #wherewelive #vivaavida #enjoyingournewhome #alentejo #alentejolovers #baixoalentejo #festasdeverao #coureladaspereiras #alentejogram #summertime #amar_alentejo #ilovealentejo Marianne
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Come and enjoy the slow and relaxed pace of life in the Central French Pyrenees in our cosy 2 bedroom cottage Le Fournil, with magnificent panoramic views of the mountains. Le Fournil makes a lovely comfortable retreat for a couple, but is also spacious enough for a family of 4, as many of our regular guests will confirm. Some of them have visited every year for the last 5 years and are still not bored of it! Our rural and peaceful location is ideal for cycling, walking, and all other outdoors activities, or just to relax and soak up those views. www.pyreneesgite.com
The 10x5m inground pool has magnificent unobstructed mountain views, paved beach area, plenty of sun loungers, two big parasols and a solar shower. The pool is shared with guests in our B&B in the main house.
Peaceful and rural location, ideal for cycling, walking and all outdoors activities, or just for a relaxing vacation. Easy access to Toulouse, Tarbes-Lourdes, and Pau airports, Spain just 45 minutes away.
Le Fournil holiday cottage is full of character, its name reflecting its agricultural past, when it was the bakery and grain store to the main farmhouse Le Couloumé, built around 1850. We have lovingly transformed Le Fournil into a 2 bedroom Gite with all Mod Cons, including WiFi internet, whilst retaining most of the original features, with exposed beams in the bedrooms as well as downstairs, also the old bread oven is still in place in the sitting room.
Le Couloumé is a traditional French farmhouse with several outbuildings sitting in over an hectare of land on a south facing slope in a commanding position in Loudet, a pretty village in a range of hills sometimes known as the Little Pyrenees.
Beautiful and tranquil location, perfect for a relaxing holiday, nestling in an ideal position we have access to some of the most stunning scenery that France has to offer. Great area for all outdoor pursuits, it is a particular cycling paradise, from flat routes, or rolling hills to the famous Tour de France Cols.
Geographically we are in the Central Pyrenees, almost equidistance between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean coast.
We enjoy magnificent panoramic views of the Pyrenees across the valley - in fact we can see the mountains of three different départments, the Ariège in the east, the Haute Garonne in the south and the Hautes Pyrenees to the west, and even Spain!