“I’m now at about three and a half thousand kilometers,” René says nonchalantly, and I almost fall backwards. That doesn’t seem to be a big deal for a passionate cyclist; last year it was six and a half thousand. René is the first guest via Friends on the Bike – dutch organization “Vrienden op de […]
Friends on bicycles Read More »
If you are as much of a football fanatic as I am, a European football championship could easily pass you by, if it weren’t for the fact that a few football fanatics in my network will prevent that. (I’m calling it football, by the way, not the american style “soccer”. Those americans are playing a
UEFA Championship 2024 – and the fraternization of people Read More »
Only when I take her to the station for her return trip, we find out that Joyce was here because a friend of her neighbor knows me and said that she would end up well here. As a woman alone on holiday, you look for a trusted address “How is Jan’s caravan going?” Joyce suddenly
Woman alone on holiday Read More »
An entire wall will take you about a year and a half. Not a 40-hour working week of course, and not 8 hours a day… but still, quite a few hours went into this. We think it’s a nice result, but very difficult to photograph! The mosaic is located at the front of the hotel
Mosaic – it’s finally finished Read More »
More and more foreigners in Portugal. We won’t ask whether these are the people who vote for political parties, which ironically want to keep foreigners out of their own country. According to neighbor Paddy, who apparently regularly encounters foreigners in the supermarket and then has politically tinged conversations with them, yes, that is so. In
Rent, buy or book? Read More »
I want to take a small side road, but a white van is just ahead of me. He stops at the beginning, blocking everyone (not such a problem, noone there but me) who wants to get in and out. I wait patiently for him to continue, but after a few minutes my patience runs out
Buried in Portugal Read More »
I put the key in the lock and turn. Nothing happens. In my mind I was already inside, almost outside again; just grab my sunglasses, and go for a walk. The key refuses to work – or rather: the lock refuses to open I know the phenomenon. Fortunately, because otherwise you will first have to
Stephanie and Paddy are searching. For houses. Affordable houses. This now seems to be a major problem in half of Europe, due to the significantly increased number of greedy landlords everywhere. In the meantime, they will stay here for a while and their family will come to visit them. Visiting family is a celebration if
Farewell to one family, arrival of the other Read More »
“We discovered a special store,” Jeanne texts, “so we fly, do the shopping, and then drive to you. Good plan, huh? Then we’ll be there mid-afternoon.” For a gluten-free holiday you apparently have to go to a special store in Lisbon When she recently asked if and what I knew about gluten-free products, I unfortunately
Glutenfree holiday and the BBB Read More »
I stand on the dirt road next to the fields of neighbor Senhor Cavacas and take a deep breath. Through my nose. April is a month full of aromas, and of the Revolution of Carnations “I would like to have your nose, now,” I say to Mira, “but not your interests in scents.” Dogs are
April, Aromas and a Revolution of Carnations Read More »
