Alfazema

I must hurry

2011-12-12T11:03:00.000Z

No, they are not from this Christmas, but I have to hurry doing something. I bought already most things but I didn't wrap them yet! So, let's move on.
And yes, it's a load of presents but we are a big family.

It has been a long absence

2011-09-06T17:20:00.001+01:00

I will come back. I'm just cleaning and decluttering the blog.
Meanwhile, I leave you with this beautiful music.

Canterbury

2011-04-03T14:43:00.002+01:00

So many things happened and I didn't come here. It was Christmas, then a new year. And then, In the beginning of March, we went to England!

Now it's April and I didn't post anything yet!

So, here I go, with some pictures of wonderful Canterbury, were my husband was born and were I didn't go for so many years.

It was rather cold but nice.

I'll try not to stay again so much time without posting.

I'm still here

2011-02-02T12:39:00.004Z

I've been very busy in other corners of the blogosphere but so you can see I'm still here, here you have this music, now my favourite one.

22 and counting

2010-12-22T17:19:00.001Z

Can you see me in that round thing? It's me with my camera and an orange apron. The best we can see is my hand holding the camera.

Most things are ready. Tree is up since the beginning of December. Also the crib. Presents are bought and wrapped - most of them, tomorrow I will buy the remaining things. My mother is in charge of ordering the cabbage to the soup of Christmas Eve - Caldo Verde, a portuguese institution for that Holy night - and also the "grelos" - another kind of cabbage to go with the cod. And because we are a portuguese-english home, she is in charge of ordering the lamb kidneys too, to our Christmas breakfast.

Time now to get off the computer and do some cleaning and tidying.

Today is already 20

2010-12-20T13:30:00.000Z

So many things to do and so little time.

All the beauty of Christmas

2010-12-17T11:49:00.000Z

If you understand german, the better. If not, just see the beauty. He's talking of the Advent Calendar.

I'm feeling good

2010-12-01T10:48:00.002Z

Today it's Independence Restauration Day. It means that's in 1640 we kicked the spanish off once again.
First time it was in the 12º century and then again in the 17. Yuppy!

So, today we are not going to work. Day to be at home and to be a full time house wife.
Ah! That feels good.

Goods things

2010-11-21T13:18:00.008Z

Yesterday I managed to do some homemaking, thanks God, and my house is going better.
No need to say that I took frequent breaks to go to the Internet and see how things were doing in Rome.
Lot's of pictures on lots of sites, videos, etc. I was happy.
Today the party goes on. Ah, if I could be in Rome.
But that's ok, I can't say nothing after being there for three weeks in July.

Now, another thing.
I leave you with a music I like very much and I heared today.

Being more Mary than Martha

2010-11-19T19:35:00.007Z

I've been so away of this blog because I've been very active in my This Burning Fire blog, all happy with my fellow catholic warriors.
Christmas is coming and I have still so many things to do and to think about. I've been so emerged on the life of the Church, with so many things happening, like the amount of Anglicans crossing the Tiber and the Consistory tomorrow, I can't take my eyes from the Internet to know more things.
Ah!It's a good time to be a Catholic, with this Pope.
Now, I promised myself that tomorrow I will try hard to put my feet on the floor and be a good homemaker.
We need to be Martha as well, not just Mary. I feel Our Lord could say to me now " Mary, Mary..."and not "Martha, Martha" because I easily forget to be Martha and my home is showing the signs of it. Our Lord wants us to be good homemakers, taking His mother as an example.
See you tomorrow for a report on my behaviour.

I found this picture at http://deusbibliaepoesia.wordpress.com/

It's time for this already !

2010-11-06T09:44:00.006Z

I find myself now singing this all the time.
And I began to buy things for Christmas already.
I bought napkins, kitchen roll, Christmas tree balls, nice strings and bows...
I'm in the spirit of the season.

What about this one?

A bit of Advertisement

2010-11-06T08:52:00.003Z

Would you like to see how the place I live is beautiful?

Go to my blog here.

Two birthdays

2010-10-30T11:36:00.004+01:00

Two birthdays in my house this month:

Girl nº2, who is now 16

and mine.

22 years

2010-10-16T11:16:00.003+01:00

22 year ago it was my wedding. It was the day 15.October.1988.
On the 16 we went to England (Canterbury) and then to Paris. We went also to Vaux-Le-Vicomte.
Then we came back to England and to Sintra.
It was such a happy time.
Thanks be to Our Lord for that time and all these 22 years.

Isn't this a beautiful music?

2010-10-15T20:54:00.010+01:00

Alla Notte

Adapted from the Adagio de Albinoni.

You must see and hear the original too.

Magnificent! I like it so much since the beginning of my teen years!

Is this a busy mom?!

2010-10-11T10:41:00.006+01:00

Too Busy for Family?

It’s 6 a.m. You begin your day with two cups of coffee, feed the kids, and grab a granola bar as you run out the door to meet the school bus. Then you make a mad rush to do errands. By 10 a.m., your blood sugar is dropping so you stop by 7-11 and grab a high caffeine drink ( never! ) and a couple of cookies (maybe). Then it is home to do laundry and clean up from the morning rush. You have a meeting at the school and the dog needs to be seen at the vet so you run by the fast food drive through, grab a burger and fries (you are really hungry now) and a Coke. The guy in the car in back of you cuts you off and you scream out your window—Jerk! (I would never do that, I just wave and smile as my grandmother used to make when she drived. This makes them crazy!)Back home to meet the kids and start thinking dinner. As you meet the kids at the bus, taxi mom begins her route. ( Well this I what I do all day long) Dinner is out because one kid has soccer, the other has ballet, and the other is in a school play; no one will be home at the same time. ( In the evening we are all at home) You decide to grab pizza on the way home because you haven’t had time to prepare dinner. Everyone eats whenever they are finished with schedules. Homework help is given and then the kids get ready for bed. At 10 p.m., you flop down on the couch exhausted and grab a bowl of ice cream to relax a minute. Your husband asks you a question and you snap at him.( This is bad!) He wants time with you, but you are tired and just realized you need to throw in a load of laundry and pay a few bills. Finally, around 1 a.m. (around 1 am?! ), you crawl into bed and set the alarm for 6 a.m.What’s wrong with this picture? ( A lot! )

The red sentences are my comments .
More at http://blogs.cbn.com/familymatters/archive/2010/10/07/too-busy-for-family.aspx

------------

Mind that this mother pictured here it’s not an working outside mother and, even so, she is too stressed to give some time of her to her husband and goes to bed in the a.m.!

I wake up at 6 am. I wash and dress and then I wake up my big girl. Then I empty the wahing machine ( the dishes washing machine, not the clothes) and iron two shirts or any similar amount of clothes while I wait that my girl is ready. When she is I take her by car to the station so she can take the train to the universty. She does that everyday and everybody in the several universities here do the same. I take her by car because I don’t want she goes on foot alone in the dark at that early hour in an empty street to take the bus to the station. We live in a very good and safe place but even so, we never know.

I come back home. Wake up the other 3 girls. While they wash,dress and have breakfast, I prepare their mid morning and mid afternoon snacks – lunch is made by the school.

We enter the car and after droping each one in each school and taking my husband to his work, I go to work and there I stay till the end of the afternoon, some times till the evening.

Because the two middle girls haven’t the same class time everyday, some days they don’t go in the morning so, because I must have a compulsive hour rest around 1 pm, I run home and take them to their respective school.

When it’s only the nº2 that needs a lift, being a tenager, I let her go by bus.
Usualy, she cames back home by bus and so does the older one – in the end of the day. It’s very safe at that hour with lots of cars and people of several ages going around. Meanwhile I went to pick girl nº3 and 4.

If there is a day that the big ones come home ealier, they pick the little one.

Twice a day, after ending my work day – outside working day, I mean – and after picking the younger ones, and taking my husband from his work and taking him home, I go to my mother to stay a bit with her and, on the way, to do some shopping.

Arriving home, exauted, I put the shopping in places – sometimes the big ones help me, if they arrived already, and I put the laundry to wash. Later on I need to put the clothes on the line and on the day after take it out of the line, fold and put away - in the morning or in the afternoon, depending on the season and weather.

All the other chores? Hoovering, dusting, washing the floors, cleaning, etc. ? I find some little spaces between arriving home and going out again in the next morning. Most things are made on Saturday. Some little things on Sunday, not much, because it’s the Lord’s Day. We go to Mass.

Meals? My husband makes them to ease my load.

I never go to bed late, otherwise I would be crazy.

Now you are asking: why this woman works outside her home? Why doesn’t she stays at home as she should ? For the money, quite a nice income to a big family.

But I dream about staying at home. One day, God willing, I will be a stay at home woman!

Image from http://www.millan.net/

A day in Florence

2010-10-05T12:44:00.010+01:00

Enough of bad things. Let's forget the republic day.
I know it's October but I was thinking about our holidays in July and the day my husband was 50. We were in Rome and went to Florence because it was his birthday.

It was such a wonderful day.
After the presents and kisses in the morning, we went to the station and took a fast train, the Frecciarossa to Florence, Firenze, how it's called in Italy.
It's a wow city, each corner of it. I knew it was like that but I didn't know how much wow it was. The girls were crazy with it.

The girls with long hair are my little ones.

After all the walking and our jaws aching because of so much wow, we went to have lunch. He choose the restaurant and very well chosen it was.

Such a pleasant lunch.

He and I had Aspargus Risotto and the girls had spagetti and pizza. Here it's him enjoying his food.

The arm and a blue and white dress is my big girl. I think the other hand is my girl nº2 - or it's maybe mine.

And what about the italian ice cream, like no other in the world?!

Some fruit.

And other food.

We went back to Rome in the very end of the day exausted but so happy. Happily we went in the Frecciarossa again.
Thanks God my husband doesn't tire easily because, arriving home we had the most wonderful dinner.
What a day!

An ugly thing

2010-10-05T11:12:00.005+01:00

Today it makes 100 years that we have to endure the republic. It's not easy.
I posted about that in my other blog. The only good thing is, because of that, we don't go to work today.
So...I will do a lot of things in my home!
That is good.

Autumn is here

2010-09-29T20:03:00.001+01:00

I feel I want to come back to my blog. I hope to say something in the weekend.

Where I blog

2010-08-30T19:19:00.005+01:00

Centsational Girl is having a party called Where Do You Blog?

So, you can see where I do.

I found the link at Aunt Amelia's Attic.

Spinach-filled ravioloni with sage butter, black pepper and grated cheese

2010-08-26T10:11:00.003+01:00

Recipe at What Does The Prayer Really Say? so you can see that catholic priests know to cook very well.

Thank you Fr. John Zuhlsdorf and sorry for taking one of your pictures to put in my blog but it looks so tasty, people must see it and try.

More beauty from the Vatican and Rome

2010-08-24T13:01:00.006+01:00

Santa Maria in Traspontina

Remember that street that I said it leads to the Vatican? In this street, on the right side, there is a beautiful church - they are all beautiful. It's called Santa Maria in Traspontina.

Click on the title and you will go to the page on wikipedia that tell about that.

St. Peter's Basilica

The Papal Altar and the baldachin. It's amazing, its beauty and grandiouseness!

Only the Pope can celebrate Mass there and is on top of the tomb of St. Peter, the first Pope.

See here the tomb. It's below.

It has a lot of significance!

At last!

2010-08-22T19:42:00.012+01:00

I know, but it's better late then never. Here they are my holidays pictures.

Do you know where this street is leading to? Our hearts are already burning with anticipation.

Here!
The hapiness that we feel here. The first step is to go through a scanner as in the airports, then we must get between two guards because lots of turists forget they are in a sacred space and dress almost to naked. I saw some people sent away. Not the muslim women because they are always properly dressed.

Going to the Basilica we can see these handsome men.

Inside.
We feel so little. First time I went to the Vatican, my girl that is now 11 was a little girl on my husband's shoulders. The moment we went in, she couldn't help say: Wow! Yes, that what we feel.

It's everything so grand.

Here we only can enter to go to Mass.

It's a special place, even for turists.
Looks like our hearts will burst with that light.

Such a blessed place.

For some days, I will post some pictures of the Vatican and Rome.

----------

Here is the Piazza Navona.

More tomorow.

It's coming

2010-08-21T08:29:00.002+01:00

Sorry for the delay

2010-08-16T18:26:00.002+01:00

Sorry for the delay on posting. I hope something will be done at the weekend. My husband has most of my pictures in his computer and he's not here. When he comes back, he will give me and I will post them - I hope.
Until then.

Home

2010-07-31T12:48:00.005+01:00

We just came back from Rome where we stayed for three weeks. My husband rented a home for us in the hill of Trastevere. It's a place very much looked for, full of restaurants but this is more in the lower ground. We were at the high, on the top of Goffredo Mameli street, almost at the Gianicolo which is a place where there are quite a big territory belonging to the Holly See, including the Hospital Bambino Gesu ( Baby Jesus). From our house it was easy to go to the Vatican, which was not realy far from us. So, you can imagine the times we went there.

It was not the first time but it's always such a moment of emotion as we, facing Saint Peter Basilica, felt that we realy were at Home. Yes, that is Home.

We took a lot of pictures, that I will post tomorow and following days.

The big moment was when we went to Castel Gandolfo where the Pope is for his holidays. I knew that he in July always goes to the mountains and I was a bit sad until I learnd that, this year, he wanted to go to Castel Gandolfo since July and until he goes to UK in September. It's the first time he does that and I felt it as a special blessing from Our Lord.

So, we went, so expectant of that imense previlege that is to receive a blessing from the Pope.

It was beyound whatever I can say. It was so amazing that my husband wanted to go again the following sunday - which was received with big joy. Being him an anglican by birth, I didn't want to press my husband but he was so happy there that was him who proposed to return. And everytime I looked at him I could see a transformed face - I can't find another word - looking extatic to the Pope. He, with us, waited in the sun for two hours until the doors opened and before that he went to buy a british flag by his own idea.

If you go to my other blog you can see the flag in the movies You Tube has.

It was a wonderful time and I, that always like so much to come back to my home as I like to go on holidays, I'm already missing the Pope and that Home of us all catholics that belong to that Church that we like so much.

Picture: I think I took it from wikipedia bit now I can't find the place.

Mr. Thornton

2010-06-28T09:10:00.004+01:00

I quite prefer this version but it's not possible to post here anymore. You must go there to listen but it's worthwhile. Please go.

Wonderful person that Thornton made by Richard Armitage. Perfect.

Hello

2010-06-26T14:00:00.005+01:00

I've been away for such longtime because I can't find the device to download pictures from my camera.
Today I found a way to be with you while I can't find the bloomin thing.
See these beauties of wonderful period dramas.

Normal life will resume shortly

2010-05-27T19:23:00.009+01:00

Credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/13584205@N08/2575776629/

I know I've been absent for such long time but, since the Pope's visit, I was not able to get down from the clouds. I know we must be Mary and Martha but I can't help it being so much Mary, which is needed but we, as mothers and wives, need strongly to be Marthas too.

Oh, well. I will get normal (?) again one of these days.

Talking about beauty...

2010-05-15T12:46:00.016+01:00

Monsignor Georg Gänswein

Credits clicking on the pictures.

The beauty around us

2010-05-14T22:28:00.007+01:00

I've been seeing, for four days, the visit of the Pope.
As a deeply catholic person, I was in Heaven.
Most things I saw in television but in the first day I went to Lisbon, to Terreiro do Paço, to the Mass said by the Pope. We were happy. It was the most profound hapiness. We saw the Pope near us in a distance of around 1.5m. when he was going out.
So, today, after four days of pure joy, after he went away back to Rome, with my soul like burning brass, I went to listen some music to calm down.
It was then that I heard this sublime music that has absolutly nothing to do with the Pope but it's just so beautiful.
You don't need to understand the lyrics.
Just listen the beauty.

She is a very known brasilian singer and he is one of the biggest portuguese singers, poets, composers. My uncle is so lucky to know him quite well and I like him so much since my teen years.

He's a very handsome man, perfect lips and nose, a perfect arab, like the people in Alentejo are - arabs, I mean.

Ah, the beauty around us.

Mother's Day

2010-05-03T17:54:00.014+01:00

Yesterday was Mother's Day.

As you can see, I had a lot of presents.
The first one was from girl nº 3.
The drawaing was from my little girl. She says it's me and her in the picture.

Also the magnet, key ring and flower with her picture - those made at her school - was given by the little one.

My big girl gave me a box of AfterEight because she knows I like everything minty

and girl nº 2 gave me that beautiful rose.

Lovely presents.

And my husband gave me this hortensia

and made the lunch:

pork sirloin.

And didn't forgot the dessert!

Cheesecake!

Coming home

2010-04-29T18:02:00.008+01:00

After staying at my sister in law, we came home, true home,ours.

It's so nice her town.

And her house. And her garden.

That first picture of a window is from her house.

But we came home.

I took some pictures from the car all the way to the airport.

And inside the plane.

Here we can see the mountains of the North of Spain with its tops covered in snow.
It was so good to be in England but coming home is so good too. It was good to see Spain - we are neighbours, so it was a sign that we were almost arriving.

London

2010-04-28T18:21:00.014+01:00

I was seeing some pictures of our stay on England and looking for the ones I took when we went to London,

I realized that I didn't take many at the museus.
We went to the British Museum, to the Science Museum, to the Natural History Museum

and to the Victoria and Albert Museum. We liked it. I knew them already, because I went there many years ago. I felt such emotion in the Brirish Museum, seeing all those testimonies of the very ancient past.

(My big girl, left)

We went also to a fish and chips restaurant for great happiness of all the lot.

And what about the glorious hot chocolate I had in the afternoon?

Ah, that was really good.

And to end properly the trip, we went by bus to have a stroll by London.

And then home we went.

(View of London as we were going by train .

I'm missing England already.

19 !

2010-04-22T19:19:00.004+01:00

Now big girl is 19!
It was on 21, April.
Here she is with her cake.

....

Would you like now more english beauty?
Here it comes.

This is Chichester, a town I like so much. When I go there I can't help to take several pictures of this lane near the cathedral.

Isn't that beautiful?!

See you tomorow, I hope.

Bath

2010-04-21T17:43:00.021+01:00

Darlings

I was not able to come to blogland for such a long time! It's not easy to have a reasonable big family and work outside and do those things I like so much. I really don't like to work outside - even if the work is quite enjoyable - but I do like the money I have in the end of the month!

So, today I managed to find a little time to come here and what I find? A bunch of delicious comments! Thank you so much!

Since you liked those pictures I posted on England, I dare to post some more about our trip to Bath where we stayed with some friends in a big and gorgeous house.

It's a lovely town, beautiful.

When we were going, the day was quite rainy which I didn't mind at all, being cosy inside the train, seeing that wonderful landscape, so beautiful as it was coming from inside a book.

It was a wonderful day.
We went to visit the roman baths

and we had a good walk.

The pleasure it was the same next day with a lot of walking and having a good shoping with the big girls.

Easter Sunday we went back to my sister in law for more delightfull days in England.

I'm quite tempted to post one more time about England next day I can come back to my computer.

About the closing of airports that some of you asked about: no, we were lucky enough to come back before the chaos. Me, for myself, wouldn't mind to stay a bit longer but the problem would be the girls's classes.

To England here we go

2010-04-10T13:39:00.031+01:00

.

So we went to England. After much wait and antecipation, we went, all happy. Each day there I would think "we are in England" to convince myself that I was not dreaming. If I could I would go there often. Maybe one day I will have there a tiny house, an apartement, and I will go as I want.

The above picture was taken in Lisbon's airport, a way of being in England before arriving there.

At my sister in law home.

Going shopping.
My oldest girl with the little one.

It's such a beautiful place.

with beautiful houses.

See you tomorow.

Madeira Island book

2010-04-08T09:03:00.009+01:00

I've been away of computer land not because my computer was not well but because we went to England!

It's such a happiness to us to go there but now we don't go as often as we would like because we are so many, it's expensive and we haven't the nerve to go to my sister in law all the time. We can't present there and say "we are all here".

I have some pictures to show but maybe not today. I have so many things to do as you can imagine.

I just popped up to say my husband is having a book to sell on Amazon.

The Gardens of Madeira (Hardcover) by Gerald Luckhurst (Author)
Price:
£30.00 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery.

This title has not yet been released.You may pre-order it now and we will deliver it to you when it arrives.Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Clicking on the image you may go there directly.
As the title says is on Madeira Island gardens.

From the site:

Product Description

Attracting over a million visitors each year, the island gardens of Madeira are unique. For centuries Madeira was at the crossroads of the world - half-way between the tropics and the old continent. The islanders were poised to receive plants from far-flung empires and accommodate ideas from both north and south. In such a climate, growth is phenomenal and streets and squares are filled with magnificent trees (jacarandas, flame-trees and rosewoods) let alone the oozing dragon trees. Some thirty gardens in and around the capital, Funchal, and further afield as well as some of the unique native flora and landscape are expertly described. Luckhurst also explores the discovery and development of the island and its earliest gardens, and the role of Portuguese aristocrats and British wine merchants in creating the country estates known as quintas.

About the Author

GERALD LUCKHURST is a landscape architect who has designed and built many gardens on the island. He is an expert plantsman with an unrivalled knowledge of sub-tropical flora. Each year he leads a number of specialist garden tours of the island.

Excerpt here.

I posted about Madeira before. You may see it here.

Panados de frango

2010-03-27T13:25:00.005Z

...or chicken fillets with bread crumbs.

Just take some chicken breast and cut very thin slices.

Season with salt, garlic and whatever you want as, for instace, some pepper.

Beat an egg and put the slices throught it. Take it out and do the same with bread crumbs.

Fry in oil, nor olive oil but maybe sunflowers or other like that.

That it and let it stamd for a little bit on a paper to take the excess of oil.

Have it with rice, salad or chips.

Hmmm...

You may make it with porc or veal.

It's Spring or what?

2010-03-26T11:14:00.004Z

Spring here is very reluctant. Sometimes looks like it's coming in full force and then there comes the rain again.
Look at that!

Even so, I feel already that nesting instinct I have in the begining of Spring. I feel I want to clean, to tidy up, to do some gardening...

Some days ago I found in the market these nice flowers. Aren't they beautiful?
Well, time to stop dilly dalling in the internet. Back to homemaking.
See you tomorow.

To do

2010-03-06T10:13:00.017Z

Aren't they beautiful? I have a passion for this plants and have a lot of them. I found those ones for sell and it's a pitty it doesn't show properly the exact colour here.

Now, thinking of homemaking.

I have a lot to do, begining with emptyimg the dishwasher and refill it.

Shine the stove.
If you are thinking on what is that in the middle I say: it's a grill, also in need of a good cleaning.

Empty the washer machine. I'd like to put the clothes on the line but I don't know if I can. It has rained so much. Maybe it's better to dry it in the machine. Mine is both things, washer and dryer.

Clean the microwave. Not much in need but I always give it a good clean every saturday.

Vacuum. Mmmm... Looks like the vacuum machine needs a cleaning itself.

Clean and tidy the cupboars.

Prunning some of my plants.

See the plants behind? They do need some work.

Make some bread?
Well, so many thing to do, these and a lot of others.
It's so good to be at home and do homemaking.

Where is Spring?

2010-03-02T18:57:00.005Z

Looks like it was Christmas yesterday and we are already heading for Easter.
I like it very much. Looks like all the nature praises Our Lord.
Well, not yet. The Winter has been quite strong. It's always raining and it's cold.
I wouldn't mind if the rain stopped for a while so I can do a bit of gardening and dry my clothes on the line.
I do like Winter and cold but I think I need a bit of sun.
I've been looking in other blogs and many are making the same complaints. Where are the signs of Spring?
Let's be patient and wait a bit more.

Image above: Christmas pudding and custard we had last Christmas.

Here: pictures of past Easter.

Hello there

2010-03-01T18:23:00.004Z

I am a
Snapdragon

What Flower
Are You?

I'm missing you a bit so I just came here to say hello.

Madeira Island

2010-02-21T12:15:00.005Z

I'm always talking about Madeira Island and how beautiful it is.

Now I must say they were hit by a catastrophe yesterday. Until now, 38 people died because of heavy rain and mudslides. By what I saw in television this morning, 250 people were missing. It's devastation everywhere. Looks like an impossible thing to happen because that island is a kind of paradise, everybody says so.

You can see my pictures on Madeira Island here and here.

So beautiful and now it's as we can see in the news. (Also here, here ,here and here).

I hope the can fix it soon.

Rain and sun and some plants

2010-02-20T09:28:00.004Z

I wonder why, these flowers where light pink when I bought the plant, as you can see here.

Now they turned white. Later on, some new ones were born and they are pink. They are so beautiful, a way or another, good to brighten our day.
We are now having sun and rain. I was so pleased to see a lot of sun when I woke up and then a big rain fall down. Now is sun again. I hope it stays because I have plans to do some gardening

and wash a lot of clothes.
Let's see how the day goes.

A bit of pink

2010-02-16T12:49:00.007Z

Today it's raining a lot. The same yesterday. It's gloomy and cold. I like the rain, as everybody knows, but I must say, I need some sun. As I'm at home today - yeeees! - I planed to do a lot of things. No. I'm doing just some little things. I feel I want to seat and read.

Mum need to rest too, said my 10 yo girl. Yes. I'm tired.

Well, to brighten a bit the day, I thought about posting some pictures of my flowers.

They don't mind the cold. Looks like it's always spring, around here. I'm dreaning with a bit of snow but n0thing happens.

That's ok. Maybe the snow would burn the flowers.
Pretty, aren't they.
See you tomorow, maybe.

Carnival and Valentines Day

2010-02-15T10:15:00.014Z

We are in carnival days.

I don't like it.

When I was a little girl, my grandmother used to make me nice clothes for these days: a fairy, a ladybird, a butterfly...So many nice things.

Now I don't like it and I always make the effort to dress the girl that is in the first years at school because it's required that they are dressed for carnivals ' friday. So my little one was a stawberry. I would like to show you but since I decided not to post their faces in the internet, I can't.

Carnival will go untill tomorow, the last day, followed by Ashes Wedensday with fasting. Because here most people say they are catholics but they don't even know what is to be a catholic, most people don't fast. I do. If any catholic is reading this I say: have courage and fast. It's good for your soul. God doesn't need our fasting but we do. We need to fast for our sins.

...

On Valetines Day.

It was not a thing of our culture but shops thought it was a good way of making some more money and began to fill the shops of valentines things and now everybody buys them.

First it was nothing for me buy when I married an englishman it became a bit important .

So, yesterday my husband gave the beautiful chocolate box you can see.

Pitty I couln't take a nice picture but it will give one idea of the beauty.

He invited my parents to lunch with us.

Camembert, Stilton and Cheddar

Looks like a turkey, so big it is

Roast potatoes and parsnips

Can you see the steam?

Apple crumble. The apple made by me and the crumble by my 8 years old girl.

Coconut cake, given by my mother.

It was such a good day.

2010-02-13T11:04:00.006Z

My husband gave me.
He went to Madeira Islans and come back with these beauties to me.
Aren't they beautiful?

Read about Madeira Island here and here.

6 years old

2010-02-04T18:18:00.007Z

I'm very sorry to not going to visit blogs as I would like. Between working outside, taking the girls to schools - each one in a different school - taking the big one to the station so she will take the train everyday to university in Lisbon, shopping and homemaking, there's not much time left.

...

Last sunday it was my little girl birthday. She is now 6, praise the Lord.

We invited a lot of friends from her school and they were very happy here, eating, playing and seeing a movie.

She likes so much Kitty from Hello Kitty that I ordered a cake with it on and most friends gave her present related to Kitty.

Even the napkins and paper glasses had her on them.

She was very pleased.

I'm coming back

2010-01-24T12:37:00.003Z

Slowly...

I'm still here

2010-01-23T10:20:00.003Z

Maybe you are thinking that I gave up my blog.
No.
The problems it's just that computer needed a little fixing and the computer man, as always, is late in bringing it bqack to me. Next time I need I'll ask for another man, this one is so slow. I will tell my husband that I don't want that one anymore.
Well, first, I need my computer back!
See you next week - I hope.

A New Year

2010-01-01T13:13:00.005Z

Begining the year with Our Lady, the Mother of Our Lord.

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T11:28:00.018Z

Credits: Cute Colours

Cindy at My Romantic Home is having a party called 2009 A year in Review. So I'll join now.

January
A month of cooking and flowers. And my little girl's birthday.

In this picture, a rose plant my mother gave me.

February

Valentine's Day. Some red roses my husband gave me.

March

More cooking.

April

My oldest one birthday: 18!

May

Flowers everywhere.

June

Another birthday. It's like that in a big family home.

And summer it's here.

July

My husband's birthday and summer holidays.

August

Still thinking on our wonderful holidays, I posted about Oporto.

September was a month almost without posting. My computer was not well.

October

A nice month full of birthdays: my nephew, one of my girls (15 yo) and mine.

A month when I could look to summer and feel it was in the past. Cooler days began and it was crumble time.

November

Planning Christmas, buying presents and wrapping them.

December

Christmas time.

This Christmas

2009-12-29T11:21:00.011Z

Since 21 December I don't know what is to go to the Internet.
Tidying and cleaning,

(isn't that shining?)

buying more presents, wrapping them, buying food of all kinds, making things... A bit of a stress.
My family came to my house to the Consoada, the Christmas Eve dinner, very important here.

They came also for Christmas lunch. I didn't tale any pictures of the dinner or the lunch. I completely forgot.

The only thing I can show you is my husband preparing the quailes and the goose.

I hope next Christmas will be better and more peaceful - we had some problems - but, in the whole - it was good.

Praise the Lord.

Happy Winter

2009-12-21T12:14:00.002Z

Comments and Graphics - Winter Layouts - Photobucket

It's 21 of December, Solstice Day. Happy Winter.

Comments and Graphics - Christmas Layouts - Photobucket

Wednesday, outdoor and indoor

2009-12-16T10:56:00.011Z

Yesterday was a good day. My girl sang very well with her frieds from school and, as her class is very international and multicultural, the music teacher choose some music from countries where some children came, por instance, Romenia and China. There is also a gipsy boy that performed the most wonderful drum solo - he played with his hands. It was amazing as it was played by his own heart with absolut freedom. In the end the audience was clapping and shouting.
Very nice.

Today, for A Souther Daydreamer who usualy has an Outdoor Wednesday and that, in this month of December, wants also inside, because of Christmas, go these pictures of today's post.

So, I have an outside full of rain and a Christmas inside with my tree, once again, today taken at night and with no flash. I'm still strugling with my new camera but in the end it came out nice.

A normal day

2009-12-15T10:37:00.004Z

Today is sooo cold for our standards. Yesterday was quite chilly but today is even more. Looks like tomorow it will be milder because it will rain. Let's see. My litlle one is waiting for rain because she wants to take her frog umbrella to school. Maybe she will have the luck.

Today in the evening I must go to my other little girl school - this one is 10 and the other is 5 - because she will sing in the choir - yes, she too.

Well, see you tomorow. I have so many things to so and so little days until Christmas.

I leave you with two pictures, one of my Christmas tree in the dusk and other of my new lavender.

A trip to the garden center

2009-12-13T14:31:00.006Z

Yesterday it was lovely at my little one's school. There was she, singing in the choir, very proud of her.

Today I was a bit in a strange mood, as my husband said - not related with yesterday, I was just tired and irritated. So my husband decided we would go to the garden center. Poinsetias, rosemary, evening primrose and lavender, it was our choosen plants.

And for dessert he made cheesecake.

Not bad, hum ?!

Busy weekend and lovely flowers

2009-12-12T10:56:00.005Z

Just a quick post to say hello.
I'm quite in a hurry because I have a lot to do and in the begining of the afternoon we must go to my little one school for her Christmas party. Looks like she will sing with other tots. She must be dressed with a red plain dress, have red tights and red shirt. Let's see what it will be.
See you tomorow, then.

PS: this wonderfull rose it was my mother who gave me. It's so beautiful.

Other thing: my bougainvillea is still flowering so much. Just look at that.

The sun is coming in

2009-12-10T12:39:00.005Z

The sun is coming by the Christmas tree after some days of rain and fog.

It's a good time to hurry up and put the washed clothes on the line to dry.
Here you go, laundry wooman.

Good time also to tidy up the laundryroom

and after that make some more wrapping and planning all that baking that needs to be done.
This is a nice season.

Bolo Rei

2009-12-07T09:37:00.006Z

Bolo Rei means King Cake. We eat it at Christmas times in big quantities. No Christmas is Christmas without Bolo Rei. It's like Christmas Cake and Christmas Pudding in England.

It's made with yeast, like bread, and it takes candied fruit and nuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, raisins and that kind of stuff.
Many times, as the tradition says to do, it has a little present inside and a broadbean. That means that the person who gets the slice with the bean inside must buy the cake next time.
Well, that was some time ago. Now, with safety measures, most times the cake hasn't the bean or the present.
Even so, we keep eating it a lot.
When I was a little girl, in our home, it was my grandmother who made ours. It was an adventure to me to see the whole process. The smell, then my grandmother putting a cloth on top of it and leaving to raise, later on tending the dough and putting in the oven...
And then the smell of freshly baked Bolo Rei...
Now we buy it.
That's ok, it's still good anyway.

Done

2009-12-03T10:17:00.009Z

The tree is up.
We always decorate for Christmas since December, 1. The Nativity is done too but, as the tree, it has a lot to improve.

Later: I just want to share a comment I made at Mountain Moma about the spirit of Christmas at her post Simple Joys of the Season.

I wish I had snow here. We only have it in the North so, no chance for me. Some 2 or 3 years ago it snowed in Lisbon – Sintra belongs to Lisbon – and it was such a hapiness. The television programs stoped to announce that!I like Christmas so much. As here there’s no Thanksgiving, I dream about Christmas since October. Well, ok, since September but stronger since the end of October. In the day 1 we put the tree up and do the Nativity. Then everyday we improve the decorations and put the garland on the door. I wrap the presents – whatever the number, that doesn’t matter, and make lists. I plan and dream. It’s my favorite time of the year.

Wrapping, wrapping, wrapping...

2009-11-28T10:09:00.013Z

Sometimes I read that a lot of people doesn't like to wrap all those Christmas presents they buy. Not me. I can't wait, every year, to begin to wrap.

I try to avoid maratons of wrapping, when my back hurts because all that time standing and wrapping. I do small sessions everyday and, because I never tire and burn, it's always such a pleasure.

So, I began some days ago and I have been faithful to my purpose of doing a little everyday.

I keep looking to all those papers that I find so nice, mainly the child's ones.

I like to see the bows, to work on them so they can curl...

I can't wait to see my little girls faces when they will see the Disney papers.

They are not like that children that all the want is to tear the papers and see the contents. When they see a wrapped present, they begin to feel the pleasure. They look how nice they are and then they open the presents.

Ah, that's a nice season.

Thanks to Our Lord

2009-11-26T11:47:00.000Z

Myspace Graphics, Thanksgiving Graphics at WishAFriend.com

Happy Thanksgiving.

Isn't she a beauty?!

2009-11-25T09:40:00.005Z

My mother sometimes gives me a rose plant because she knows I'm crazy for roses. The problem is, many times, they come so beautiful but sometime later they begin to look not so nice and eventually, they die.
So this one is stil in all its splendour and I couldn't help showing you.
Just look at that!

Raining outside

2009-11-20T10:52:00.003Z

It's raining outside but here, in the house, it feels good.
My cyclamen, that my husband gave me, is very nice. I can't say the same about some others in the windowsill. They need a bit of prunning. I should take more care of my plants.
Gardening time.

Christmas is coming

2009-11-19T10:08:00.004Z

I don't know what it is.
In the end of October I was already dreaming about Christmas - as I always do. Then it came November and in the begining it was still hot. No spirit of Christmas at all. Later, the Autumn arrived in full force and I, so enchanted with the beauty of the season, didn't want to think on Christmas, I only wanted to feel the fresh air, the golden leaves falling down and covering the floor.
Now Im late, I'm late.
Not really. I even bought some Christmas presents already, in October.
So, it's time to really think about Christmas, to wrapped the already bought presents, to buy more, to do things, to plan and act.
I'm rather pleased with the header of my blog and the look of it all together but it's time to make it chrtistmassy.
So, oficialy, today begins the red and green season here at Alfazema.

To Do

2009-11-18T10:33:00.006Z

Today I must clean the top of the fridge.

So, let me put my apron on.

Um... I must water that plant too.

Almost lunch time

2009-11-17T10:56:00.006Z

Chilly leftover from yesterday's dinner on top of noodles.
Just an idea for your lunch.

Apple season

2009-11-14T09:07:00.003Z

Some days ago my husband made this apple pie. It was very good and nice. Today I will make apple crumble. I'm not a fruit person but cooked apples, in a way or another, always have my attention.
Autumn, with all its beauty, has the added bonus of bringing apples too.
Apple season is in full and it will only end in the end of spring.
Well, in my house, I mean.

Autumn, definitely

2009-11-13T10:16:00.010Z

It has been wet and coldish. Autumn, definitely.

The clothes, put to dry on the lines, take time to dry. Each morning the floor is wet as it had rained and sometimes it does.

For the english people and in other cold countries this is so frequent and normal but for us so as much because, due to global warming, the summer extended itself for so long that looked like we wouldn't have any Autumn at all. But no, here it is.

And I'm so happy about it.

So, in a minute, I will wash some more clothes - in our house it must be done everyday with rain or not - and put it on the line.

The fresh air is good too, not only the sun. Even when there's any it's worthwhile to put it outside. Much better the than dryer.

Here I go for a load: wash, dry (outside), take it inside, fold it and put away to have the drawers full.

It gives so much confort to find all the clothes we need ready to wear. Looks like a small thing but no, taking care of our laundry is to take care of our family. It's an important job.

For Blissfully Domestic.

Ok then

2009-11-09T10:44:00.001Z

You Are a Snarky Blogger!

You've got a razor sharp wit that bloggers are secretly scared of.

You're honest and critical. You never hold back, even if you're opinion is controversial.

Okay, let's be honest. You try to make your posts as controversial as possible!

And that's why your audience reads your posts as often as they can.

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

A full pantry

2009-11-05T11:46:00.008Z

...or being prepared.

We are a family of 6, a big family for european standards - and what to say for this corner of Europe standards! We need to be prepared and have a full pantry.
Well, looking to several blog's well stocked cupboards, I reminded some pictures I took of mine some time ago. (So, maybe some of you have seen them already).

I must say, also, that my cupboards are in a urgent need of tidying up so they can be prepared to welcome the lot of things we need to buy before Christmas.

I'm always so much afraid of needing something in the days before the big event that I always buy a lot. I don't mind if, in the end I don't need as much because it stays for the days after.

For instance. It's a tradition, here, to have several fried wonderful things for Christmas Day and Eve so, I can't buy only two bottles of sunflower oil, I feel I must buy four, the same with flour, sugar and so on. It's quite ok because the result is I wouldn't need many things in January and the feeling of buying a lot makes me feel more in the season, a bit like the ants, storing things for Winter.

Well, time for homemaking now. I'll let you know about the progress in the tidying up.
The buying will begin is some weeks.

For Blissfully Domestic.

Guy Fawkes

2009-11-05T09:31:00.009Z

Fawkes's father was either a notary or proctor of the ecclesiastical courts and later an advocate of the consistory court of the Archbishop of York. Edward's wife, Edith Blake, was descended from prominent merchants and aldermen of the city. Edward Fawkes died in 1579, and his widow remarried in 1582, to a Catholic, Denis Bainbridge of Scotton. The family were known to be recusants, resisters of the authority of the Church of England, and it is probable that his stepfather's influence contributed to Guy's affiliation to Catholicism; Fawkes finally converted to Catholicism around the age of 16.[8] In the same year that Fawkes converted to Catholicism (1586), he would be made brutally aware of the repression the English Parliament enacted on local Catholics. Margaret Clitherow, later known as the "Pearl of York", was executed in her hometown that year by being crushed to death. She had originally been arrested for harbouring Catholic priests in her home.

If you want to know more you may go to Wikipedia, which has a lot of references and bibliography about it.

-----
This is just an homage to all the Catholics persecuted and killed in England before and after Guy Fawkes, for centuries.

Outdoor Wednesday

2009-11-04T09:33:00.006Z

Who said we hardly have Autumn? It was hard to come but it's here. The air is nicer and the leaves are turning their colours.

These beauties live in the garden of Monserrate, a very pretty garden we have here.

Look at that. Looks like it came of a movie.

For Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer.

The pleasure of homemaking

2009-11-02T10:49:00.010Z

This last week I was not very productive. Homemaking is a thing I like so much but, for some reason, I coulfn't do much work.

I didn't beat myself just because of that. I decided that it happened because it was my birthday week ( it was on 24 Oct. ) so I had the right to have festivities and be easy on me foe a whole week.

Now a new week begins and I must go back to normal days.

Because yesterday it rained a lot, I thought that today I coukdn't take care of the laundry. You know, in a sunny country like this one, we prefer to dry it outside and only use the dryer when it is really needed.

So, off the computer now and it's tidy up time followed for some sessions of laundrytime. Then 15 minutes in everyroom and so on.

It's a wonderful day waiting for me.

Crumble time

2009-10-30T10:13:00.002Z

It's foggy here. Cozy time. Good for baking. Maybe some apple crumble.
This picture shows an apple pie my husband made some weeks ago. It was very good but, for me, nothing is better than crumble.
So, crumble it is.

My birthday - part II

2009-10-29T11:36:00.008Z

Here it is the cake.

I found a way of downloading those pictures I took with my new camera.

My husband made me a dinner, very good, that had leek soup, a kind of beef welington ( with pork) with mashed potatoes and vegetables and ice cream for dessert.

And in the end we still had my cake: a kind of pudding my mother knows I die for.

It was such a good night. The problem with all that so good food was, in the end I was so full.

Never mind, it's everyday that we have our birthday!

My birthday

2009-10-28T10:36:00.010Z

On the 22 October it was one of my girl's birthday, as I posted before, and on the 24 was mine.

I wanted to post here a picture of the cake and all but I couldn't find a way of transfering the pictues to my computer because I have a new camera!

Yes, my husband gave me as one of the presents. The other one is perfectly good but he wanted to give me one more advanced. The problem is I was so used to the other one that now I don't know, yet, to do some things as putting all the photos in the computer.

Never mind. I will show you the ones taken with the old one.

That's hubby's hand here.

I don't dare to show my face. When I see me in the mirror, I don't dislike it and accept very well the signs of the time but when somebody takes a picture of me it's so depressing. I was looking at some my husband took and I couldn't stop thinking to myself: who is this old woman? And I felt a bit sorry for my husband who married a pretty girl and now have this fat and old thing.

Well, I must say to myself that the image in the mirror is the true one, not the ones in the pictures.

Don't think now that I have a low self estime. I quite like me , with all my good and bed things - in my own opinion, more good than bed. It's just I have a very bad relationship with the camera when it comes to my face. I think I'm never well enough.

Sorry about this, I just needed to talk. Maybe someone who reads my blog can feel the same and understand.

Now, here they are some presents I had, given by my mother: a rose plant, a nightie ( it's so pretty, isn't it?)

a big birthay cake, my favorite, here still inside the box, and a Christmas towel.

My mother knows how I'm crazy for Christmas.

15 !

2009-10-26T12:02:00.005Z

In my house ther is always someone's birthday.
Now it was the time of girl nº 2. She is 15 years old.

Slow Autumn

2009-10-21T10:51:00.009+01:00

Here, in this corner of the world, the Autumn is coming slowly. We have flowers everywhere

as it was spring or summer

but we can see the fallen leaves everywhere.

The temperature has been quite high. Now is going a bit better and pleasent.
We were dreaming with the rain and it came.

Now, in this moment, we are having strong clouds and a bit of sun. Yesterday it rained so much that today we are waiting for more.
Most people dont'l like the rain but I like it so much.
So, I'm happy in this departement.

For Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer.

21 years

2009-10-15T10:52:00.002+01:00

Today is our aniversary.
Thanks be to God.

Solo Dios basta

2009-10-14T10:47:00.004+01:00

As I am in a music mood, this one from Taizé and with words of St. Teresa de Ávila.
It gives me always a sense of peace.
Praise the Lord.

And what about this one?

2009-10-12T10:46:00.001+01:00

Are you dreaming already about Christmas as I am?

Erik Satie

2009-10-10T11:30:00.003+01:00

I have a passion for this music.

It's so autumnal, almost mystic. Gives me a sence of peace and well being. At the same time makes me feel alive.

For you all.

Have a good weekend.

Arriving autumn

2009-10-05T13:38:00.013+01:00

Here we are now feeling the Autumn arriving and, if it's not as obvious as in other countries more at the North, even so we can see the sins.

For instance, this tree of diospiros at Monserrate.

First of all, I must say that, translating on google, the answer for diospiros was kakis. I don't know if it's true. I must ask my husband.

Anyway, previous saturday, we went to the garden of Monserrate - more pictures in my blog Sintra, Glorious Eden - and again, this saturday we went there.

First most leaves of that tree were green, now most of them are brown.

Amazing how they changed in a week.

It's time to be cozy in the sofa with a throw - ah, I like that - and eat apple pie, which my husband already made.

I quite prefer the apple crumble and I'm planning to make it soon.

That amazing how, in all the blogosphere, people are feeling the same need of baking.

More news about it soon.

Almost there

2009-10-01T11:32:00.003+01:00

I'm still quite computerless. Almost there.
Maybe in a day or two everything will be allright.

She rises when is still night

2009-09-21T09:34:00.003+01:00

Today I woke up at 5.30 AM. Also my big girl.

It was not like this image yet. It was a deep and dark night with a sky ful of stars.

The reason for that is that today was first day of school for her, first day at university.

Here, parents don't dump their children at the university in the first day and leave them alone and forgoten until next holidays. People go to classes everyday in the morning and come back at the end of the day to their homes.

So, I took her to the train station at 6 A.M. and at 7.40 she was calling me to say she was already at the university. She only begins classes at 8 but went early because it was first day.

Happily, mondays are the only days she has to go so early, usualy she will begin at 10.

I remember when it was me, I would arrange my schedule in a fashion I could stay there for the less time I could and come back home quickly.

I always prefered home and family to outside and strangers.

Sintra, Glorious Garden

2009-08-25T13:07:00.004+01:00

I'm still with computer problems but I couldn't wait to announce you that i have a new blog on Sintra, my town.
I'm able to post there because I'm still posting pictures from the archives, aka Flickr.
So, I'm doing it from one of my girls computers.
I joined City Daily Photo and it's a pleasure to see other people's towns.
My blog list there has a lot of british blogs. The reason is I found City Daily Blog one day I was looking for pictures of England because I was home sick. Now I have a lot of blogs bookmarked.
If someone likes the idea and decides to make a photo blog of her town, pleeease, make me know.
Mine it's called Sintra, Glorious Eden and it was Lord Byron that called it like that.
I think the blog it's rather nice and i'm veryy happy with it, the problem is it's not very known.
Go there and see for yourselves.

Silly computer

2009-08-24T10:16:00.000+01:00

I'm having computer problems. I'll be away for some days.

Guimarães

2009-08-19T09:16:00.011+01:00

Guimarães is one of the most important cities in Portugal, historicaly speaking.
This man is the Founder of our Nation. It's called D. Afonso Henriques and was our first King. Guimarães was his birth place and is also the birth place of Portugal.

Here is the Church where he was baptized.

This people you can see here are my girls and husband.

The Castle.

Look at the views from the Castle.

And the streets are so beautiful!

For Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreaner.

Hotel Paris

2009-08-17T10:41:00.012+01:00

There is an hotel in Oporto called Hotel Paris that exists since the XIX century. It's delightful. I was there twice, each time for several days.

It's always full because everybody likes it, it's so picturesque.

Last time I went there its was full of people, even a couple from New Zealand.

The Entrance.

The way to the Breakfast Room.

This is the Breakfast Room.

It's full of corridors. Our room where here, one in front of the other. In the botton, a window with a view to the town - also our room had big windows with beautiful views.

The bedrooms and all the hotel have antique furniture.

Delightful!
More pictures here.

Assumption of Our Lady

2009-08-15T13:04:00.006+01:00

In this day of August, 15, we celebrate the feastivity of the Assumption of Our Lady to Heaven.
It's such an important feast that today we don't work.

We went already to Mass, as it should be.

So, for Our Lady, all these roses.

For Pink Saturday at How Sweet The Sound.

The Romantic Museum of Oporto

2009-08-14T09:59:00.019+01:00

I visited, in Oporto, some time ago, a beautiful museum that was a house in the XIX century. I felt so well inside. I am sure that most of you would like it. So, I will postsome pictures of it but, sorry for the poor quality of some of them, because we could take picture but without flash.

As it says in the Town Council website: the Museum reproduces the interior of a rich dwelling of the 19th century with special notice to some aspects of the decorative arts of that period. Charles Albert, King of Sardinia came here into exile and died on this house on 28 July 1849. Some of the rooms of the house where he lived were restored in his memory.

Here it goes.

The two above pictures show the diningroom.

What I liked in this house was the "normal look" of it. Could be a house of today, it was not a palace, just a good house.

The ball room - well this room is not from a "normal" house !

One bedroom.

The chaise long so the lady of the house could have a nap after lunch withour goung to bed at that time of the day - most improper for a lady, going to bed in the afternoon.

Isn't that beautiful ?

Here is the King Charles Albert of Sardinia, that lived here his last days .

Very inspiring, this lovely house and his furniture.

Outdoor Wednesday

2009-08-12T09:00:00.020+01:00

Today is Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer and I'll show you a wonderful garden in Porto ( Oporto). It's the garden of Serralves.

The house is Art Déco, very nice, built in the 30' by the Count of Vizela.

There is also another house that is a museum of modern art - which I don't like at all.

So, I won't post about it.

Instead I will show you the gardens.

The gardens are amazing.

Looks like we are inside a Poirot movie.

Hooked on roses

2009-08-07T09:07:00.013+01:00

I'm hooked on roses. Little ones, big, everykind.

So. today, for Hooked on Fridays at Hooked on Houses, I will post some pictures of my favorite flower: roses.

Outdoor Wednesday

2009-08-05T11:09:00.010+01:00

Today I'll show you some views of the city of Oporto, Portugal. ( read also here )

It's a very ancient and important city in the North of Portugal and, for their own people, the most important one.

It's the same name of the Port Wine because it was there that the wine was traded and we still can see a lot of brand names near the river. This boat, now for turism, reminds us the ones used for the transport of the wine from the places where ir was made to the town where it would be sold and shiped everywhere.

You can see here the Torre dos Clérigos.

Porto is a place full of beautiful gardens. This one is the Palácio de Cristal garden, now Pavilhão Rosa Mota. It was from here that I took most of the pictures I'm posting today - not the ones with the Torre dos Clérigos in.

I hope you, seeing these beauties, feel encouraged to visit Portugal because we have a lot of wonderful places, full of beauty and History. And good food also!

For Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer.

Blue Monday

2009-08-03T09:10:00.007+01:00

The rain...

This was taken in a glorious rainy day in Guimarães, in the Minho (North of Portugal).

For Blue Monday at Smiling Sally .

Braga

2009-07-31T10:58:00.011+01:00

We discovered last year that we have a passion on the north of Portugal so we went there again.

Maybe some of you would find boring but I ca't help showing you some of those wonderful places, full of churches, gardens and beautiful landscapes. And History.

For instance, this place is in Braga, Bracara Augusta, as it was called in Roman Times. The region of Braga has been inhabited since pre-historic times, and in the Iron Age the Bracari people occupied the region and built their characteristic fortified villages (castrum). It was very important in the Middle Age as a catholic city and there happened a Council. It was called the portuguese Rome. Unfortunately the english article on Braga at Wikipedia doesn't show this importance, only the portuguese one.

Important and beautiful as it is, it's always full of turists.

Happy Birthday

2009-07-29T08:40:00.001+01:00

To the Master of the House.
Last monday.