2024-04-06 20:08
It’s been a busy week! My coffee comes from a coffee shop in Lagos, in the Western Algarve. It is Friday, just after 9:30 a.m., and I’m killing time before my appointment at the… Read More
Blog Directory > Travel Blogs > Destinations Blogs > Piglet in Portugal | Tales of life and travel in P destinations Blog >
Piglet In Portugal | Tales Of Life And Travel In P Blog
pigletinportugal.wordpress.com
Tags:
coffee
january
love
seeds
garden
vertical strawberry
western algarve
strawberry
algarve
romance
Tales of life and travel in Portugal, UK and France with a humorous twist...
2024-03-30 17:03
I am addicted to succulents and committed to creating a drought-tolerant garden, which is just as well because we will have a hosepipe ban this summer. The drought situation is critical, and… Read More
2024-03-29 12:33
Finally! After a long winter pounding away at our keyboards, we have finally released the long-awaited third and final book in The Promise Series on pre-order. Publication date 2nd April. Th… Read More
2024-03-23 12:44
This week has proved to be one of the busiest in the garden so far this year. I had (and still have) so much to do that I don’t know where to start. I feel like I’m spinning on t… Read More
2024-03-21 20:37
After checking out vertical strawberry planters for sale on Amazon and further research on YouTube, we decided to make our own. We’d bought the heavy-duty, plastic wine/water storage b… Read More
2024-03-20 21:00
This is a tough post because I don’t want it to come across as a whine. However, I hope this sign resonates with those who are frustrated due to reduced mobility and strikes a chord wi… Read More
2024-03-15 12:50
What a week!! I need something more substantial than coffee to celebrate! Before I take my first sip of Irish coffee, I apologize for not visiting/commenting on many of my favourite blogs th… Read More
2024-03-10 09:08
It’s not been gardening weather this week. High winds, heavy rain, and squalls are not exactly conducive to going outside to the garden beyond making sure everything undercover is wate… Read More
2024-03-06 21:07
On January 1st, 2024, I only made two New Year’s resolutions: I am proud to say I completed Dry January with flying colours, but the diet resolution and motivation are flagging. I didn… Read More
2024-03-04 15:59
I like to keep a monthly diary of the fruit and veg I’m growing in my urban garden – successes and failures. It’s worth noting the temperature in the Western Algarve is coo… Read More
2024-03-02 14:09
This week, while I’ve been busy in my vegetable garden, I decided to focus on flowers for my Six on Saturday gardening update. One carrot looks the same as the next, as does spinach an… Read More
2024-02-26 13:57
Apparently, we scroll miles every year on our mouse and perform millions of clicks. Since my beloved ergonomic HP mouse died a few weeks ago, I have been limping along, moaning and groaning… Read More
2024-02-24 07:56
Another week and another Six on Saturday update. Seriously. I seem to spend every spare moment when I’m not writing in my garden, and just as I begin to relax, yet another plant demand… Read More
2024-02-21 19:25
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Rock is situated on the promontory between the beaches of Praia da Sra da Rocha and Praia Nova, Porches in the Municipality of Lagoa. We stumbled across the anc… Read More
2024-02-18 12:30
The first part of the week passed slowly, probably due to the weather – strong winds and heavy showers and I didn’t feel like going out – not even in my garden, which is ra… Read More
2024-02-17 15:06
This week’s Six on Saturday’s gardening endeavours have once again been set against a backdrop of intermittent showers, sun and strong winds. I’m not complaining. We desper… Read More
2024-02-14 21:34
According to Wikipedia In Portugal, the holiday is known as “Dia dos Namorados” (Lovers’ Day / Day of the Enamoured). As elsewhere, couples exchange gifts, but in some regi… Read More
2024-02-10 13:47
Six things that are happening in my garden this week. Hence Six on Saturday hosted by Jim. Where has this week gone? It seems like only yesterday I was preparing last week’s Six on Sat… Read More
2024-02-09 20:38
In November 2022, we decided to don our green halo, join the club, and install solar panels. Had to do our bit to help save the planet, right? The sales rep interrogated us on the appliances… Read More
2024-02-04 17:27
It’s Sunday; of course, it’s cocktails at Lagos Marina, not coffee!! Reviewing life over the last week, I managed to circle back and catch up with my own tail. I completed &lsquo&hell…Read More
2024-02-03 07:52
Weather in January We have had a mixed bag of weather this January. Everything from Southerly winds, Atlantic storms, heavy rain, night temperatures just above freezing to temperatures aroun… Read More
2024-02-01 21:15
Sigh… I like to think I’m reasonably tolerant, but there are some things that just get under my skin, like itching powder. #1 Owners who allow their dogs to poop on beaches. Ple… Read More
2024-01-31 18:12
Dry January: A Month Without Alcohol! This year I only made two New Year’s resolutions: On the Wagon Dry January was tough. Very tough because we enjoy a glass of wine or three with ou… Read More
2024-01-29 15:14
Because I have such a wide range of hobbies and interests, I am the type of person who needs a 30-hour day! I’m meant to be retired, but I manage to fill EVERY minute. The phrase, &lsq&hell…Read More
2024-01-21 14:53
Several years ago, I bought a kumquat tree to grow in a pot. Poor thing struggled, and its leaves were always yellow. I was advised this was due to either too much water or not enough. An ir… Read More
2024-01-19 14:11
Checkouts not manned by staff have apparently neither revolutionised our shopping experience nor cut operating costs as expected. In my opinion, this is proof you can’t always replace… Read More
2024-01-17 08:29
Yep, packing the physical contents of your life into cardboard boxes is a fantastic way to declutter your life significantly when you are downsizing for retirement. All trivial trinkets… Read More
2024-01-15 23:37
It took me all of three seconds to answer this question – clue – the name of my website. I absolutely adore pigs, especially piglets! I realise the most popular choice will… Read More
2024-01-15 00:09
In what ways do you communicate online? Do you remember life before the internet when we relied on snail mail and landlines, and our only visual link to the outside world was TV, newsp… Read More
2024-01-14 17:06
Looking back, August 2021 was one of the most harrowing road trips we undertook was driving to visit our family in France and then onto the UK just after the COVID restrictions were lifted… Read More
2023-10-07 07:26
In May 2023, after months of hard work and lots of laughter as we shared differences in language, life and love, we published The 1st Promise: A Brit-Meets-Yank Romance: Sophia & Aaron… Read More
2023-08-05 18:30
It’s been a strange couple of weeks. I could say why, but it’s probably better if I don’t. *laughing*. But the experience taught me that more enjoyable doors can open as on… Read More
2023-05-18 13:23
I’ve not posted any updates to my blog for a while. That’s not because I’ve been slacking, nope. I’ve been working on a romance novel that has consumed all my spare t… Read More
2022-10-29 20:53
The weather here continues to be warm and dry. Daytime temperatures range from 16C to 26C. We’ve had some rain but not enough to impact the drought situation so I continue to recycle a… Read More
2022-10-28 06:46
Mavis sighed, then summoned her husband. “Gerard, those damn hippies are back again in the woods next door!” Gerard groaned. Their local environmental group had only just finishe… Read More
2022-10-21 22:56
It was our wedding anniversary on Tuesday. On Thursday we tried hydrotherapy pilates for the first time! AND Friday … I am delighted to announce our online writing community (writingf… Read More
2022-10-21 19:54
Mavis stared unblinking at the television while the newsreader reported on the latest antics of politicians, protestors, the Police, Putin and nuclear war. The grim news of the latest price… Read More
2022-10-15 17:45
The weather over the last week continues to be reasonably hot, achieving temperatures of around 25C but still no rain. I am recycling water and reusing as much as I physically can. aka stori… Read More
2022-10-14 20:30
There’s Always Tomorrow Words: 296 Prompt: Sacrifice Throughout the summer months, Madge worried about the worsening drought situation in the Algarve. She fretted. Dams were little mor… Read More
2022-10-08 20:22
I continue to be delighted by how well my succulents grow in pots. During the heat of the summer, I moved many of my succulents into the dappled shade to give them some respite from the scor… Read More
2022-10-03 13:45
It’s been hard to smile this week as I’ve had a raging toothache and ended up in A E for an emergency dentist appointment. Long story … I’m now on strong antibiotics… Read More
2022-10-01 10:36
Writing Forums Friday Flash Fiction: This week’s prompt was ‘Broken’’ Max Words: 300 If it Ain’t Broke Mavis lived by the wise old proverb: ‘if it ain&rsq&hell…Read More
2022-09-30 06:30
With the escalating cost of fruit and vegetables one month ago I decided to experiment and grow Courgettes (Zucchini), tomatoes and cucumbers throughout the winter, or at least until Autumn… Read More
2022-09-28 22:15
The toilet inspector is out and about with her camera. This made me smile Read More
2022-09-23 20:22
This week’s prompt of Gouache proved a tough one! I know nothing about Gouache so … Mavis decided she needed a hobby; or rather her daughter, Julie, decided she did and persuade… Read More
2022-09-23 19:51
Do you ever wish you could turn back the clock? Two years ago my life changed and not for the better. The total knee replacement I pinned my hopes on that would allow me some modicum of norm… Read More
2022-09-17 07:29
I am sure many of us can relate to this! When Madge was little her Grandma frequently joked, “make the most of your youth, love. ‘Old age don’t come alone‘.” Th… Read More
2022-09-09 15:18
PROMPT: Wasted Works Words: 300 Jamie greeted his mum on return home from university with a hug, a kiss on each cheek, and a huge sack of dirty washing. Mavis smiled benevolently at her… Read More
2022-09-05 13:08
A BIG smile this week because after moaning for the last couple of years that I can’t fully access my raised vegetable garden and listening to Mr. Piglet’s moans because he has t… Read More
2022-08-30 14:47
It never ceases to amaze me that writing poetry or fiction ties in so well with my other interests such as gardening, painting and mosaics. All are creative in different ways and one stimula… Read More
2022-08-28 20:31
With the escalating price of food, especially fresh fruit and vegetables, I decided to get creative, experiment and attempt to grow some courgettes, plum tomatoes and cucumber through the au… Read More
2022-07-27 10:17
Wordless Wednesday. Wordless, the statue left me speechless! Read More
2022-07-23 06:56
For this Week’s SoS (Six on Saturday) I ‘dug deep’ and selected some of my more unusual specimens. I grow most of my plants in pots as they are easier to manage – esp… Read More
2022-07-18 15:41
This week we took the opportunity to take an unplanned relaxing lunch along the waterfront at Alvor, enjoy the view and people-watch (great fodder for my next novel). The lunch and idyllic l… Read More
2022-07-16 07:26
We are only halfway through July in the Western Algarve and already my vegetables have frizzled in the extreme temperatures and hot Southernly winds. With temperatures topping just under 40C… Read More
2022-07-13 20:54
Trying to motivate myself to garden today in nearly 38C when there is also a strong Southerly desert wind is like … is like trying to climb Mount Everest in Flip-flops. Not that I&rsq&hell…Read More
2021-05-18 21:52
The Cistus Ladanifer can be seen across Portugal during May and June. It is a sticky shrub (as I discovered when I wandered off the track to take closeups). The sticky resin covering the ste… Read More
2021-05-15 22:15
Fortunately, we’ve had more rain this week. Not much but just enough to keep us on edge as we watched the clouds roll in and either pass us by or stop to give the garden a drink. A New… Read More
2021-05-13 12:56
The Carpobrotus Edulis is a creeping succulent listed as one of the invasive species in Portugal. It can be found everywhere along the Portuguese coastline. It has the most amazing flowers w… Read More
2021-05-08 18:45
My Six this Saturday this week has proved quite a challenge. I had so much to write about but so little time. This morning we went to a fellow gardeners for a coffee, catch-up and a tour aro… Read More
2021-05-04 18:38
Originally posted on Piglet in Portugal: The last two weeks in France have literally ‘flown’ by! Looking back it seems like only yesterday we were eagerly driving to Lisbon Airpo… Read More
2021-05-02 13:31
This week I decided to participate in Natalie’s Weekend Coffee share. A first. So What’s been going on in my life? It’s been a strange week. A couple of weeks ago I injured… Read More
2021-05-01 18:42
For my Six on Saturday this week I have focused on our fruit trees which usually normally offer more challenges than fruit. Most people here have an abundance of produce from the popular alm… Read More
2021-04-28 21:22
2021-04-28 07:14
A gentle stroll along the clifftop road towards Amoreira beach in the Western Algarve gave me yet more photo opportunities to record several species of wildflowers. This week I have chosen t… Read More
2021-04-24 20:01
My choices for Six on Saturday this week, focus once again on vegetables. I believe the hours spent nurturing all these plants help to keep me sane in the light of the daily challenges we fa… Read More
2021-04-23 07:03
Growing Nabo in a Container Providing it doesn’t look up at me from the plate, I try to keep an open mind when it comes to trying new food. However, Nabo is the most disgusting vegetab… Read More
2021-04-21 12:47
Wildflowers in the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina, Portugal Reference: floresdoareal.blogspot.com and https://flora-on.pt/index.php#/1centaurea+sphaerocephala Do you… Read More
2021-04-18 13:11
An I’m alsmost at the finishing line when WordPRess d My Six on Saturday garden diary this week focuses on vegetables and herbs. This year I’ve grown the majority of plants from… Read More
2021-04-14 08:31
Ref: FirstNature.com Ref: PlantDatabase Do you enjoy taking photographs of wildflowers? Every Wednesday I will be sharing a photograph of wildflowers growing in my local area. Who will join… Read More
2021-04-13 09:12
I have two smiles to share this week We all have embarrassing moments, but this one was a cracker and made the sales assistant and I laugh. And we ALL need a reason to laugh right now. A cou… Read More
2021-04-12 08:14
When the media refer to the term ‘NEW’ normal what does it actually mean? I assume they are referring to the impact COVID has had on the world as a whole and how we must learn to… Read More
2021-04-10 08:00
I’m not sure if it’s just the garden centres in our area or has it become a more universally accepted practice to allow plants to sit in trays of water so the roots turn brown an… Read More
2021-04-07 19:55
Following the land clearance or our local scrubland before they cleared the land near us I was out with my camera taking photographs of as many wildflowers and insects as I could find before… Read More
2021-04-04 21:34
Deep in thought with my latest gardening challenges, thrips and leaf miners, I walked towards the garage to check the various potions I had in stock. As I passed the cars I sensed movement i… Read More
2021-04-03 12:04
Wow, what a week! I’ve been gardening in a mask! It’s the first time we’ve been advised of ‘poor quality’ air alerts. Not only did we enjoy the effect of the Sa… Read More
2021-04-01 19:35
Although I have decorated stones/pebbles with mosaics, I have only painted them as a fun activity with the grandkids on a rainy day so I was delighted when my sister gave me a pebble paintin… Read More
2021-03-31 02:13
This week my search for wildflowers growing in the Western Algarve resulted in finding this little beauty which I discovered purely by accident when I grabbed a wall for support because an o… Read More
2021-03-27 09:21
It’s been another busy and challenging week in the garden. We can’t go anywhere, do anything or see anyone so the bugs, birds and plants have the pleasure of our undivided attent… Read More
2021-03-26 09:07
Either that or we have a phantom seed thief. I planted Hallahup beetroot seeds in the raised vegetable plot on the 22nd February and Lisbon spring onion seeds on 1st March. So far only three… Read More
2021-03-24 19:53
or Goivinho-da-praia in Portuguese. Malcolmia Littirea grows on the west coast of Portugal and flowers from February to July. I never realised they were related to Virginia Stock which I use… Read More
2021-03-24 19:53
or Goivinho-da-praia in Portuguese. Malcolmia Littirea grows on the west coast of Portugal and flowers from February to July. I never realised they were related to Virginia Stock which I use… Read More
2021-03-17 15:04
This has to be my favourite wildflower! A friend posted a picture of the wild orchid on our local gardening FB group so the next day I was out taking photographs. Lucky I was wearing trainer… Read More
2021-03-15 22:49
I’ve had a lot to smile about over the last week. The new raised vegetable beds are finished and almost filled with compost. The vegetable seeds are beginning to germinate and I have a… Read More
2021-03-13 19:05
I started writing my gardening post at seven this morning yet here we are nearly seven in the evening and I am only just finished. We have been extremely busy in the garden this week and the… Read More
2021-03-10 07:56
There is an abundance of the perennial Cravo-das-Areias also commonly known as ‘Thrift’ in our local area. The pretty pompom pink flowers can be enjoyed on the many coastal walks… Read More
2021-03-06 13:12
Another busy week in the garden. Sun, strong winds and showers kept me and the Gnome busy both inside and out. Lots more seeds planted and the cloches are full with pots of Hope and the cons… Read More
2021-03-03 09:02
Do you enjoy taking photographs of wild flowers, bugs, birds, snakes and other curiosities found in the wild? Why not join my weekly MEME called #WildWednesday. Every Wednesday I will be sha… Read More
2021-02-28 23:34
All through Saturday the constant revving and whir of hedge cutters from gardeners working at a nearby property drove us mad. However, I am not unreasonable and accept hedges need to be cut… Read More
2021-02-27 15:59
This week’s flown by. The seed order I placed two weeks ago finally arrived on Thursday. All 45 packets of them! The packing list just a glorified till roll receipt presented a challen… Read More
2021-02-23 08:54
It can be tough finding a smile when you are ‘shielding’ locked away from the world. That said when you focus on the positives in life they can far outweigh the negatives as you… Read More
2021-02-23 08:00
REF: Acacia longifolia and Plants for a Future Another useful reference to identify plants is The Plant List Do you enjoy taking photographs of wild flowers, bugs, birds, snakes and other cu… Read More
2021-02-20 09:10
It’s been a challenging week. Maybe I should have titled the post: Six Challenges One of the solar Pestbye cat scarers I bought through Amazon Germany and delivered last week has died… Read More
2021-02-17 07:11
Also known as Hoop Petticoat Daffodil: Narcissus bulbocodium L, Campainhas-do-monte, Cuckos. Also found this in the wild ETA: It has since been suggested the above flower could be REF: Narci… Read More
2021-02-13 09:16
It has rained at some point every day this week, apart from Friday when the sky was blue and the sun shone with the heat of an English summer. Removing layers of jumpers I stripped down to a… Read More
2021-02-13 09:16
It has rained at some point every day this week, apart from Friday when the sky was blue and the sun shone with the heat of an English summer. Removing layers of jumpers I stripped down to a… Read More
2021-02-10 11:41
I first started taking photographs of the Milk Vetch back in December while walking along the cliff path at our local beach, and it is still flowering in mid-February. I’ve noticed som… Read More
2021-02-07 09:33
Finally, Six on Saturday. Yesterday was one of those days where anything that could go wrong did. Google informed me that my inbox was full and so all the photos I’d taken for SoS did… Read More
2021-02-04 08:28
The theme for Fake Flamingo’s poetry challenge this month is friendship. This poem is a collaboration between myself and a talented young poet, Darren White. She brings purple to grey… Read More
2021-02-03 09:16
This week for Wild Wednesday I have chosen the wild antirrhinhum. Who knew Antirrhinums grew in the wild? They grow near the coast, in pine forests and even in sand, as pictured below. They… Read More
Subscribe to Piglet In Portugal | Tales Of Life And Travel In P
Get updates delivered right to your inbox!