Always great to be back in Paradise!
I haven’t posted in ages . . .and that does not mean that the Algarve, aka Paradise, has not constantly been on my mind. It has been a busy year for me with many projects. And now I’m back in glorious Algarve for several months and am anxious to continue my explorations, to renew acquaintances, [...]
My Algarve Insider Tips
Ten Reasons You Must Visit The Algarve I’m always talking about the Algarve as a great travel experience everyone must have. Having traveled the world, it is the place that keeps calling me back. I especially love off-the-beaten track Algarve where I regularly get to experience a way of life and a landscape that is [...]
Algarve — One of the world’s safe destinations
Once again the US is in a tizzy over another mass shooting, this time in downtown New York City in broad daylight. It must be terrible to live in a country where fear of your own personal safety is so prevalent. I live most of my year in the relative safety of Canada. And each [...]
Fun on an Algarve Beach
The Algarve is renowned for its great beaches. One of my favourites is Falesia Beach, near Vilamoura. It is a great swath of golden sand about 8 km long, backed for much of its length by red cliffs. I’m sure that in the summer it is filled with sun worshipers, but in the fall, winter [...]
Algarve’s Moorish Chimneys
You can’t help but notice just how many homes and commercial buildings across the Algarve are topped with ornate chimneys, whether working or not. These chimneys are a unique feature of the Algarve’s culture that have been brought forward from it’s Moorish past into modern times. When Spain and the Algarve were conquered by Muslims [...]
Dancing Flamingoes
Finally. On my most recent Algarve trip the flamingoes near Castro Marim and Vila Real de San Antonio came out to play! These large, exotic birds are a regular feature of the far eastern reaches of the Algarve. And yet, for me, they had remained elusive until this trip. They provide easy birdwatching for those [...]
Algarve Entrances
The entrances to many places across the Algarve are inviting, artistic and visually appealing, whether they are public buildings or private ones. In some cases the doorways are old and covered in a patina of paint, dust and other grunge. But mostly I find people simply ‘do up’ their entrances to entice and appeal, to [...]
Creativity in the Algarve
There must be something about the unique combination of sun, sand, sea and warm breezes that stimulates creativity because I find that the Algarve is loaded with creative folks. And those who choose to join me for my Feeding the Muse creativity retreat always find that it is so much easier to accept their creative [...]
Why Women Need Retreats
I was talking with some friends this morning. They have both given themselves the luxury of experiencing one of my retreats. And they are very clear that a retreat and a vacation are not synonymous, even though many women think they are. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m a big believer in taking vacations as [...]
Algarve’s Exotic Loquats
Nespera By Any Other Name . . . On my first several trips to the Algarve I kept noticing a fruit tree that I’d never seen before. It seems to grow everywhere, out of cracks and crevices, and each Spring these small trees are loaded with apricot sized and coloured fruit. Turns out it’s what [...]
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