Category: A Visitor’s Perspective

  • Reasons to be Cheerful: After the Rain

    After the rain comes the most marvelous rainbow. Proof that the sun must be up there somewhere! We’re still hunting for the pot of gold 🙂  

  • Our Postcards Now Available

    I’m so very pleased to have this new postcard collection available for sale to our supporters (and anyone else!). Full colour, high quality images on the front, with the back printed for use as a postcard (or put them on your wall!) The majority of the photos were taken by the most wonderful Marjolein Hillage more »

  • April Foraging Challenge

    Springtime is absolutely my favourite time of year for foraging so I set myself the mini-challenge of cooking with as many foraged foods as possible during April. The majority of items in this album were fresh, but as I preserve a great deal in the plentiful months I have used some stored foraged foods too. more »

  • Local Economy Day at Monte dos Carvalhos

    This week we attended a marvelous open day at a local project, Monte dos Carvalhos. The theme of the event was Local Economy so we were asked if we’d like to put together a stall showcasing some Casalinho goodies. After a shared lunch there were simultaneous tours in English and Portuguese. Barbara at Monte dos more »

  • Stumpy is Not a Clever Dog

    This is Stumpy. Stumpy is not a clever dog. Stumpy thinks he is a goat and copies everything the goats do, to the extent of getting his head stuck in the goat shed fence *even though he has no horns*!!!  

  • Yarn Bombing Góis

    This wasn’t what I expected to see in the centre of Góis! All part of an urban exhibition apparently, Colorir o Pombal, running until September.                    

  • Pheonix Platanus

    No it’s not a new variety, but one growing through the wreck of the old. This astonishing plane tree (platanus) is in the Parque de Cerejal at Góis.

  • In the Kitchen: Couve Romanesque

    This fabulously visually appealing veg is in the shops locally now, but we’re fortunate to have had our own from the garden. It’s the first time we’ve grown it, and we’ve found it easier than it’s cousin cauliflower. So how to use it? My favourite idea to date looks brilliant on the table. Remove the leaves more »

  • A Shitty Day

    We know how to enjoy ourselves! Our neighbour kindly allowed us the contents of his goat shed if we cleaned it out, and as you can never have enough goat shit, it was on with the wellies and in we went.                           And more »

  • Is Spring here?

    Dare I hope? Is Spring on it’s way? This was the view we woke to last weekend. But it was gone by early afternoon, and this week has included cold nights but T-shirt days, and the flowers are sneaking out. It’s amazing the difference a week can make.