A garden by the beach

We’re virtually travelling again in this post, this time to Sesimbra just outside Lisbon. We visited in July last year, and like many other things it feels such a long time ago. We’d had a few days in Lisbon before starting a walk from Sesimbra, but while we were there we explored a bit. There was a suggested walk up what looked a very steep hill, so instead we messed around on the beach, took some photos with the ‘town letters’ - that’s for another post though, and stumbled across a garden by the beach. And with sculptures too.

I think after a pretty grey week here I needed that burst of colour. I remember at the time I couldn’t quite get over the the vibrancy of them. And that was even before I spotted the unusually shaped, white building.

Looking back towards the beach the orderliness amused me, only now looking at these again am I reminded of the decorative posts at the top of Hunstanton’s cliffs. More uniform, but not as artistic though.

And with sand.

You can feel the warmth in the picture below, can’t you?

And isn’t it great!

We left the beach wandering through a zig-zag path. Only when we were at the top did we spot the statues, neither of us were very sure about them.

But the views, they’re something special and took our breath away. And won’t it be nice to be able to travel again properly, whenever that is?

A rum with a view of the garden

We’re hopping over to Barbados for today’s post, and back to Hunte’s Garden - the place that quite literally took my breath away. As is the well tried tradition, there was a shop, but not just any shop. And reassuringly it was a leave by the shop either.

When I say not just any shop, it was one displaying artwork which I’ll agree isn’t that unusual. But how many gift shops have a sideboard laden with rum?

Exactly. And it was there for sale - either by the bottle, or by the glass. And while it might have been relatively early (though I’m sure it was 5pm somewhere) after a look around the shop, we succumbed. You’ll have to wait for your glass, we need to take a look round the shop first.

I quickly fell in love with much of the artwork on the walls. You know how much I like colour, so it wasn’t really surprising was it?

The green shutters provided the perfect backdrop for yet another colourful plant picture.

There was also plenty of nik-naks, including a photo of Cilla Black - a visitor it seems - and a collection of Royal memorabilia, including a Charles & Diana mug. The verandah was where the rum was, and that too a pleasant - and welcome - addition.

Well, it would have been rude not to enjoy this view, so we happily sat for a bit and enjoyed our rum. It was good.

And so was the view.

And the artwork? I couldn’t resist leaving without some for myself. These two cards are somewhere in my house - I wish I knew where, I think I’ve put them somewhere safe, but right now that’s still a secret (even from me) - but I wish I’d bought a third for no other reason than we have one of those three aperture frames, and we agonised over which to have. It would have been easy to have more, and as it turns out sensible too.

Now I’ve told you I can’t find them, I’m hoping they’ll turn up. Keep your fingers crossed…

Post Comment Love 27-29 November

Welcome to this week’s #PoCoLo - a friendly linky which I co-host with Suzanne, where you can link any post published in the last week. We know you’ll find some great posts to read, and maybe some new-to-you blogs too, so do pop over and visit some of the posts linked and share some of that love.

It does amaze me how quickly we adapt and change our routines, and we’re still doing that. It’s something like week 36 of working from home, which is crazy and while we’re not following the same routine each day, there is still routine. We still base ourselves at the kitchen table each day, though MOH has changed seats now he no longer has the dual screen set up now he’s no longer working. He has naturally assumed the role of making lunch, as well as breakfast, for which I’m grateful for and then later on I’ll cook tea. He’ll head out on his bike or spend his afternoons away from the screen and then will remind me about 7pm what the time is.

I’m sure there’ll be further changes needed as the seasons go on. January and February are the greyest months of the year and we’re thinking about how we can add some colour to our patio, with bulbs, as it’s very likely that we’ll be spending our time gazing over that.

This week - yes, it’s another old photo, though a more recent one - it’s one from our trip to Norfolk before the most recent changes and introduction of the tiers. The flowers and table and chairs were in the small garden outside the front door (which was at the back of the cottage - obviously) and a cheery welcome every time we got back to the cottage. In the summer I’m sure it’d be a great spot.

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