Well it's back to hot flushing, I had to stop taking my HRT due to pains in my legs and buttocks, the latter being sore to the touch, hey ho at least it's only the evenings. In other health news I've cut back on my alcohol intake, changed my eating and lost just over a stone since New Year.

We're back over to Portugal a week on Monday, a few more properties lined up to view and this time I won't delete all my photos the day before coming home. We have a three night stay in a most delightful 'resort' http://www.booking.com/hotel/pt/pousada-de-milfontes-lda.en.html?aid=311076;label=slhp_pousada-de-milfontes-lda-iWwXZ9Mtnfn0ZMYQv1ex*wS12043941300;sid=460e56af35fa2571b14eb4b61698bc6b;dcid=1;gclid=CPjfpPjiirACFcQKfAodYjTVoA

And after we will have three days in Alvor so Phil can have a bit of wind down time.

My thoughts have been drifting to my birthday, it's the big one, the five zero, the milestone. I think we will be in Wales the weekend before for a big party, the question is where to go for the actual day. The options I am thinking at the moment are... Sorrento, Italy; Pefkos, Rhodes or Sicily. Sorrento because I just love it, I feel like I'm going home in a strange way. Pefkos because of the heat, the sea, the sand, the sun and good friends. Sicily because we have never been and want to go, though if/when we do I doubt we'll be able to refrain from humming the theme from the Godfather. I just want to go somewhere fabulous and drink a bottle of champagne, decadent? Maybe but I don't tend to make much of my birthdays as a rule but this one I want to. I suspect I am going to become more reflective over the next three months, it's a biggie considering when I was 20 I didn't think I'd make it to 30!

I want things to be further along, I want to own a house in Portugal even if we are living in a caravan next to it. I want the house to be built, I want the sunshine, the warmth, the friendly laid back people. I want yurt platforms, I want yurts, I want my own kitchen, my own bathroom, designed by me! I want people to be coming for holidays with us and enjoying them, having fun, us providing them with a break from the mundane. I want Scottish Power to pay up what they owe me so I can spend part of it on something that will distract me from what I really want!

Really... I want too bloody much!

We're off to Portugal again today for another viewing of the house at Cercal, then on Thursday to meet with someone from the local Camara (council) to ask questions about what we might be permitted to do if we buy the place. Exciting but scary at the same time, head whirling with stuff we'll have to do if we go ahead and it's only 8:10am. Oh well, up and at'tem!

Cracking on with my Photographic diploma, my marks have been pleasing so far, just finished 5 out of 12. Been doing some photography with a friend,

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jezzebelle/6926751207/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jezzebelle/6926750837

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jezzebelle/6780632708/

Off to Portugal a week on Saturday, three properties lined up to view!

So life's still good!

We went to Malta for new year and took Hazel with us and what a splendid week we all had exploring some where new, still got loads of photos to process though.

We're back on the weight loss thing after a very flat period (mentally flat as opposed to flat bellied), slowly but surely some pounds are dropping away. All food is weighed and calorie counted, I calorie count because it suits my slightly OCD nature and gives me a sense of achievement. Lots of fish, veg and low calorie soups work for me.

We're finally looking a properties we want to go and view in Portugal next month, with one friend trying to persuade us Alvor is the place to be and another that Vila Nova de Milfontes is, luckily they are not too far apart!

We cooked a lovely roast dinner tonight, slow roasted (6 hours) beef in red wine in a Tagine, steamed broccoli, carrots, a little mash potato and a Yorkshire pudding as a treat. It was delicious melt in the mouth beef.

I'm going to try to blog once a week but our lives are so quiet at the moment and we are so contented there really isn't much to write about except my love of certain healthy tasty foods lol.

Either Facebook seems to have taken over from LJ, which is bad or I am more reluctant to share my life in the public arena, maybe a bit of both. So here goes with an annual roundup...

We didn't go away last New Year which was a bit of a mistake for a number of reasons, however Phil took me here http://www.penhall.co.uk/ for a Valentines weekend which kicked us back into travel mode!

My house went back on the market, and after months of hell, taking a rather large price drop was finally signed off just before Christmas, can we say millstones removed from neck!

Easter saw us head out to Portugal based in Alvor as usual we had a couple of days up in the Alentejo visiting many places including a fraught overnight stay in Evora, fraught as we hadn't pre-booked and it was Easter weekend and almost everywhere was booked up but a very nice man secured us a room in another hotel. We went to stand in the stone circle near by, which was full of energy, we will go back when the weather has a better guarantee not to pee it down! We moved across country finding more castles and ended up staying a night in Sines, if you want an early evening meal don't stay in Sines. On the way back we stopped off to look a Porto Covo, picture postcard perfect and Vila Nova de Milfonts. The latter was where we later discovered the lovely Nicola was moving to! A few more days in our beloved Alvor and then home to Blighty.

Late July saw us off to Rhodes again, we actually managed a couple of days by the pool! We re-visited the ruined sanatorium at Eleousa, faded, decaying but still beautiful. We spent time with good friends who found time to talk despite being busy in their respective workplaces, they don't take time off in the summer!

Late August we headed off on our French adventure, driving down to Homps in the south with a stop over at the beautiful Chartres. The accommodation at Homps was somewhat disappointing, run along the lines of a prison and no aircon! We got to visit Rennes le Chateau, then a couple of days in Carcassonne, which is beautiful and evocative. On the journey home we stopped off at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oradour-sur-Glane, I had no concept of the size of the place, it was very emotive and we both shed tears. An overnight at Tours and again back to good old England.

Late October and we were off on our travels yet again! Back to Alvor for Phil's birthday. We had a trip up to Vila Nova de Milfonts to see Nicola and Philippe, there was much cake. Phil's daughter had made him a birthday cake before we went away, we were served afternoon tea and cake at the little hotel we stayed in, in VNDM, Nicola had arranged a birthday cake and Champagne for the evening and then when we got up for breakfast the hotel had made a birthday cake too. The hotel owners must have seen the date of birth on Phil's passport  and noted it was his birthday, all the staff came up to sing happy birthday to him and we were served sweet wine with the cake at 9am lol. After lunch and a lovely afternoon at Nicola and Philippe's it was back to Alvor again. We have a favourite restaurant in Alvor, Villa 45, the first night of the holiday we had popped in for a meal and asked if the owner Simau was in, we were told he had sold it but had talked to the new owner about us (so we still get little perks). The new owner Valter rang Simau to tell him we were over and we arranged to have dinner with him on the Monday. Monday evening came and we were delighted to find not only was Simau there but also his girlfriend Andrea, our friend Marta and her two children, a bit of a party ensued and another birthday cake produced! Fabulous holiday, can't wait to move there.

On the whole we've had a good year though have sadly shared in the sorrows of family and friends, we lost a dear, dear friend but although he will be missed, he is at peace now.

We will see 2012 in, in Malta with Hazel, the forecast is a little wet but frankly we don't care, after all 'it can't rain all the time'. 2012 will hopefully see the biggest move of our lives, to Portugal, I'm going to have fun sorting through properties to view for our next visit!

Happy New Year to one and all xxx

So 2010, a good year! We saw the New Year in, in Cyprus which was a new part of the world for us both.




Easter saw us back in Portugal based in Alvor



and having a holiday within a holiday as we did our three day road trip north to Obidos



and Tomar.





In July I quit my job and I have to say I miss a few people but do not miss the job or the students, I didn't realise how much stress I was under until at least three months after I quit! A week later saw us in Rhodes



soaking up the heat with friends, revisiting old haunts, discovering new and catching up with a couple of good folks we know.

August saw us in Wales for my birthday week, first staying with our wonderful friends



for their big party then off to 5 star luxury at a country house hotel




followed by a night at Portmeirion,



which knocked another thing off the bucket list.

At the end of October after me making my grand purchase of the year, a Canon 5D MKII, we flew off for a long weekend in Barcelona for Phil's birthday



(and oh yes, another destination off the bucket list). We gazed with wonder at the Gaudi architecture



and Barcelona in general, discovered new foods and wines to try, I'd love to go back one day!

A quiet Christmas with family which tonight will be followed by our first NYE in the UK for three years, so we're off to our local pub.

Sadly the house sale hasn't gone through yet due to a problem with Japanese Knot Weed and a buyer who thinks he can take the p**s. The removal of said weed will begin next month with follow up treatments. We do have our eye on a property in Portugal and are hoping it will still be available when we have the money, if not there will be others. I will be looking for a job in the new year, hopefully something suited to my talents. I will also be tidying my website, http://www.sarahgaddphotography.co.uk/ adding more pictures and generally trying to punt myself out as a photographer.

All in all we've have a lovely year, a good year, a kind year, who knows what 2011 will hold for us but fingers crossed it will involve the former and a house sale, a house purchase, a move to warmer climes.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year, hoping you get all that you need and some of what you want!

Happy Christmas everyone, I hope you have a wonderful day X

It's been a while since I made a proper post here...

We returned to Alvor in Portugal for the last week of August, different accomodation at a complex which is used mainly by the Portuguese and what a wonderful time we had, a very friendly place to be and the weather was fabulous... The weather as I said was fabulous except for my birthday when it rained, yes the rain can find me any where lol. We got out and about and saw lots of wonderful countryside. We're going to do northern Portugal next Easter.

After the holiday it was back to work, then Phil surprised me with a weekend away in Dorset, with a trip to Brownsea Island which is a National Trust run nature sanctuary, best known for it's red squirrels. We were lucky and saw lots of squirrels however it was difficult to get a good photograph as they move very fast and we were fighting the overcast day which wasn't allowing enough light through.

We signed up for another 12 months in our lovely little house, still got to finish up and sell my house but stuff keeps getting in the way, we were supposed to go over the other weekend but Phil was recovering from a nasty cold, it will happen when it is meant to. Life in the village is still delightful, I still love going home to Phil each and every evening. The only dark cloud was that our good friends split up and we tried to stay friends with them bothbut he seems to be trying to erase every memory of that relationship, including us. Em however is steadfastly our friend, and we enjoy her and her daughters company immensely.

This weekend we are off to the Cotswolds to celebrate Phil's birthday, lovely 16th century pub! Next weekend we have Hazel and Steven coming down to stay...

Good times!

A few photos from the holiday...

Hibiscus...



( A few more... )