U is for Ursula, Ursulines and “urodziny”
There was another Ursula in the family, Dad’s older sister, whom I never met. Over the years I have seen an assortment of photos, but know little of her history, … Continue reading
R is for “rodzina”
Rodzina is the Polish word for family, and what an important word it is. For many years “Polish family”, to me, meant just Dad. My English mother, Nancy, has been … Continue reading
W is for Writing and becoming a freelance writer
Some of you know that as well as writing about Portugal on this blog and elsewhere, I’ve been teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) for many years. Long enough … Continue reading
M is for Mariacki and Marysia
One of my very first sights when I visited Poland for the first time was the Mariacki Church. The splendour of the Rynek Główny in Kraków, Europe’s largest market square, is crowned … Continue reading
J is for João and “javali”
João 1 was King of Portugal and the Algarves from 1385 to 1433. He came to the throne after a 2 year period of political anarchy, when Castile was laying … Continue reading
Z is for Zgorzelec and Zakopane
I expect some of you have heard of Zakopane, in the Tatry Mountains in Poland? Zgorzelec, maybe not, but it is a town of great significance for me. It’s the … Continue reading
G is for Grażyna
Grażyna is the daughter of Dad’s oldest living brother, my Uncle Włodek. He lives in Zgorzelec, and this post just seemed to follow on naturally from that one. Grażyna was … Continue reading
T is for the Tavira Vase
Now this may not be what you’re expecting, but I’m well aware that I’ve filled pages with the delights of Tavira, in Portugal’s Eastern Algarve. So I thought I’d dedicate … Continue reading
P is for Porto
You knew it was coming! The final post on my visit to Porto. Just one more time I’m going to take you there, and try to capture the impact it … Continue reading
O is for Olhão
From its situation on the Ria Formosa, it was always obvious that Olhão would make a fine fishing port. The town’s growth was enabled by a large spring or olho … Continue reading
H is for Hotel
It was when I thought back to my first ever Polish lesson that the solution became clear. I pounced with delight on the word “hotel”, leaping out of the text … Continue reading
H is for Happy Heart
I was immensely taken with the heart logo which popped up everywhere in Guimaraes in 2012. Designed by Joao Campos, it was inspired by the crenels of Guimaraes Castle and … Continue reading
G is for Guadiana
My next post seems to flow quite naturally from my recent trip across the Guadiana River. More than 800 kilometres long, if you look at it on a map it’s … Continue reading
F is for Fonte (fountain or spring)
The word “fonte” appears in many place names in Portugal. In fact, when we’re directing people to our home in Tavira, we tell them to turn off the E125 at … Continue reading
E is for Elvas, and Evora, of course
For the whole length of the River Guadiana and beyond, you can see the mighty fortresses that bear witness to Portugal’s struggles over the years with neighbouring Spain. From Castro … Continue reading
E is for Eagle, “elokwentny” and Edyta
There is a rather charming legend associated with the White Eagle. Long, long ago three brothers, Lech, Czech and Rus, left their overcrowded village in search of a new home. … Continue reading
D is for Dobry (good)
Just to prove that I have applied myself a little, I thought it would be fun to do a Polish question and answer exercise, using photographs. Co to jest? (What … Continue reading
G is for Gratitude
The sense of gratitude comes to me in fits and starts, like bubbles that are all around me and burst from time to time on my face, drawing my attention, … Continue reading
My A to Z of Free Writing
I’ve recently stumbled across a weekly writing challenge called Free Write Friday (#FWF) in which Kellie Elmore posts a prompt to inspire writers to pour words onto the page until they … Continue reading
I is for Ink
As I mentioned a couple of days ago, I am getting back into letter-writing mode. Once I get past the “what am I going to write about” bother, I have … Continue reading
F is for fusion
The letter F has taken me a while to get in the mood for – maybe it’s the negative connotation from school days. I was an “A” student – “F” … Continue reading
My A to Z Blogging Challenge 