~ From Mourning to Milfontes, Portugal – not so long ago.. ~

I recently travelled back to the UK to attend the beautiful send off for my dear mum. I have my brother to thank for arranging most of this. Although sad that she is no longer in my life, it was a lovely celebration of her life. At 93 my mum was ready to join my dad.

~ 1933 – 2026 – Jean May Ward ~

Seeing all my relatives, cousins, aunts and uncles come together was a wonderful experience. They all had separate tales to tell about my mum. Remembering her in such a way felt so special.

Visiting Vila Nova de Milfontes

We decided that it would be a good time to have a break from the stress of the last few months. So it was that we flew to Milfontes and The Algarve to relax and rejuvenate before parting. As he is now living in Milfontes, myself, my brother and his wife stayed at the house he is renting.

Milfontes is situated on the Alentejo coast. It sits where the Mira River meets the Atlantic coast. The estuary provides lovely calm beaches, great for families. The beach itself is ideal for surfers. It’s definitely a good place to visit for a quiet, non-touristy holiday.

Below are photos from his rooftop

Walking around on the first day I fell instantly in love with the quaint cobble stoned streets and pastel coloured houses. I could even hang washing out from my window. Milfontes has a calmness about it and the pace of life is slow.

**Four kittens kipping on the cobblestones**

Exploring the village and other surrounding towns

There was a fort just down the road – The Fort of St. Clemente. I am partial to forts, castles and any old buildings really. This one was extremely grand – in its day – sadly not open to the public.

Built by King Phillip II of Portugal to fend off marauding pirates. It overlooks the River Mira and the Atlantic Ocean.

Monument to the Aviators

This monument commemorates the 1924 Pioneering flight from Lisbon to Macau, led byu Brito Pais and Sarmento Beires. The first flight crashed in India, fortunately the crew survived but the plane didn’t. Not to be deterred, through Government and public donations they were able to make a second journey. They almost made it, landing just 800 metres away in China. They sailed onto Macau to a triumphant arrival.

**ABC – Another Blue Church**
**Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Graca**

Time for lunch and my long awaited grilled sardines and a glass or two of Vino Verde.

In the evening we drove up the coast to watch the fabulous sunset over the Atlantic Ocean.

The next day we drove to Sao Luis and then back to the coast. Graham was being very patient driving through the villages, when all he wanted was to dive into the water. As nice as it looked it was far too cold for me!

Sao Luis Church

There were many derelict properties in this village, but we noticed some were being readied for renovation. Maybe the council had received a grant.

We were tempted to put an offer in for this one and open up our own boutique hotel.

These two men had just laid down some food for all the stray cats that were living inside this old building.

Time for the beach and a drive across the Mira River to the coast.

Walking along the cliff top we spotted a few ospreys’ nests. This was the best I could do with my S24. It looks like an extremely large nest.

We finished the day at a beach bar overlooking the sea and seeing how long people stayed in. Enough just to cool down!

…. off to The Algarve soon …

~ Attractions in Melbourne: From Churches to Gaols ~

We have just returned from a trip to Melbourne and Sydney. It was mainly to catch up with our son and daughter-in-law and visit friends. Having seen much of Melbourne already we had to come up with something different to do. We caught the tram into town which is now free, we stopped first for a coffee. You can’t beat the coffee in Melbourne. I saw from the maps that Melbourne Gaol was only a short walk away. I do like an Australian prison, so much history.

We popped into The Scots’ Church on the way and were surprised at the size inside. Built in 1874, a prominent example of Gothic Revival.

Just opposite was another church. In Central Melbourne there are 111 active churches.

Built between 1863 and 1866 in the Lombardic Romanesque style.

The Abode Building – noted for its cascading facade, standing next to Iglu Melbourne Central – student accommodation.

Melbourne has such wonderful architecturally designed buildings, each one very different.

Melbourne Gaol is a great place to spend a morning or afternoon. It’s full of interesting history and artefacts. In nearly every cell there is information of former inmates. The most infamous of all was Ned Kelly. He remains a divisive figure in Australia, regarded variously as a Robin Hood-like folk hero and symbol of national identity, or as a murderous villain. He demanded justice for the downtrodden and the rural poor. Wearing a handmade suit of bullet proof armour he evaded the police for years. Ned Kelly was eventually captured in 1880 and executed in Melbourne Gaol.

Here I am modelling Ned Kelly’s suit of armour. I simply couldn’t resist. Anthony looked on in amazement as I struggled to put this on.

The imposing entrance

Inside the cells, seems there is one inmate still serving time.

“Phrenology gained wide acceptance in the late 19th century, with the making of death masks becoming standard practice. The brains of hundreds of criminals were examined after death, as well as those of many eminent people. Eventually the results showed that most criminals had similar sized brains to other citizens.”
Science has definitely come along way since! These scientists should have had their own heads examined.

And that concludes our tour of Melbourne Gaol.

🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹

~ On the Road, North to Glasgow ~

After spending the last few days in Essex it was time for a mini road trip to Glasgow, to see an old friend of Anthony’s. Following much discussion about how to make this trip, plane, train or automobile, we opted to drive. This way we could add a day either side of a two night stay in Glasgow.

Our first stop was a night at an old fashioned inn, in a place called Bilton-in-Ainsty, York. The inn was called The Tickled Trout.

Our room was up a rickety old staircase and looked out over the fields and country lane.

Perfect for one night and there was even a decanter of complimentary port on offer.

One of the reasons we chose this place was because of the menu, consisting of mostly fish dishes. It really lived up to our expectations.

I don’t think anyone could say that English food is the worst anymore, this was five star dining!

A good night’s sleep was had by both of us and after another gourmet meal for breakfast we had a short walk around the local village.

It did feel as though we were extras in a Mid-Somer Murder episode. It was eerily quiet and I saw a lady or two peeping over their hedges, pruning away.

St. Helen’s Church dating back to the 12th Century. It was built in 1150 by a family called Haget.

The village Bilton-in-Ainsty is mentioned in the Domesday Book and the name is Anglo-Saxon meaning Bilo or Billa.

Onwards and upwards then towards Glasgow with a lunch stop at Ullswater, the Lake District. Neither Anthony or I have ever been there.

From the tranquility of Bilton to the busyness in Ullswater. Not just cars but pedestrians everywhere. It was absolutely teeming with people and mid-week too. These small towns and villages have almost become caricatures of themselves. It’s good for local businesses though.

Anyway we enjoyed our short stop at Ullswater and the beautiful lake.

Challenge your Camera – Churches ⛪️

This week Dr. B has set the challenge as churches, both inside and out. Photos can also include temples, mosques, cathedrals etc. Captions should be included under each photo with name and place and of course a pingback to Dr. B.

A Gallery of Churches from around the World

My parents canoodling outside one of the many tiny churches in Mykonos, Greece

My parents inside St. Leonard’s Church where they married over 60 years ago

It’s amazing when you look at all these striking buildings how intricate the detail was. It must have taken years to build some of them. There must have been so much wealth around and all poured into buildings.

💒💒💒💒💒💒💒💒💒💒💒💒💒💒💒💒

Colourful Copenhagen

After leaving Gothenburg, we travelled to Copenhagen using a Flix bus. The journey took around five hours and crossed into Copenhagen from Malmo over the Oresund Bridge. This bridge became very famous after the Nordic Noir series “The Bridge”. One of my all time favourite TV series. Travelling on a Flix bus is a great way to see the countryside and I had booked seats directly behind the driver. When we arrived in Copenhagen there was a Mexican standoff between our bus and another bus on a two lane road into the station. In the end we had to get off the bus and walk for around 15 minutes along cobblestones to find a taxi to our hotel.

Oresund Bridge

The Øresund Bridge is an approximately 16 km long road and rail link between Sweden and Denmark. It consists of three sections: a bridge, an artificial island and a tunnel. The link opened on July 1 2000. Source: Oresund Bridge

Oresund Bridge

Crossing over to the Danish Side

Arriving at our hotel – Copenhagen Strand – at around 4 pm we checked in and then set about exploring. I loved Copenhagen on sight and had no idea how stunning this city was. We were staying just around the corner from the picturesque Nyhavn Canal. We walked up and down this beautiful 17th century waterfront looking for a place for a snack and drink. It was difficult to choose as there are so many bars and restaurants. Even on a cold afternoon or night you can sit outside as there are heaters and blankets to keep warm.

Day One

Studying the menu

He only needs a moustache!

Enjoying a beer canalside

Great weather

Waiting for dinner

Although we were only here for two nights/three days, really that’s all you need in Copenhagen as it is a very walkable city and probably all most people could afford as it is very expensive.

Day Two

I decided on the Christian IX palace today and a walk along Stroget later. With so many spires, steeples and old buildings that are dotted around Copenhagen I had my phone out constantly snapping away. The palace is situated on Slotsholmen (Castle Island) in the middle of the city.

Borsen – 17th century building – the former Stock Exchange

Nikolaj, Copenhagen Contemporary Art Centre

Christiansborg Palace

Frederik Vll

I really would have like to visit inside this palace but with time ticking on and many more things to see we just had time to visit the ruins underneath the palace. The palace is built on 800 year old ruins. The oldest ruin is the wall from
Bishop Absalon’s 12th century castle. I think you would need at least half a day or more to really explore this palace.

Next we walked to Stroget, the famous shopping street. This was Anthony’s treat for sightseeing in the morning! Strøget is a pedestrian, car free shopping area in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is 1.1 km long and has many designer shops, restaurants and bars. We found one of the large department stores, Illum, a fancy five floor shopping mall with a rooftop restaurant. Here we had a delicious lunch and a glass of wine.

Lunch at Illum

Colourful Smoked Salmon Salad

Stork Fountain

Mathias Hansen House

Caritas Fountain

Halloween display

La Glace, the oldest confectionary shop in Denmark, founded on 8th October 1870

The Round Tower

As there was still some daylight left I wanted to take a look at The Round Tower. This building offers some of the best views in Copenhagen and it has a spiral ramp to walk up to the top, so much better than the stairs I was expecting! Still it was quite an effort to walk up but so worth it. It dates back to the 17th Century and was built by King Christian lV.

So pleased I made it!

View from the top

Stroget from above

Beautiful filigree iron railings

Stroget

Trinity church within The Round Tower

I felt quite accomplished at the end of the day as we had seen so much already.

Day Three

All too soon our stay in Copenhagen was coming to an end. So after checking out at 11 am we decided not to waste time and set out for exploring more of Copenhagen. I managed to persuade Anthony to visit another palace! This time it was Amelienborg Palace, the home of the Danish royal family. This place was just simply stunning and we were lucky enough to be there for the changing of the guards. It was first built in the 1750’s but has been rebuilt a couple of times due to fires. Again I only got to view the outside due to hubby’s need to press on and see other things, namely more shops.

A Platoon of Guards

Just one of the palaces inside the square

Frederik’s Church was just around the corner so we walked over to have look at this magnificent church, also called the Marble church. It is an 18th century Lutheran church with the largest dome in Scandinavia.

Frederik’s Church

Stained glass images of the saints in the dome

St. Paul

Ornate cross at the alter

After this we still managed to find time for a visit to another department store. The famous Magusin du Nord, with its flagship store in Copenhagen. It’s a great one-stop place to shop and has something for everyone here.

Below are some of the other photos I snapped during our three day stay in Copenhagen.

The Little Pharmacy – home of the oldest restaurant in Copenhagen.

I love this cute statue of two old people

You would keep nice and warm at this cosy cafe, not sure about the table decoration though!

CHEERS EVERYONE!

Day tripping around Fuerteventura, Canary Islands

I think the best way to see anywhere new is to go on an organised excursion. I did just that when I visited Fuerteventura with the excellent Pie de Caracol tours, with driver and guide Luca. It was a long day from 9.00 am until 8pm so we really packed a whole lot in. Normally it’s not so long but because one of the major roads was closed because of a bike race, Luca had to devise some other way to drive around the island.

We started at Corralejo and drove down to La Oliva, bypassing the capital Puerto del Rosario due to road closure, to Betancuria, Ajuy, Costa Calma and back to Corralejo with so many stops along the way. Luca was so informative and had a wealth of knowledge about the island.

Amazingly we saw a rainbow, a miracle when you think there is hardly any rain on this island.

Some of the hundreds of terraces that you see dotted around the island.

Our first stop was the Colonel’s House in La Oliva. There is not much historical information that exists about the house but it is believed to have been built in 1740, for Colonel Melchor de Cabrera Bethencour.

One of the old structures surrounding the house

A few minutes walk away was the old church of Our Lady of Candelaria, where you could wander inside and have a look at the beautiful ceiling. It dates back to the 16th Century and its dark tower is made of volcanic stone.

On the journey towards our next stop of Betancuria we stopped at the famous lookout, where the Morro Velosa warriors are located. Even though this island is quite barren when the sun shines the colours on the volcanoes are amazing.

This tiny house is the one you can see in the far distance in the above photo My canon powershot did a fantastic job

Onwards then to Betancuria, an old colonial and picturesque village once the capital of this island. Founded in 1404 this was once a fertile valley due to the fresh water streams nearby, sadly these have long since dried up and the only plants that grow are aloe vera and agave.

BETANCURIA

After a quick bite in Betancuria we headed over to Ajuy, an old fishing village on the West coast. This is where we had lunch and then a cliff top walk along to the caves below.

AJUY

Blue rowing boat just perched on the black sand

Ajuy village overlooking the black sand beach

COSTA CALMA

The furthest south we drove was to Costa Calma, a resort area with a natural lagoon. The lagoon fills up in the afternoon creating a shallow area for paddling in contrast to the wild sea beyond.

Standing in the lagoon looking out towards the Jandia Natural Park

Driving back we stopped at a windmill, salt flats and sand dunes. There is so much to see and do on Fuerteventura but I’m pretty sure we came close to seeing nearly everything with the wonderful tour from Piedecaracol.com.

Lastly some more from my gallery