“Food is a very conservative aspect of culture but the erosion on the use and knowledge about wild food plants is higher than that of allotment food plants. The decline in wild food gathering appears to be due to negative connotations, i.e., association with times of scarcity, especially during and after the Civil War (1936–1939).” – […]
“. . . a relationship is a story you construct together and take up residence in . . .”– from A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit Relationships are an essential part of what it means to be human, and as Michael and I are learning how to live apart physically, we are […]
“Thinking will not overcome fear but action will.” – W. Clement Stone Two years ago Frank the Digger did some land clearing for us, burning some of the brambles and broom he cleared, but a couple of piles were left. With my recent spree of clearing patches of brambles along our access road, we had […]
At this very moment, as I click “Publish”, Michael and our two cats are on the final stretch of their flight from Dubai to Lisbon. Michael for a short 12 day visit, and the cats to permanently come live with me. To say that I am super-excited would be an understatement. How Midnight and Lily […]
“A silence where you interact with your thoughts is also a sacred act, a way of owning your interior being. Sometimes you need to wade through your thoughts in order to let them settle.” – Heather McRae-Woolf Brambles, producing delicate flowers in spring and juicy fruit in summer, are mostly a web of thorns growing […]
“Some places are for going through, others are for going to – and Monsanto is definitely one of the latter.”– José Saramago In his book Journey Through Portugal, José Saramago explains that he went to Monsanto expecting to find slate roofs, but instead found red Mediterranean tiles, and ‘imagined narrow, winding dark streets that would […]
When the name is mentioned, it is often quoted as the most Portuguese Village in Portugal, yet this title is almost never explained. Even a New York Times article on 14 June 1998 described it as Portugal’s “most typical village”. It is a misnomer, as Monsanto is not exactly what most people will term typical […]
“All that came before us and all that surrounds us is continually leaving its imprint on what we are and how we are, on what we do and how we do it.” – Miguel Moore Monday morning dawned cold, which promted Michael to send an email to the company that installed the heating system. “Unfortunately […]
“Those who don’t know how to suffer are the worst off. There are times when the only correct thing we can do is to bear our troubles until a better day.” – Deng Ming-Dao This past week, like the snowflakes when I woke up yesterday morning, was a flurry of activity that held great promise. […]
Surrounded by a cork oak forest and giant granite boulders, the chapel of São Pedro de Vir-a-Corça looks small and plain. Insignificant even, as it is the landscape that makes the strongest impression on visitors. It feels wild, mysterious, and ancient. The inselberg, against whose flank this chapel nestles, rises sharply from the surrounding landscape […]
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