Oct 9
We were the talk of the town. Probably still are. I mean, who do we think we are? Adakavas is about the size of a teaspoon and very little out of the ordinary happens here, so when TV cameras roll into town it gets everyone’s attention. It wasn’t enough that we bought a house out from under a poor 94-year-old woman, then tore it down to remodel, but now we were making a TV programme about it – sacrébleu! Read more
Signs. That life on earth has existed for a very, very long time. While on tour last summer we visited my cousin in Antequera, Spain. He brought us to see the stunning limestone landscape at El Torcal de Antequera. El Torcal is over 150 million years old and is home to some fascinating records of marine life during the Jurassic period. The chubby little finger belongs to my cousin’s young son – a sign that human life is set to continue for at least one more generation. Read more
Before we set off on our great adventure around Europe we lived in a top floor apartment in suburban Dublin. Our high vantage point gave us a glorious view. The apartment buildings were set around a courtyard and the fact that you could see into the lives of others in their apartments always reminded me of Hitchcock’s “Rear Window”. Beyond our complex we could see the ruins of an old castle and the glittering city lights, and all with the calming and imposing backdrop of the Dublin Mountains. I loved it. Read more
It’s feast or famine with this self-sufficiency malarkey. For months on end you produce hardly any food at all, then come the end of August you have fruit and veg coming at you from all angles. There are wild mushrooms to be foraged, apples and damsons to be picked and vegetables to be harvested. Read more
There’s nothing like testing a marriage right at the very beginning. These photos of us white water rafting on the Zambezi were taken on our honeymoon. I had recently recovered from a serious back operation and was clinging to the raft for dear life. Arūnas was a little braver, resulting in him being thrown into the rapids on more than one occasion. At one point he grabbed my arm just as I was about to go overboard, saving me from almost certain injury. We endured the rapids and the marriage is still going strong. Read more
There is something incredibly autumnal about the smell of cooking apples. The sweet, caramel smell is as comforting as the blanket you might throw over your knees now that the evenings are getting a little chilly. It is a smell that immediately transports me back to my youth, when stealing apples from an orchard near our house was an autumn tradition. We had plenty of apple trees at home, but somehow the stolen apples were far more enticing. Read more
Holiest of molies! There I was, quietly enjoying my holiday back in beautiful Ireland, when a fellow blogger sent me a message saying only “Have you seen the finalist list!!!” I could only assume that she was talking about the Blog Awards Ireland & was hoping from her tone that I was on the list. I opened the page & quickly scrolled through the list, then literally leaped for joy when I saw “My Food Odyssey” listed. Read more
Somehow, in the chaos that was the last few weeks (which I will tell you about anon), I completely forgot to tell you that one of my photos won Photo of the Year at the recent BlogHer annual conference. I was completely blown away when I heard the news. Who, me? (Looks over shoulder for the “real” photographer.) I won the “Nature Big and Small” category with a photo taken on Mont Blanc last summer. Read more
I went into the woods because I wished to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to put to rout all that was not life, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.
I first encountered this quote from Henry Thoreau’s Walden in Dead Poets Society, one of my favourite films during my formative years. It struck a chord with me at the time and perhaps planted the seed that has led me to the life I live today. Read more
Sometimes silence is golden. I love these two photos taken on our tour round Europe last summer. This was about 2 months into the trip and, being cooped up in the van for several hours per day, we’d had plenty of time for chatting. Here we are taking a well-earned break from conversation. My mind is probably still on our wonderful trip to Porto a few days earlier. Arūnas is fiddling with his phone, sneaking first a picture of me and then a picture of the tree we’re sheltering under. A wonderful little moment of calm – no words needed. Read more
This morning I was absolutely thrilled to discover that My Food Odyssey had made it to the Shortlist in The Blog Awards Ireland. I’ve been continuously trying to improve the blog since I launched it early last year. It is such a nice feeling to have that hard work recognised by a judging panel of your peers. There are some great blogs in my category (the Diaspora category) and I know that everyone works really hard on their blogs, so massive congratulations to those who make it through to the next stage and genuine commiserations to those who didn’t – I know how that feels as I didn’t make the cut last year. Best of luck to everyone, but those of you in my camp can keep your fingers crossed for me to make through it to the final! Read more
There’s something calming about silhouettes. I can’t quite explain it but the lack of detail in the foreground contrasted with a softly light background makes a scene look peaceful. Perhaps it is the lack of facial features or expressions. These photos were taken of the pier in Palanga, where couples & families come to watch the slowly setting sun. Some just sit quietly, some walk gently along the boardwalk. I think the silhouettes really reflect the calm & relaxed atmosphere. Read more
Everyone loves a wedding. The romance, the rituals, the gathering of friends and family and, of course, the food. Weddings are different the world over. While the end result is the same – the joining together of a couple in love – the ceremonies and customs can vary enormously. Read more
There is no smell on earth more comforting and welcoming than the waft of freshly baked bread. The very first thing I baked in our brand new oven was a cake of my favourite cheesy soda bread. This bread is as delightful to look at as it is to eat. The texture of the melted cheese on the cracked crust just makes you want to reach for the butter. This is bread that is celestial in both appearance and enjoyment! Read more
During our food tour last summer we got to visit Porto, home to one of my favourite tipples. After a boozy and interesting visit to Cockburn’s Port House we drove out through the Duoro Valley to see where the grapes were grown. I was fascinated to see the vines planned up the steep sides of the valley in a zigzag manner to make best use of fertile land in an inhospitable space. The result is stunningly beautiful. Read more
My Food Odyssey 