Sep 12
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
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
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
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
We recently had an article featured in our local newspaper, Tauragės Žinios. We’ve done our best to translate it for you. Some phrases just don’t translate that well – I hope we haven’t lost any of the original content or sentiment with our translation. Enjoy!
From his native Adakavas a decade ago, like many Lithuanians at the time, Arūnas Vladička decided to go abroad to work. Although he planned to spend only a few months in Ireland, while there he met his future wife, June Molloy, and ended up staying for longer. Now they are creating their idyllic life back in Adakavas. June bravely, albeit with an accent, speaks some Lithuanian. They are about to finish completing their new home beside Arūnas’s parents’ house. It’s easy to sense from the couple how much it all means to them – the house renovation, the fresh Lithuanian air and life without constantly rushing. Read more
I grew up by the sea and wherever I am in the world I am always drawn back to the coast. So when our neighbours asked if we wanted to go with them to the Klaipėda Sea Festival we jumped at chance. Read more
Ah, summer. Long, sunny days. Beaches. Suntans. A bit of snow. I love this photo of Arūnas and me up Mont Blanc last summer. It looks like it has been photoshopped or taken in front of a poster, but those are real, live climbers behind us. It was about 28 degrees on the ground that day and about minus 3 at the top of the mountain – brrr! The only thing we could do to keep warm was huddle together. Summer lovin’, indeed! Read more
I love portable food. I don’t mean fast food, but wholesome, tasty food, ideally in a portable container. Something a little more sophisticated and squish-proof than a sandwich but with similar versatility. Lithuania has lots of them, including kibinai & čeburekai, but my favourite has to be the classic Cornish pasty. This one is from Rick Stein’s deli in Padstow. Between the pasty & the view, it was a lunch made in heaven! Read more
We spotted this guy on a walk through Sydney Harbour National Park on the north shore of the harbour. Arūnas walked right past him and it was only when he turned back to speak to me that he spotted him. He blends in very well with the path but stands out in contrast to the green ferns. I also love how the bush surroundings of the park contrast with downtown Sydney just across the harbour. Read more
The picturesque village of Roquefort in southern France, home to one of my favourite cheeses, is surrounded by the most stunning rocky mountains. I was very happy to see that the villagers had left decent gaps between buildings on the main street so that the view was not totally obscured. Read more
While on our honeymoon in South Africa we went to visit the Cape of Good Hope, the most south-westerly point on the continent. In many ways it reminded me of the wilds of South West Ireland – parts of west Cork & Kerry look quite similar. With the glaring exception of the baboons, that is. We came back from our walk to find this guy resting on a car, taking in the view. Baboons can be quite vicious – I’m glad it wasn’t our car! Read more
We encountered a number of twisty roads on our trip last summer. One of the twistiest, yet most beautiful, was the road through Los Portillinos, a mountain pass 1957 metres above sea level set in the Aquilanos Mountains in north-western Spain. Despite the blue skies it was freezing cold at the top, with patches of snow in sheltered areas. Read more
I love spontaneous art. I love that people go to such trouble to make beautiful things, even when that beauty will be short-lived. This frequently occurs with fine dining, where chefs spend considerable time making food look beautiful on a plate, only to have it swiftly devoured. I took this photo in Weston-Super-Mare in England on our tour last summer. I love the fact that someone, possibly another tourist inspired by the large, blank canvas, has gone to such great lengths to create a beautiful picture in the sand, knowing that the tide will come in within a few hours and wash it all away. A work of art, indeed. Read more
One of my favourite “on the move” shots from our trip around Europe last summer. You can just make out the “Europe on a shoestring” and “Wines of the world” books on the dashboard. We didn’t pass many other cars so I thought this one, plus the surrounding view, were noteworthy. Read more
Ah, Spring. A beautiful time of the year when life springs into action once more. Birds return to our trees and build their nests, flowers blossom, weeds shoot up in our grass and busy bees begin again to make their sweet honey. I know that dandelions are generally considered to be weeds (or perhaps wild flowers, if we’re being kind), but I love their deep yellow colour and lush green leaves. This bee seems to like them, too. Read more
My Food Odyssey 