-Servus Seamus! -What? Oh, hiya Felix. Long time, no see! How’s your garden growing? -Very funny! Just because I’m a concrete patio ornament, don’t think you can get away with smart remarks like that. -Oops a daisy! Sorry, Felix! But tell me really. How are you doing? -Great thanks! I’m one lucky duck. Sitting here all day in one of the best spots in the garden, watching the world go by, not a care in the world! -Yeah, and I…
Well, shiver me timbers! Literally. (Don’t forget I’m wooden). Snow! We’re back in Austria and what a shock to the system it is after all that wonderful warm Portuguese sunshine. Luckily for me, my webbed feet make pretty good snow shoes, but brrrrr, it’s cold. I think I am going to have to break out the winter wardrobe… Ah, that’s better. Just in case we are going to be here for a while, I think a change of outfits might…
River Tagus, Lisbon Much as I love going to the beaches with the Wingless Wonders, I have also developed a great fondness for our riverside jaunts. Ah, the mighty river Tagus! It is always fascinating to spend time along the estuary watching the constant flow of traffic, from one-person dinghies tacking around buoys, to commuter ferries traversing the river at speed, to tankers, cargo ships and luxury cruisers heading out to the open sea. Belém is one of the Oldies’…
Portinho da Arrábida and Setúbal City, Portugal I have to pinch myself. Apart from the occasional paraglider landing nearby, we are practically alone on the beautiful sun-drenched white sands, staring out at an azure sea. We could easily be forgiven for thinking we are on some south sea island at the height of the summer, but it’s late November and we are on Portinho da Arrábida beach, a stone’s throw from the city of Setúbal. Driving down into Portinho village…
My first cable car trip! On an Austrian-built cableway. Along a river. In Lisbon. Right. Well, they say there’s a first time for everything. That’s a first time for a whole lot of things! The Oldies got an insider tip to the effect that the Oriente train station would be well worth visiting for its spectacular modern architecture. ‘Yawn. How exciting’, I thought. The station, however, is actually stunning, with its roof of glass and steel made to look like…