Showing posts with label Portugal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Portugal. Show all posts

Wednesday 4 May 2022

Kat the Dog: The remarkable tale of a rescued Spanish water dog

There only are a few books, which really touched me, 
Kat the dog is one of them.

Kat the Dog: The remarkable tale of a
rescued Spanish water dog

written by Alyson Sheldrake


Summary

A captivating and emotional story of survival and second chances.

Escaping from a wretched existence on a rundown farm, a young Spanish
water dog goes on the quest of a lifetime, in search of a family to love
her and a place to call home.

Follow Kat the Dog as she tells her heart-warming and uplifting story.
The little dog with a big heart who journeyed through fear and starvation
to find her forever home.




My review


What a wonderful tale!

I read it in one time from the beginning till the end (never happened
before with a book).

It's a very emotional story, excellent fluently written and the author
captured the character of Kat the Dog very well. I really enjoyed it much!

Without any doubt I recommend this to all animal lovers and I hope
Kat the Dog will receive many stars, likes and hugs!

I give this amazing tale a 5 star rating!





The author


In 2021 author, Alyson Sheldrake was a guest on this blog. It was an 
honour to "get to know" her a bit more.

See this link


We Love Memoirs


I was introduced to Alyson Sheldrake via The We Love Memoirs group
on Facebook. This really is the most wonderful and friendliest group on
Facebook. They're on Twitter too.



Source pictures: Alyson Sheldrake 

Saturday 23 April 2022

World Book Day 2022

The original idea of World Book Day was conceived in 1922 by Spanish
writer Vicente Clavel Andrés as a way to honour the author
Miguel de Cervantes. It was first celebrated on 7 October 1926,
Cervantes' birthday, before being moved
to his death date, 23 April, in 1930.

An accident Don Quixote - Cervantes
source picture: Wikipedia


The celebration continued to enjoy great popularity in Spain, especially
in Catalonia, where it coincides with the Diada de Sant Jordi, the patron
saint of Catalonia. The Diada usually involves the exchange of gifts
between loved ones and, since the 1931 Book Fair in Barcelona,
the gifts are a book and a rose.

In 1995, UNESCO decided that the World Book and Copyright Day
would be celebrated on 23 April, as the date is also the anniversary of
the death of William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, as well
as that of the birth or death of several other prominent authors.



Source picture: Wikipedia


Spain


In Spain, Book Day began to be celebrated since 1926 every October 7,
the date that Miguel de Cervantes was believed to have been born. But,
it was considered more appropriate to celebrate this day in a more pleasant
season for walking and browsing the books in the open-air.

Spring was much better than fall. So in 1930 King Alfonso XIII
approved the change of celebration of the Book Day on April 23,
the supposed date of the death of Cervantes.


United Kingdom and Ireland

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, World Book Day is a charity event
in March, held annually on the first Thursday and coinciding with the
release of special editions.

The annual celebration on 23 April is World Book Night, an event
organized by independent charity The Reading Agency.



a special book shop in Porto, Portugal



United States

In Kensington, Maryland, the International Day of the Book is celebrated
with a street festival on the Sunday closest to 26 April.


India

World Book Day is also celebrated in India on 23rd April every year.
It is commemorated in many parts of India to encourage & aware of
people for reading & publishing books.


Happy World Book Day!

Enjoy Reading!

Friday 14 May 2021

Bookreview: A New Life in the Algarve, Portugal

An anthology of life stories curated by

Alyson Sheldrake 



Wonderful stories of People who moved to Portugal! 


Summary


What makes a person decide to move abroad to start a new life? And why do so many 
people choose the Algarve in Portugal as their dream location?

In this compilation of life stories, you can read about a whole range of different people
who have made the Algarve their home. 

Read about the families that moved to live in the Algarve in the early 1970's, before
tourism was even an idea. 

Funny moments, heartfelt journeys, and real-life modern adventures are all covered
in this fascinating anthology. 







My Review


I'm a huge fan of short (travel) stories about people's lives and intentions. That's why
I liked to read this amazing book. Besides that, Portugal is without any doubt one of
my favourite holiday countries. 

Do I need to say more? I really enjoyed reading. The stories were honest and interesting
as well! 

I would recommend this book to all who want to move to Portugal or people who just
like to read travel memoirs.

I give with lots of pleasure a 5 star rating for this splendid book! 


The author


Alyson Sheldrake is one of the amazing authors in the picture of this book blog.
You can check her author in the picture blog post on this link

A beta reader


I was very proud to be a beta reader for this book. However, I bought the "real" book
via Amazon.nl because I liked it so much (and because my name was in it 😇😅 ).



Sunday 2 May 2021

Bookreview: From Gaudi's City to Granada's Red Place

 "What an amazing travel memoir"


Summary

Undeterred by a serious health scare, the incorrigible Elizabeth, her sister and a close
friend have already ventured to Europe. When their trip ended in Barcelona, the 
sisters vowed to return and resume their adventures, inviting a mutual friend to 
complete the trio. Now their travel wish-list includes some of Spain's major cities
and a little slice of Portugal. Once again you are invited on their journey and raise
a glass or two as they sample the tastes, sights and sounds that the Iberian 
Peninsula offers.

My Review

Reading a book from EJ Bauer always is a fantastic way to spend some time and
dream away about sunny holiday destinations. Again it gave me new travel inspiration
which I'm going to explore in the next years. 

The book is a fantastic mix of storytelling and dialogues. I really enjoyed the
adventures she and two companions had on such amazing places. I also liked her 
writing style very much. It's clear, easy reading and relaxing. 

I would recommend without no doubt From Gaudi's city to Granada's Red Place to
anyone who likes to travel to Spain. 

I would like to give this fantastic travel memoir a 5*rating! Hopefully EJ Bauer will
write more travel memoirs!





The author


EJ Bauer, Elizabeth was born in Queensland, Australia and she lived her first 12
years in the country. Her family moved to Brisbane and she graduated from university
with a degree in speech pathology. She accepted a position at a large regional
hospital in New South Wales and she is still living in the area over 40 years later.

She is married, has two children and five grandchildren. She has a cat named Lucy. 
EJ Bauer was diagnosed with cancer. After her treatment, she started to travel to 
Europe and North America. 

We Love Memoirs


I received a free copy of this amazing memoir from the We love Memoirs Group,
the friendliest group of Facebook!

Wednesday 27 January 2021

Author in the picture: Alyson Sheldrake

A few weeks ago I read and reviewed Living the Quieter Algarve Dream.
This is the second book of Alyson Sheldrake. I immediately loved her book
and the small paintings before each chapter as well. I also share her love
for Portugal, although we haven't visited the same places. 

That's why I wanted to put her in the picture with this blogpost. I asked
Alyson if she would like to participate in a Question and Answer interview
and luckily she said yes. 

So here is the Author in the picture interview of Alyson Sheldrake. 






The interview

Did you always want to write a memoir?

 

My husband, Dave, and I initially bought a house in the Algarve in 2006,
and it took us a further five years of working in the UK before we made
the permanent move out here to live. I started writing a blog when we
first moved here, initially just to keep friends informed of what we were
doing. It soon grew into an award-winning blog with over 100,000 views
 a year. I thoroughly enjoyed researching and writing our articles,
all liberally sprinkled with Dave’s photography.

Many of our personal stories didn’t seem to fit the blog format,
so I put them all to one side, and then eventually realised that
I had a lot of material sat on my computer. People kept saying
to me, “you should write a book”, so I sat down one day and
started writing. It wasn’t long before I had written almost 80,000 words,
and ‘Living the Dream – in the Algarve, Portugal’ was born.
I didn’t even know there was such a thing as a genre called ‘memoir’
when I first starting writing.





Do you prefer other genres too?

 

I am an avid reader and have been since I was a very young child.
 I love fiction, fantasy, and travel books as well as memoirs.
I love books that transport me to another place or time,
or even a different world. I am a fast reader too,
I can easily finish a novel in two or three sittings.





What was your goal by writing the Portugal memoirs?


My first book was very much an adventure into the unknown.
Self-publishing was a whole new world to explore, and I relished it all.
Pressing the ‘upload’ button on Amazon and seeing my book go live
was an exhilarating – and slightly scary – moment. At the end of the
first book, I mentioned we were moving to a new house in a
different part of the Algarve, and that maybe there would
be a sequel. I had so many messages and emails from people
asking me when the sequel would be released that I had to sit
down and write it! ‘Living the Quieter Algarve Dream’ was
published in November last year.




Are you fully integrated in the Algarve region or are there still surprises?

There are always surprises, and even though we have travelled
and explored widely across the Algarve, there are still some tucked
away locations we haven’t visited yet. Dave is a professional photographer
and I am also an artist, so we are always scoping new beaches and villages
that we can explore for inspiration. And then, of course, we have whole
areas of the Alentejo, Lisbon and northern Portugal that we
haven’t even stepped foot into yet!





I do love Portugal, its food, its culture and its port wine.
What do you recommend to visit first in the Algarve?

When we first visited here on holiday, we discovered the fishing
village of Ferragudo, and we were smitten. We rented a little cottage
off the main street, and I can still distinctly remember the first time
we arrived in our hire car and saw the village reflected in the
glistening water of the Arade river. Painted boats were tied up,
bobbing with the tide, the houses seemed to tumble down
to the riverfront, with the majestic whitewashed church sat
proudly above them keeping watch. It was idyllic.

We loved everything about the Algarve from that moment, the
food, the people, the stunning beaches, and wide-open blue skies.
The pace of life was enticing, and the area captured our hearts.
So I would recommend Ferragudo as an excellent base to see the
Algarve from. Hire a car, grab a map and go explore. And then
head up to Monchique and enjoy a hearty plate of Piri-piri chicken
and watch the sunset. I defy anyone not to be enthralled by this wonderful place.





Do you like the Portuguese food, the British food or others?

Oh, definitely Portuguese local food. You can still eat a
three-course meal for less than ten euros a head if
you know where to go. The fish is freshly caught, and the meat
dishes are hearty meals. Try a cataplana ( a type of fish stew) and
ask for baba de camelo for pudding (it literally translates as
‘camel spit’) it’s a delicious caramel-flavoured mousse.
Or try the locals’ favourite of grilled sardines.
Just the smell of them cooking makes me hungry!





Do you sometimes feel homesick ?

No, never! I can honestly say that Portugal is our home and we are
extremely happy here. I have absolutely no plans to return to the UK – ever!


What does a typical day look like for you?

I am an early riser. I love to get up at about 5 a.m. and have the
house and the world all to myself. This is my best time for writing,
I find my brain is full of ideas and the thoughts and words just flow easily.
We have a beautiful rescue dog called Kat, and about 7 a.m. it is
time for me to take her for a morning walk beside the river. I treasure
that time each day, the river walk is so peaceful and beautiful.

After breakfast I am straight into my art studio, which is part of
our house. I will paint there until lunchtime, then I confess to enjoying
an afternoon nap after that! It’s great living here as no-one bats an
eyelid if you have a siesta – although the Portuguese don’t take the
afternoon siesta as seriously as their Spanish neighbours.

The afternoon is often rounded off by a trip to one of our local beaches.
Kat and I will explore the shoreline while Dave is busy with his camera.





Do you watch lots of television or have you due to the
temperature more outdoors activities?

We have Portuguese television as part of our internet package.
I think we have switched it on twice in the last two years!
I don’t miss ‘television’ at all. We love box sets of TV series,
so at the end of the day we usually curl up on the sofa for
an hour and watch the next episode in whatever series we
are currently devouring. One of our favourites is NYPD Blue –
we have all 12 seasons – it takes about eight months to watch them all!

The Algarve is such a beautiful place, and the weather
almost year-round is sunny and warm, so it would be crazy
not to enjoy it all. I love to walk around the place we call home,
chatting to our Portuguese neighbours and enjoying the stunning
countryside and unspoilt beaches that surround us.




What are your dreams/wishes/plans for 2021 and the near future?

I have three books planned for release in 2021. The first is an anthology
of life stories about other expats that have also made the Algarve
their home. It has been a real privilege to bring their stories to life.
I have chapters on people that have set up an award-winning vineyard
from scratch, been honoured by the Queen for their charity work
out here, and others who have set up a wide-range of ventures and
activities, from yurt-farms, to animal rescue, arts, local magazines,
alternative therapies and film-making. ‘Why the Algarve?’
will be released in the spring.

Next up after that is another anthology, this time entitled
‘Chasing the Dream – a new life abroad’ which combines the
writing of twenty established memoir/travel authors and their
stories of moving to a new country to live. After that it will be
the turn of a collection of stories from travel writers with a book
entitled ‘Itchy Feet – Tales of travel and adventure’. Add that to a
new set of very large paintings commissioned by a
client and you have one busy Algarve lady!


More Alyson Sheldrake

Do you want to know more about Alyson Sheldrake, please check her
sites :

Her website with beautiful artwork on this link

Her husband's website with amazing pictures on this link


All paintings: © Alyson Sheldrake

All pictures: © Dave Sheldrake Photography



Friday 8 January 2021

Bookreview: Living the Quieter Algarve Dream

 Living the Quieter Algarve Dream

written by Alyson Sheldrake


"A sunny memoir for anyone who likes Portugal"


Summary

Have you ever longed for a quieter life? Ever wanted to escape the crowds,
walk on deserted beaches, and experience all that a different country has to
offer? 

Alyson and her husband Dave Sheldrake moved to the Western Algarve far
from tourists, to live in a rural market town. 

In this part guidebook, mostly memoir, find out why the Algarve is a favourite
destination for so many, and why this couple has made it their home. 




My Review

Portugal always has fascinated me. Till now, I only visited Lisbon, Sintra and
Porto, however I really want to discover more from this lovely country. So, I
was very pleased to receive a free copy via We Love Memoirs on Facebook. 

I immediately was into the story, which is a splendid mix of a memoir and
a guidebook. I particularly liked the fact that the author wrote so much about
history. I also learned something about moving.

"Living the Quieter Algarve dream" offers a glimpse about the couple's live
in the Algarve. It was very interesting and it gave lots of information.

I also noted that "Living the Quieter Algarve dream" was written very 
fluently and that the chapters were clear and structured. I really liked
the colourful pictures in the book. 

To conclude: I would recommend this book to all people who love 
Portugal and to them who want to move to that lovely country. Therefore,
I give with lots of pleasure and without no hesitation a 5 star rating!

The Author

Alyson Sheldrake was born in Birmingham in 1968. She has always loved
art and painting, although she found little time for such pleasures, working
full time after graduation. She joined the Devon and Cornwall Police in 
1992 and served there for thirteen years, before leaving to work in the
field of education. She became the Director of Education for the Church
of England in Devon in 2008.

Once her husband Dave retired from Police, their long-held dream of 
living in the sun could become a reality. Alyson handed in her notice and
with her dusty easel and set of acrylic paints packed and ready to move,
they started their new adventure living in the beautiful Algarve in 
Portugal in 2011.

Alyson is the author of the award-winning and popular Algarve Blog and
has also been a keynote speaker for several years at the annual
'Live and Invest in Portugal' international conference. She is also a 
feature writer for the Tomorrow Algarve magazine.

She is an accomplished and sought-after artist working alongside her
husband Dave, a professional photographer.

Her first book Living the Dream - in the Algarve was full of useful
advice, enjoyable adventures and humorous accounts of their Algarve
life in the sun. 

The sequel, Living the Quieter Algarve Dream continues their story. 

She also has a website, check this link
Check also her wonderful Algarve Blog on this link.


We love Memoirs 

I've received a free copy of Living the Quieter Algarve Dream
via the We Love Memoirs group. 

We Love Memoirs is the friendliest, most caring group on Facebook.
It is the place where memoir readers and authors can chat together.
I really like that group. 


Source picture: Book Cover

Tuesday 18 August 2020

Wellington against Junot

The first French invasion of Portugal in 1807 - which was commanded by Junot, one of Napoleon's most experienced generals - was a key event in the long, brutal Peninsular War, and it was the first campaign fought in the Peninsular by Sir Arthur Wellesley, later Duke of Wellington, yet it tends to be overshadowed by more famous episodes in the six-year conflict that followed. David Buttery, in this original and perceptive new study, sets the record straight - his tightly focused narrative covers the entire campaign in vivid detail.

Readers of my blogs: https://allaboutroyalfamilies.blogspot.com/ and 

https://mycrazylifefullwithbooks.blogspot.com/  already know that I'm interested in royal history and especially about Russia, Napoleon, Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sisi) and Queen Victoria. So, I was very happy that Kobo plus offers a series of books about General Wellington and the Portuguese invasion. This is a period during the reign of Napoleon which is less known for me. I read three books:

- Wellington against Junot



- Wellington against Soult


At the heart of David Butterys third book on the Peninsular War lies the comparison between two great commanders of enormous experience and reputation Arthur Wellesley, later Duke of Wellington, and Jean de Dieu Soult. In Soult, Wellesley met one of his most formidable opponents and they confronted each other during one of the most remarkable, and neglected, of the Peninsular campaigns. Soults invasion of Portugal is rarely studied in great depth and, likewise, the offensive Wellesley launched, which defeated and expelled the French, has also received scant coverage. As well as giving a fresh insight into the contrasting characters of the two generals, the narrative offers a gripping and detailed, reconstruction of the organization and experience of a military campaign 200 years ago.



- Wellington against Massena


Wellington's clash with Massena was one of the most remarkable contests between two commanders in the Peninsular War. These two formidable generals carried on a campaign of maneuver, battle and attrition across Spain and Portugal in 1810 and 1811 which had a decisive impact on the outcome of the war. Wellington's reputation was enhanced, Massena's was ruined.David Buttery's close analysis of this extraordinary encounter offers a penetrating insight into the personalities of these two outstanding soldiers. Using a variety of sources, in particular eyewitness accounts from both sides, he reassesses the famous confrontations at Ciudad Rodrigo, Almeida, Busaco, the lines of Torres Vedras and the final bitterly fought battle at Fuentes de Ooro.He sheds new light on this pivotal episode in the Napoleonic Wars and his account corrects the one-sided view of the campaign that has survived to the present day. In particular he reconsiders the true cost of the scorched earth policy that was employed against the French


All the books are talking about the Invasion of Portugal in the Napoleonic Wars. They are published by Pen & Sword Books Ltd. 

Wellington shouldn't be introduced to the English readers of this blog and to the history lovers. But perhaps the Generals of Napoleon Bonaparte are less famous. Nevertheless these series are clearly written and very interesting to learn about the different invasions in Portugal. It is an excellent reading to know the people and even the spirit of the age. So it's very recommendable for royal history lovers. 


Source pictures: Book covers

Saturday 15 August 2020

The History of Portugal

Beautiful Porto in Portugal - my favourite place in town -
 own picture taken in 2019
 

The Story of Portugal possesses a peculiar interest from the fact that it is to its history alone that the country owes its existence as a separate nation Geographically, the little kingdom is an integral portion of the Iberian peninsula, with no natural boundaries to distinguish it from that larger portion of the peninsula called Spain; its inhabitants spring from the same stock as the Spaniards, and their language differs but slightly from the Spanish. Its early history is merged in that of the rest of the peninsula, and but for two great men, Affonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, and John I., the founder of the house of Aviz, Portugal would not at the present day rank among the independent nations of Europe. The first of these monarchs created his dominions into a kingdom like Leon, Castile, and Aragon, and the latter encouraged the maritime explorations which gave the little country an individuality and national existence, of which it was justly proud. When Philip II. annexed Portugal in 1580, it was at least a century too late for the Portuguese to coalesce with the Spaniards. They had then produced Vasco da Gama and Alboquerque and other great captains and explorers, who had shown Europe the way to India by sea; and their tongue had been developed by the genius of Camoens and Sá de Miranda, from a Romance dialect, similar to those used in Gallicia, Castile, or Aragon, into a great literary language. Conscious of its national history, Portugal broke away again from Spain in 1640, and under the protection of England maintained its separate existence during the eighteenth century…


Portugal, a beautiful country in West Europe near the Atlantic Ocean always had interested me very much. Besides the lovely cities, the Algarve and the excellent port wine, Portugal has more assets for visitors. It really has an amazing (royal) history. That's why I chose to read 'The History of Portugal' via the Kobo reader of Bol.com. 



Book cover


The history of Portugal is clearly written by H.Morse Stephens. The book is divided in comprehensible chapters and it mentions all the big events in the history of the country. And of course it has a chapter about the great explorers of Portugal.

In my country, due to Covid-19, there is something as a staycation. With books as this one, though it is about history, I can make a virtual travel to one of the most beautiful countries in southern Europe ... 

I will use this book to study the interesting Portuguese (royal) history and it really is to recommend for anyone who is interested in history and the most important events in Portugal.