"Life's better in Portugal" (Billabong, 2013)

"Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans" (John Lennon), quoted by the chef and owner of an amazing, quaint little restaurant called 'Dom Carlos Restaurante' on our last night in Portugal, Albufeira. The Irish born, travelling, New York recipe-stealing chef is the most knowledgable person of food I've ever met, whilst simultaneously managing to host his 5-course restaurant. He fondly spoke of travelling but explained how he had not seen his own children for very long when/as they grew up. I guess he reminded us all we're pretty lucky to still be able to be together. If you ever find yourself in the Algarve, I can't recommend a place to eat as highly as 'Dom Carlos Restaurante'!

The restaurant front, Dom Carlos Restaurante

That was the end of the week though and on a lighter note -it was a good one and a chance for new experiences all round.

Monday: We chilled all day, in and around the pool. I've never seen nice metal shutters before, but they're popular on houses in Portugal, offering protection from theft and the blazing sun in a morning. The problem we found though, is that they completely black out a room, allowing for no sense of time and involuntary lie-ins! Charlie experienced mosquitos at their angriest in the evening. They bit his neck, leaving lumps which would leave any girlfriend back home worried... Jokes ensued from Dad and brothers promptly. Our first tourist activity was at 'Fiesa' - Portugal's sand sculpture equivalent of Madame Tussauds wax works in London, recommended #9 on the top tourist things to do if you go...

Tuesday:  We surfed at the Algarve's top surfing beach, driving to the most south-westerly point of Europe for the best waves. Definitely not the best person to don a wetsuit - but did so anyway on advice from the surf shack owner who reminded us this is the atlantic ocean… A good call! It was so good to be back trying it again after surfing in South Africa and Mexico years ago, Charlie mentioned today he's keen to go again too. After surfing until early evening, we drove to Sagres, the nearest populated town to take some family photos and check out the dozens of surf shops they had to offer. I resisted the urge to buy more white T-shirts and surf shorts… Proud moment.

Amado beach, South-West Algarve

George, Charlie and I at Armado (post-wetsuits)

Wednesday saw us chilling again, practicing my hand at piri-piri traditional barbecued frango (chicken) and reading around the pool, shopping after in Guia and dining out at a local restaurant recommended by Rhiain's boyfriend, Tom. We arrived at sunset to find a man planting brown paper bags along path ways and cliff tops, each glowing with a tea-light inside. There was a great atmosphere, bar and music at the restaurant, supported by the big queue outside and even split of locals and tourists. I must remember to find the cover played by a portugese woman singing Bob Marley's 'No Woman, No Cry'. Songs always help me to remember moments like these. The restaurant lived up to its expectation and we had a great night, thanks again to Tom for the recommendation!

Paper bag tea lights at the beach

Mum and me

Charlie walking to the cliff edge

Thursday was the most random day, with nothing planned at all other than the hope of jet-skiing. We left for lunch at Caroviero, visiting the touristy-town and heading for what we thought would be a quiet beach in the afternoon… We stumbled upon a tunnel, leading to a densely populated beach filled with locals, enclosed entirely by high cliff faces. Up the right hand side, led a winding passage with steps and tunnels leading to an open area, perfect for cliff-diving. I've seen loads of videos from Go-Pro and Red Bull on cliff diving and armed with a waterproof camera, decided we better make the most of the opportunity. I'm not sure where or who I've heard this from, but apparently "you should do something that scares you every day". This did  exactly that. My Mum watched from the beach, describing my splash as what looked like "a reverse colonic irrigation". Apologies for the mental image now, see images below for counselling!

View from the edge

 View from the beach

George diving

Third time barbecuing chicken after cliff diving - if I do say so myself - it was up there with Nando's quality!

Barbecuing piri-piri chicken, steak and chorizo on coals, with Corona

Almost done! Piri-piri chicken on coals

Not sure if I've mentioned the financial predicament we found ourselves in with transport either… A nine seater car was $150 per day and a five seater $30…. We're a family of six, so naturally we all took turns to sit in the boot. I would never normally advocate this, but it seemed right at the time!

My first five minutes in the boot, driving around the coast of Portugal

Friday was our last proper day and we spent it wisely; relaxing by the pool, shopping in the local centre for sunglasses and white surf T-shirts, before heading to the restaurant in Albufeira I mentioned previously. We toasted with green wine, only found in Portugal according to the chef, before heading home to pack and leaving early the next morning. 

Tonight, I'm meeting some Uni mates in Sheffield for a reunion we promised we'd tried to make at least 4 times a year. So far, we've had 4 in 3 months… Shouldn't be too tricky now we're all working and keen to re-live Uni days at any given opportunity!

Thanks again for reading, hope you've had a great week!

Tom

Obrigado, desculpe!

Portugal has offered several opportunities to say "obrigado" (thank you) and "esculpe" (sorry) in the 21 hours I've been here so far with the family.. Mostly due to the fact these are the only words from the Portugese language I know! When travelling I always had a phrase-book for wherever I visited and attempted for at least a few days to learn some of the basics, so that I wasn't instantly recognised as another english person with the expectation everyone speaks my language... Unfortunately though, with school and the crazy past few weeks, this completely slipped my mind and I've arrived only able to thank and apologise to locals! Thanking them for chicken and apologising for not being able to ask properly, mostly. 

2 meals from 2 so far have consisted of peri-peri chicken, one at a beach restaurant in the local town of Albufeirta and one home made by myself on the barbecue… Safe to say Nando's ranks a solid second behind a proper Portuguese restaurant, haven't had chicken that good for as long as I can remember!

Unfortunately, several hours of the trip have been spent navigating in the different hire cars we've had from Faro airport… We've circled Faro numerous times in a blur of arguments and raised voices and a stressed Dad at the wheel, using (no exaggeration) photos from an iPad, live maps on an iPhone, 3 large-scale maps and some instructions written by the villa owner. The main reason for this, the old man argues, is because there was no option for a satnav… What he really meant, was:

• He didn't have an exact address for the villa (not even a street)
• He hadn't payed the fee to use toll roads (Portugese motorways)
• No research had been done whatsoever (difficult for a supposedly organised NQT with OCD tendencies)

This also gave me an opportunity to reflect on how nice it is to live independently and un-hassled by particular siblings… Useful comments from the back such as: "are we there yet?", "do you even know how to read a map?" and a personal favourite of mine: "you're going the wrong way" all helped to reaffirm this, whilst simultaneously raising my Dads stress level.

Happy holidays!

BUT! We are in Portugal, the villa is lovely, the weather is brilliant, the chicken is better and we've settled on surfing tomorrow… Very happy!

All planning at school this week has been successful, leaving a much more confident and excited feeling amongst staff (at least for me!) in anticipation of teaching vikings for 8 weeks! 4 out of 5 weekdays were spent at school and 1 in Betty's in Harrogate with my grandparents, where we planned for their Diamond Wedding Anniversary, an amazing achievement (60 years). Very proud of them and can't wait to return in September to celebrate properly with them.

Sorry this has been a short post, next week I'll post photos and anything noteworthy from the coming week. Hope you're having a good week wherever you're reading from!

Thanks, 

Tom

Third time lucky

This blogging business is insane.

Since I started writing my own a few weeks ago, I've become a little more savvy with the other sites and blogs out there and have unconsciously become addicted! I'm going to put together a proper collection I already recommend soon, and apologise now if you haven't yet experienced how good they can be!

The only comparison I can think of is: if you've ever sat browsing YouTube, being offered links to suggested related videos which pop up after each finish, stopping only when your laptop battery dies, you realise it's 4am or the internet connection cuts. This has happened to me a few times, usually watching rugby league 'greatest hits' compilations or Sonny-Bill and Sam Burgess tributes. Sad, I know, but see if you don't get sidetracked and watch another after the two below!

Sonny Bill Williams
Sam Burgess

Back to the original point, blogging is addictive! and time consuming... but so so worth it.

(An example is at Colossal, where artists, designers and photographers exhibit their latest creations.. This ones pretty cool, Dollars, by Mark Wagner. And then Jay-Z on his personal blog making himself art - guess that's a matter of opinion but I think he pulls it off?! There's some amazing things I get by email every Sunday too thanks to (Sarah) 'Coggles Sunday Supplement' - this is my favourite from todays interior design section…
These are just a few which have kept me busy over the past week!)

This week has been a blur of lie-ins, golf, sight seeing, reading and card games spent with the family. I've been back in Harrogate a few days now and just about managed to mentally prepare for a week spent in school attempting to plan with some colleagues and sort out my classroom, files and displays. When approaching this, I've decided to stick with a personal touch, partly inspired after reading a blog by Faded + Blurred, interviewing an interesting black and white portrait photographer, Tom Hoops. He comments:

“If you don’t do what is essentially you, in terms of what is your creative vision, then what you’re going to produce it going to be a bit weak.”

Guess I'd better start as I mean to go on… Strong!

Last week I mentioned golf. Safe to say, Charlie got a lot better… Dad didn't! Charlie gave me a real challenge (the definition of challenge for this purpose being winning), with my Dads highlight discovering his best use for a golf club…

There are no words...

The weather has been perfect for golf this week and Bridlington and Hainsworth have been some of the best courses we've played. It was just a shame my skills weren't up to scratch (no pun intended) and George came to visit and play with us in identical gear. The look the golf pro cast upon us both, as we walked in with cream chinos, white golf shoes and white Ralph Lauren polos (complete with navy big ponies) is one I will try to erase from memory as quickly as possible.

Dad, Charlie and I at Bridlington Golf Club

Just to keep Charlie's ego in check, here's some photo evidence of me beating him the last time we played, even if it was by one shot, on the last hole... I can officially say I won the last time we played. Bragging rights maintained for one more year (cue 'smug' face)!

The scorecard from Hainsworth, where my handicap won me the game!

In my first blog I mentioned I'm going to start reading more… I keep thinking about travelling and how much I read back then, which has inspired me to read three books. Khaled Hosseini wrote 'The Kite Runner' and 'A Thousand Splendid Suns', which I read in Rarotonga, in the Cook Islands, shortly after travelling through South Africa. The next logical reads, then, are Khaled Hosseini's third book: 'And The Mountains Echoed' and the unfortunately ill, but incredibly influential and intriguing man that is Nelson Mandela, 'Long Walk to Freedom'. I've also bought Nelson Mandela's 'Conversations with Myself', another more recent addition to the 'Long Walk to Freedom'. Next time I visit South Africa (unplanned as of yet - wishful thinking!), I want to be more understanding, informed and familiar with him before visiting Robben Island and seeing his cell and living conditions for myself, as well as the incredible country he has helped shape today.

'Conversations with Myself' - Nelson Mandela

Next week I'll be travelling again in Portugal with the family, so I may have to post the Sunday blog on Friday! If you have any tips for travelling to Portugal or know any nice spots near Faro - please comment below! Thanks to Galley for the tips on where to go for lunch and Dobrashian for the surfing spots!

Thanks so much for reading! Have a great week,

Tom

On to the next one

Hey again, thanks to everyone who checked out my first post - definitely didn't expect so many views!

This week I've been spending some time sorting the new flat out, but mostly my long, medium and short term planning ready for teaching in September… Not highly interesting stuff, but the realisation has hit that I'm educating Year 3, 4, 5 & 6 all in one classroom pretty soon. Several meetings to follow in the next few weeks to make sure I'm on the right track! Also - healthy living has commenced, with a few gym sessions thanks to Lewis and Matt and constant cooking of healthy meals with Jenny. Here's some proof!

Chicken, tomato, spinach, chorizo, lime and olive bake. Success!

Apologies now if you meet me in person from September. Our school approach to teaching and learning is to live, eat and breath a topic-based curriculum, which for me, will be Vikings until Christmas! I'm not blessed with the capability of growing facial hair - so no beards... Nor do I anticipate pillaging any local towns or villages. However, experience so far has shown me that attempts at maintaining a social life decrease dramatically during term time and whilst the children enjoy and become enthused in the topic, it tends to have a significant impact in taking over a teachers personal life!

Right now, though, I'm posting from a house in Filey where the annual family trip has brought us. We've been to some amazing places in the last few years, trying somewhere new each time, always in the country side - not always in the country. If that makes sense?! Basically though, its just a great opportunity to spend a week away with family, sampling my Grandma Betty's beautiful baking and playing as much golf as humanly possible.

 This is the house for the family holiday this week, in Brandesburton on the east coast

Snooker table in the games room

This lot make one half of the family! Aunt, cousin, uncle, grandparents, Charlie, Mum and George! Plus Herbert, the dog. 

On 'puffinpatrol', an alternative patrol when on holiday with the family 

The walk we went on yesterday, following 'the Cliffes'

This brings us to the sibling rivalries, however… Charlie and George both play sports very differently. The best way to describe George is as a caveman with a club. He's not great at golf and neither are his clubs, but he tries hard! Then, there's Charlie. He's the youngest and therefore most annoying to lose to, despite being the better golfer. I give him a decent challenge each round we play, just to keep his ego in check. I'll post some photos next week as we've not had chance to play since Friday.

Can't forget Dad. He is the reason golf clubs have those ridiculously strict rules. But, every year, we manage to find somewhere not so uptight, where we can leave him in the car park while we pay, hoping to make it off the first tee without anyone raising the alarm. In a similar fashion to George, he tries. But, as the years have gone by, his unique swing and style have seen hundreds of golf balls lost and many other golfers from around the country dismayed, including Charlie, George and I. "If you can't make it better, you can laugh." Erma Bombeck once said. Golfing with Dad definitely makes for the funniest moments of the holiday, I can't wait for this week.

The Dre Beats, flat cap wearing hero that is, Dad. 

Only two days in to the holiday so far though, will bring another update of golfing experiences and travelling times next Sunday. Definitely can't mention holidays without mentioning the Smiths either! Miss them all and the great times we've had, I will do a dedicated post about them with some old photos and stories soon!


Thanks!

 Tom