Monthly Archives: June 2010

I have the kind of teeth that present some dentists with not so much a professional challenge as a business opportunity. When I lie back in the chair of a new dentist and open my mouth there have been times … Continue reading →

There was a lot riding on the game between Portugal and Spain tonight, and it wasn’t just the exciting prospect of spending increasingly hysterical nights in crowded cafes as the country advanced towards the finals. We lost. By now the … Continue reading →

I knew I was running out of ideas when even the ugly factory failed to excite our two youngest children who were bored beyond tolerance after a long time on the road. We had used the promise of its hideous … Continue reading →

The Algarve is a place of stones and earth with trees that never dare climb too far towards the sun. In the summer it is a harsh and beautiful landscape of scrubland, clay and sand, and for a brief time … Continue reading →

When a little piece of heaven was advertised for rent in the local paper we thought someone had made a mistake. The place had a pool, three bedrooms and a lush tropical garden and unbelievably we could afford the rent. … Continue reading →