The continuing adventures of June Finnigan, her Man, and Farty Barty the cat. Benvenuti to all my Loyal and New Followers. Well, in a nutshell, August was the month for ‘bruto tempo,’ bad weather, which ranged from temperatures of 39 degrees and 90 percent humidity to violent thunder storms and heavy rain. On the bright … Read more
I’m a literary junkie. Whenever I want to visit a new country, I try to read a lot of books written by authors who are from there, lived there, or traveled the nation extensively. Many travelers prepare for someplace new by picking up a guide or tourism brochure, or maybe browsing YouTube, or Google Images. … Read more
I was lucky enough to spend almost a month in the UK this summer. It was a joy to be back in an English summer garden – nothing beats that smell -and a treat to wander around gleaming grocery aisles, salivating at all the new flavours of Branston pickle, and marveling at the Marmite range. … Read more
Hello, howdy, hi, hey, and welcome! My childhood in the American south taught me many (sometimes questionable) things, but most importantly, you never leave home without your manners. With that being said, it’s time for a very big “Thanks for reading!” and an introduction. After being born and raised just outside Orlando, Florida, I began … Read more
Charity Cottage, the holiday home we run in aid of Combat Stress, stood empty throughout May, June and July. We do not advertise in tourist guides because this could affect those whose livelihood depends on their gîtes. Well, several people made bookings, then either cancelled at short notice or simply failed to turn up. I … Read more
One of the summer traditions in both the UK and the USA is the County Fair. In my time living in the UK, I’d been to a couple of these, the most recent being in Norfolk. So it was with interest that I attended a County Fair in rural Illinois. I wasn’t sure if there … Read more
“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.” – H. Jackson Brown Jr. Life is the most difficult exam during every transition. Many people fail because they try … Read more
While writing my book the Expat Partner’s Survival Guide, one of the things that struck me over and over again were the similarities between becoming an expat and having a baby. Okay, I admit, there are lots of differences too (after all, how many nappies do non-parent expats have to change? Hopefully not too many!) … Read more
As this is my first column for Expat Focus, I wanted to say “Hey!” to all my fellow expatriates around the globe. You might have read the review from my recent memoir The Devil Wears Clogs posted here. If you have, you are already aware that I don’t sugarcoat the truth of life overseas. In … Read more
When buying a permanent residence in the Algarve, it may be an idea to consider the following points and minor irritations of living in a popular tourist destination during the high season. Taking a vacation for a few weeks a year is not the same as living in a tourist hotspot. For most people it … Read more