We’ve been living in Panama for almost two years now. Even though we’re here full time, year round, officially we are tourists. We’ve made no effort to “regularize” our status, as they say in the immigration biz, because we weren’t ready to commit to staying here. When we arrived, a tourist visa let you stay … Read more
Since I need to pass a German fluency test in exactly one month, I am trying to go on an all-German diet. This includes only watching German movies and TV shows. While there are several popular action, drama, and comedy TV series in Germany, many of these are difficult for me to understand. I have … Read more
The continuing adventures of June Finnigan, her Man, and Farty Barty the cat. Well, here we are again at the top of a New Year and looking forward to a gentle slide down through the seasons in Beautiful Tuscany. For years we had gigantic Christmas trees, however, that was when we had properties to match. … Read more
I’m been writing about US/UK stuff for about ten years now, so what have I learned? (My spellcheck is American, by the way.) You can make fun of your home country almost ad nauseam and you won’t get much of a backlash as long as it’s well informed. Being a British expat makes it easier … Read more
Chillin’ 2014 has blasted in with extreme cold weather here in Ontario, Canada. Windchill is in the minus thirties/forties and you risk frostbite if you’re out for any length of time with skin exposed. This is our fourth winter in Canada and we’re better equipped to endure it now than ever. The children all have … Read more
Ring out the old ring in the new. What a difference one non-descript day presumes to make. Suddenly we all want to resolve to do something; do more exercise, eat less chocolate, drink less wine (that’s mine). But it is easy to commit to resolutions from the depths of a sofa, wine glass in one … Read more
My Christmas morning was not spent unwrapping gifts. Nor was there a traditional Christmas tree. I didn’t fight any holiday traffic, or wrap a single gift! There was no holiday stress, or rush. There was, however, abundant joy! It can be a bit difficult to get into the mood of the season without a chill … Read more
The reason we wanted extra burglar bars fitted, and doors replaced, was because we were planning to visit Australia this winter. We wanted to leave the house secure and watertight. We had contacted our builders in March, thinking that would give them plenty of time to complete the job. Nine months later they finally turned … Read more
As an American living in the UK one of my favourite days of the year is Boxing Day, the day after Christmas. The day off, after Christmas. Until I moved to the UK I had never heard of Boxing Day. Boxing Day is a public holiday originating in England, which is now celebrated in many … Read more
After an enjoyable Indian summer, cooler temperatures have arrived along with this year’s Beaujolais Nouveau on the third Thursday of November at midnight, the legally regulated release day and time and a worldwide annual celebration of a red wine from Beaujolais, located in the Burgundy region of France. With lighted streets and holiday cheer, Nice’s … Read more