July 2017 – The Jolly Jaunts of Sarah Kooky Cook

July 28, 2017July 28, 2017

Slow Food, Fast Food (October 2015)

My passion is food and for years I have been creating amazing food for my family and friends. I decided not to pursue catering as a career, taking the view that the hours would be anti-social and unless you have your own business the pay is not good and it could also take the pleasure out of cooking at home. So for over twenty years I worked as a professional librarian and enjoyed coming home and cooking after a long day at work. I have worked full-time for most of my career, although I took 3 months maternity leave and worked term-time for a couple of years. Now I have come full circle and I work part-time and, more surprisingly for me, I actually cook as part of my job. But it is not full scale catering in a hot, pressured kitchen. I work as a housekeeper and my job includes housework, companionship and cooking a proper lunch. In fact I eat lunch with my employer, as that is in the nature of the job and I don’t think it would work as well otherwise.
What amazes me is the number of cookery books and television programmes there are based around preparing meals very quickly. To be honest, I’d be lost if I only spent 15 or 30 minutes in the evening cooking dinner for the family. After all, cooking a meal is also time to listen to the radio and (some evenings) enjoy a glass of wine. If I have a left-over meal in the freezer I am often reluctant to use it, as I always prefer to make something fresh.
But what is fast food? For me it is definitely not a take-away. For a start, most take-aways are pretty bad to eat and bad value. I think that pizza is particularly bad value, being comprised mainly of dough with a very small amount of topping. And for me, a take-away is more inconvenient than a home-cooked meal, as we live miles from any shops and restaurants. It would be quicker to make an omelette or do a fry up. So really on both counts most take-aways fail to be either ‘fast’ or ‘food’ for me. I make an exception for Indian take-aways, for which I do have a weakness (but this does not make them any more convenient to buy).
And at home quickly cooked meals can be more difficult to plan and get ready on time. Think of steak and chips or the simple cheese on toast, or perhaps scrambled eggs for 3 people. When I make scrambled eggs I quite often have to enlist the help of my daughter for watching toast and buttering it. And then I have to assemble everyone before actually cooking the eggs; otherwise they will probably decide to have a shower or make a long ‘phone call at the crucial moment! And hey presto, one runined pan of scrambled eggs!
Now a casserole may take several hours in the oven, but the preparation time can be quite short, depending on the recipe. And then all that waiting will be rewarded with wonderful smells and a dish that will not mind if the diners decide to make a ‘phone call, have a shower or be late turning up if invited as a guest. Just add mash and you have a meal fit for a king!
But as Paul my dear husband once said to me, to him all food is fast and convenient, because he knows that if I cook it, he does not have to worry about a thing and his dinner will be on the table at the required hour.

July 28, 2017July 28, 2017

Hints and Tips for Camping

Make sure you repump your airbed every night, and even then you will probably end up with a crick in the neck
Don’t pitch your tent next to people who snore…. (this one is tricky!)
Keep loo rolls and a torch by your bed
If you need water in the night, keep it in a bottle rather than a glass
And if you wear glasses, don’t leave them on the ground for people to tread on…..
Take a spouse or partner who is good at putting up tents, or if this is not possible, have the patience of a saint….

July 28, 2017July 28, 2017

A Real Gem of a Traditional Hardware Shop

I am a great painting and arts and crafts enthusiast, although the rule in our household is that I am only allowed to do messy jobs such as painting outside! This of course rules out painting walls in the house (Paul let me do the kitchen and then said ”never again!”) Why is this? I have this talent for getting glue and paint everywhere as well as on the object I am painting. So glue or paint ear is a real possibility. My worst habit is to step in paint that I have dripped on the floor and then transfer it to other parts of the house! Hence my painting jobs are confined to renovating book-cases, painting garden tables and chairs, and really anything that can be moved outside. Of course this does also mean that I am a fair weather painter.

St David’s Stores (http://www.stdavids-stores.co.uk/) is a real gem of a shop, and one we have taken to using in the past 12 years or so since we moved to the area of Maidenhead near Pinkneys Green. It is so refreshing to find a shop where you can buy single light bulbs and screws, and in addition the staff are really helpful and knowledgeable. It is of course a family-run business; I have had many a friendly chat with the staff there, who are able to help and advise on products, whether you need something for painting, DIY or specialist cleaning. It is a typical hardware shop which packs so much into a relatively small premises. For my painting projects, I can find much of the same range that you would find in a big DIY store. I am a big fan of the Dulux paint mix ranges, and of course because they are mixed to order, it does not matter that the shop is smaller – you can still get the full range of colours.

For me the big draw is the location; for us it is a local shop that I can drive to by myself. I have a driving phobia, so am very limited in where I can get to on my own. It is always my first choice for painting products. There is ample parking outside, and there is always a friendly member of staff available to carry heavy shopping to your car. In the winter we buy fuel for our open fire, and I have never had to carry the bags of coal or logs myself.

My most recent project was to renovate our barbecues using an amazing black paint, which withstands extremely high temperatures; of course I purchased the paint from St David’s Stores, and had a lovely chat with the young girl who served me. If the weather is still fine when we get back from our holiday, I shall be going there to stock up Cuprinol Wood Paint and re-paint the table and chairs in the picture you see on this post.

In this modern age, it is so refreshing to find a friendly, local shop where the staff have time to help you and really know their products. Long may this shop continue to thrive and provide a good service for Maidenhead residents!

July 19, 2017July 20, 2017

Strangers on a Train at Frinton Summer Theatre – starring Christopher Weeks

The Set for Strangers on a Train at Frinton-on-Sea

I am a fan of detective stories and thrillers, and have always loved Alfred Hitchcock films. Strangers on a Train was written by Patricia Highsmith, (published in 1950) and I have seen the film adaptation from 1951 on many occasions. The stage play is apparently much truer to the original book. To my shame I have never read the book, so this will be a good one to take on holiday with me this year.

We have known the Weeks family for many years now, and have performed with Graham, Jenny, Christopher and Eddie on many occasions in open-air Shakespeare productions. Debbie Keenan, Christopher’s aunt, has also performed with us. You could say that we have performed with a whole month of Weeks’! Indeed in the 2014 production of ‘The Merchant of Venice’ which Paul Seddon directed, Christopher played Gratiano, and I spent most of the performance serving canapes and drinks, and trying to move a rope across the stage without tripping over any of the actors.

When we heard that Christopher was to make his debut professional appearance as Guy Haines in Strangers on a Train, we just had to book tickets for this exciting occasion. Frinton-on-Sea is a long drive from Maidenhead, but not unachievable without staying over-night in a hotel. We arrived at Frinton Summer Theatre just in time to have a first course at Avenue Bistro just a few minutes walk away: http://avenuebistro.co.uk/ I’d highly recommend this for a really good dinner. We had a sharing starter of mixed meats and olives, and I am just sorry that we did not have time for a full meal.

The theatre at Frinton is small and has a real buzz. Do go there if you get the chance: http://www.frintonsummertheatre.org/ and everyone was very friendly and welcoming. This was the 78th season at the McGrigor Hall, which is the UK’s oldest repertory theatre. I was sorely tempted too by the next production of ‘The Odd Couple’.

Strangers on a Train is a really gripping thriller, which is enjoyable even if you are more familiar with the film. I actually enjoyed spotting the differences. You could feel the agony of Guy Haines, especially after he committed his murder! In the film of course, he does not carry out the murder. I make no apology for spoilers here, as the film is so well known. Inevitably the play has a smaller cast, and the characters of Miriam, the hated wife, and the father of Charles Bruno, do not appear. Bruno gives a wonderfully graphic description of how he has killed Miriam.

Christopher graduates this year from the Oxford School of Drama: http://www.oxforddrama.ac.uk/ which is also where Abram Rooney (Charles Bruno) and Molly Chesworth (Anne Faulkner) have been students. Molly also graduates this year. Jonathan Tafler (Director) has also taught there.

We are really pleased to have been a part of this exciting development in Christopher’s career. We met him afterwards, and he was kind enough to sign my programme and have his photo taken with me (see photos above). We also met Colin Baker (aka the 6th Doctor Who) who is the father of Christopher’s lovely girlfriend Lucy Baker. Lucy had her first book published recently. Watch out for a future blog post about the wonderful ‘Rhino wants a wife.’ Rosie Baker was also watching the play that evening. I just regret being too shy to ask Colin for a photo opportunity too! As Paul said afterwards, with the traffic being so bad that day, Dr Who probably missed not having the Tardis any more.

All in all this was a night to remember, and we look forward to following Christopher’s career on stage and maybe screen.

July 19, 2017

The worst tapas bar in Salamanca….. (probably) (August 2014)

We are taking our usual long summer holiday this August and this time decided to head for Orgiva, in The Alpujarras in Southern Spain. The format of the holiday is to take a long drive and ferry trip. We are not keen on flying for various reasons, and Paul loves driving. So on the journey down we camped at various sites until reaching Orgiva after 6 days travelling. The journey also gave us an opportunity to visit some other great cities and regions of Spain.

Those of you who know me know that I love food. That is a big understatement but we’ll leave it at that for the moment! In fact really I prefer to cook than eat out, and fortunately Paul prefers my cooking to restaurant food. In the UK this is not only because of the quality but also the cost. So on holiday (as we are this year for 4 and a half weeks) we eat out more than we do in England for the rest of the year. When travelling this is inevitable; I do not actually cook when we are camping. What we did not have much of last time we were on holiday in Spain was tapas. We seemed to go to the wrong type of restaurants. And we were never offered free tapas with drinks. So on this holiday I have been delighted to encounter both free tapas and plenty to buy from menus.

I am not going to name this restaurant, but I shall just say that it is in Salamanca and was not a good experience. We arrived before 8:00pm and the dinner menu was not available until 8:30. So we decided to go for tapas, or rather raciones, which are bigger than tapas. We did get carried away and order 4 each, so 12 dishes for the 3 of us. Amongst those dishes were some repeats; Paul and Jess both chose Spanish Omlette, and Paul and I both opted for Patatas Bravas. For a start the portions were huge; I should maybe have looked more closely into exactly what a raciones is! It was not just that though. It was all so stodgy, with mainly carbohydrate-based dishes. My Russian Salad was indescribable! Awful dressing and slightly rancid-tasting vegetables. It was the Patatas Bravas which defeated us though. In fact we thought maybe he had brought us the Patatas with pink cocktail sauce by mistake, which was also listed on the menu. The bill listed it correctly though. As is traditional with this dish, the potatoes were cooked separately with the sauce dolloped on the top, but even Jess was not tempted by extra chips! So you should be able to see two plates of that in the picture, barely eaten.

On the positive side, I enjoyed my mussels and Paul enjoyed his potatoes cooked with chorizo. It did become a bit of a competition to compare who had actually managed to eat a complete dish of food. It reminded me of a lovely tapas bar in France last year, when we really challenged the chef by ordering everything on the menu!

On another positive note, it was a very cheap dinner, as they all tend to be in Spain!

July 19, 2017July 19, 2017

El Nidito – a beautiful holiday villa in Orgiva (August 2014)

Dinner provided by Ainsley on our first evening in El Nidito

I first found this villa four years ago when doing my usual internet search for interesting, out of the way properties to let in Europe. The first thing that struck me was the amazingingly good value rental cost; no difference between coming in April or August. However, the properties (there is a larger one called El Nido) are obviously so popular that the couple letting them get repeat business so you really have to plan ahead. So I found another villa in Spain and forgot about El Nidito. Last year soon before we were due to set off for our holiday in Southern France, for some reason I remembered the little villa in Orgiva and made enquiries. Because of the good price, we made a provisional booking for three weeks in August of this year. We have taken to travelling in Europe by land and sea, so the journey is all part of the holiday and we see much more of the country than we would if flying.

Anyway, back to El Nidito. It is in the Alpujarran town of Orgiva, and is the area of Spain made famous by Chris Stewart of ‘Driving over Lemons’ fame. Paul is much more travelled than I am and was enthusiastic at the prospect of visiting this part of Spain again. After travelling across Spain via Cherbourg, St Nazaire and Gijon (our two ferries, more of which I’ll tell you in another piece) we reached Orgiva on Saturday evening. We had left England early on Monday morning. There are three properties next to each other, and Clare and Ainsley live in the largest house and are on hand if guests have any problems or questions. The properties are reached up a steep, rough track just out of the town. It is a ten minute walk into the town with its wide selection of shops, banks and restaurants. If you are as unfit and vulnerable to the heat as I am, you might find the walk back really tough, and not to be attempted between 10:00 and midnight without a bottle of water!

Clare and Ainsley are an English couple who have lived in the area for over 20 years. They are very in tune with the needs of holiday makers, and as well as the usual welcome pack of wine, butter and yoghurt and a well-stocked cupboard with spices, olive oil and vinegar and local eggs from their neighbours’ chickens, we accepted their offer of a starter veg box. Also Ainsley cooked us a two-course dinner to make it a little easier for us arriving on a Saturday evening.

The kitchen cupboards are well stocked and there are plenty of saucepans and bowls as well as useful utensils such as a vegetable peeler, sharp knives and a corkscrew. I was also impressed by the inclusion of kitchen scales and a good lemon squeezer.

The layout of the house is all on one level; a single and double bedroom each with an ensuite, then one kitchen/dining room. Of course most of the living and, for us, dining, takes place outside in the summer and there is a lovely big table outside under a gazebo/awning construction. As the property sleeps only four and there are only three of us, the space is generous. I sometimes find that if properties are for small families or groups, tables can be very small and there are never extra chairs. Not so at El Nidito, which has plenty of dining chairs, and also extra small tables outside so that you can sit in different locations depending on where the sun is shining. The pool is small, but just right for a family of three as we are. Paul keeps saying he will go for a swim if it gets warmer! Jess and I swim several times a day which we consider necessary to our sanity and well-being.

There is a washing machine in the garden, which I use frequenntly. We have found that in smaller holiday properties there is either a dish-washer or washing machine, and I much prefer the latter given the choice. There is also an excellent charcoal barbecue which heats up really efficiently. Personally I can only barbecue later in the evening given the intense heat. Last night I lit it at about 7:45.

The pool is filled up and cleaned every day, which is very pleasant. I am used to spending much time pool cleaning as we have an above-ground one at home.

Finally, the main bedroom has an air-conditioning unit, which is great if you are hot and weary during the day, as you can just sit and be blasted by cool air. It is far too noisy to use during the night, so we leave the doors and window open; there is a bead curtain and mosquito net to deter biting bugs. Happy to say that in this part of Spain there are fewer horrific insects and mosquitoes than for instance in Tuscany, where Paul acquired some truly ghastly bites.Also we could not eat outside in the evening as much there.

We have just over a week left here at El Nidito and can truly say that it was a good choice, whilst being a very economical option for a three-week break in August!

July 19, 2017July 19, 2017

Why we love holidaying in Spain (April 2015)

This is our third holiday in Spain together, although the first one on our own with no offspring. Jessica made the decision during last year’s four-week jaunt to Spain that she no longer wanted to come on holiday with us. As we decided to try a different season and take a shorter, two-week break this year at Easter, it was probably a good thing that she wanted to stay at home, with the pressure of AS exams looming on the horizon.

I run a school library and so am tied to school holidays, despite no longer having young children. This suits me fine, as it is the only way I can see of having regular holidays and longer ones if we wish to. It also means that some holidays can just be spent lazing around at home without rushing off on a holiday as such. Add to that the prospect of not having to bring any work home or do any marking, and I think that I have the perfect job; okay, I’d be better paid as a teacher, but who wants all that stress? Twelve weeks holiday a year, with eight of them unpaid, suits me well! I am also good at finding good deals on holiday accommodation without it costing a ridiculous amount of money! My main source is ‘Owners Direct’ which we have come back to again this year, having not used their website last year.

Spain has so many advantages, and once we have brushed up our Spanish it will be even more fun! We are at the stage of being able to read menus, road signs and information boards to a reasonable level – reading is so much easier than understanding locals! We can say a few words, but we really need to study that language course. Now that we are in Catalonia, Paul is also trying to learn Catalan too, as not all Spanish people in Catalonia have Castillian as their first language. The language is actually easy to learn; it would have been easier when we were younger though! I passed ‘O’ Level at school and then seriously neglected it.

So, to the advantages of this wonderful country. Well, it has an agreeable climate, and if one owned a property in the South it would be pleasant all year round. This is something to consider if one is considering buying property in Europe – more letting months available. Visiting in August it was as hot as we expected, if not hotter! You just have to accept this and pace yourself in a sensible way. April is a good month to visit as it is warm enough to walk around in shirt sleeves, but you do not tire out as much when walking over the hills or round Roman or Iberian ruins. For me, the one disadvantage of April is that the water is not really as warm as I’d like it to be, and I do love to swim! August is fantastic, as you arrive home hot and sweaty and there is nothing better than immersing yourself in cool water. This year we have a property with a pool, and I have been swimming, but it does not have quite the appeal that it would later in the year. May and June would be perfect, so that will have to wait until retirement…..

Everything is so cheap here, especially the food and drink. Eating out is a pleasure, and is not something we do very often back in England. Why eat out, when the food at home is so much better and better value too? On holiday we have many lunches out, and this time we have found some really fabulous places for tapas, paella and so on. I still do not find that the Spanish are great at making a salad or providing a wholesome plate of vegetables to accompany your meal; however, the food is good value and we can always eat copious amounts of vegetables and salad back at the villa.

This time we have also found that the petrol is ridiculously cheap; the cheapest so far has been 117 euros, which at the current exchange rate works out at 87.75p! Now if only there were some way of bringing some home with us…….

We love the environment and scenery; there are mountains all over Spain, and if you have a willing chauffeur husband to drive you round them (as I do) or you like driving, then you are in seventh heaven in my opinion. There is something uplifting about being able to see the sea and the mountains at the same time. Roman and Iberian Spain is also fascinating and there are so many ruins and old city walls to enthrall a historian like Paul, and an amateur enthusiast such as myself.

The best thing about Spain is that it is not too far away. As I have mentioned in my other postings, we have a serious loathing of aeroplanes and flying, so at the moment are enjoying Europe – travelling by sea and land. Future holidays could involve some long rail travel, and we have dreams of going to New York by boat. Paul is not quite so sure about trying to get to Australia by boat….. This year we travelled by the 24-hour ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao. To be honest, with all the hanging around and delays at airports, I can imagine that on occasions it could take as long to fly to Spain! With the boat, you have a lovely cabin with proper beds, a choice of restaurants and menus, and it is all so spacious. We had the same seats by a window for the whole journey; we spread out and played Blokus, as well as having time to read and do crosswords. It was not crowded though, and we did not feel the need to save the seats, as there were plenty of others available.

Our return journey will be via France, so more hotel stops and lovely scenery, returning on the boat from Caen to Portsmouth. Just a shame that I’ll be back to school on Monday, the day after our return…..

July 19, 2017July 19, 2017

For the Love of The Archers: An Unofficial Companion, by Beth Miller: A review of this recently published book (2015)

I have been an avid fan of ‘The Archers’ for about 30 years now and have acquired several Archers books over the years. I have to say that this is the most entertaining one to date. Of course it does help that this book is right up to date, and includes some very recent story-lines. That aside, I like the format which Beth Miller has used. There are ‘Meet the Characters’ sections and also ‘Welcome to Ambridge’ the latter which describes in more detail the various dwellings in the village and beyond. There are ‘memorable moments’ sections and also listener portraits; these are from a varied selection and include the scriptwriter Keri Davies and other authors, poets and well-known faces. I particularly enjoyed the ‘Gone but not forgotten’ features including of course Nigel Pargeter, John Archer and Grace Archer.
I should mention here that I am a member of two facebook groups, Ambridge Addicts and Archers Appreciation, the latter of which has a mention in the back of the book as a source of even more information. It is a testament to the popularity of radio today that there are so many fan groups devoted to just one soap/drama series. I would particularly recommend this book to my fellow Addicts/Appreciators. I think they would enjoy the who’s who of the silent characters, a list of all the named animals included and even some of the Christmas Village Productions which have taken place since the arrival of Lynda Snell in the village.
Finally, for Archers meet-ups and families who are addicted, there are 22 different themed quizzes for enjoying a real life ‘Quiz Night at the Bull.’ I strongly recommend that fans past, present and future put this book on their Christmas list, or better still buy it themselves just to be sure of getting a copy!

July 19, 2017July 19, 2017

Our visit to Fort Bravo, part of Mini-Hollywood in Almeria (August 2014)

Horse and cart by the Saloon Bar at Fort Bravo

I am not a fan of Spaghetti Westerns, but Paul enjoys them. I tend to fall asleep with boredom but quite enjoy watching the inevitable scene in the Saloon Bar, which always ends with chairs being thrown around after a rowdy drinking session and game of poker. However, when he explained that they were filmed in Spain’s only desert in Almeria, within driving distance of where we were staying in the Alpujarras, I liked the sound of visiting one of the film sets as a day out.

There are three sites to visit, and we chose Fort Bravo, which is probably in between the other two in terms of size and variety of activities. Naturally in August anywhere in a desert is going to be hot, so we would have to leave early and pace ourselves. I was also attracted by the fact that there is a swimming pool on the site; nothing to do with Spaghetti Westerns but an excellent idea for a hot day out in the desert! The largest site, Oasys, we were put off from visiting as we read reviews on ‘Trip Adviser’ from visitors who were distressed by the large number of animals who seemed to be kept in hot cages with little shade or roaming space.

I was absolutely bowled over by the film set. Most of the films were made in the 60s and 70s; for instance ‘Once upon a time in the West’ was made here. Given then that the set is now at least 50 years old, it is in remarkably good shape. Most of the buildings I should imagine would be used just for the outside shots, and some of them you cannot go into, but there are many buildings which you can still enter and walk around. For instance the Saloon Bar is still used as a bar for visitors; it is also the scene for one of the re-enactment shows which run throughout the day. All of the bar maids were dressed in grisette-type costumes and after serving drinks to the public they also took part in the show. Their main role was to dance the can-can. We assume that actors were employed to take part in the show. Some of them, particularly the dancers, were not very good. They were out of time with the music, and one poor girl nearly fell into us as she tripped and we were standing at the side of the stage. However, given that Spaghetti Westerns are a spoof and not to be taken seriously, this all seemed in keeping with the general feel of the event. Most of the visitors were Spanish and enjoyed the bar scene, which included some shooting and I believe some minor chair-throwing (although we did go out for a breath of air and to wait for the restaurant to open and did not actually see the latter).

Later on there was a wonderful show outside, mainly with cowboys on horseback. This was superb, and we really did feel as if we were extras in a Spaghetti Western film. What I really liked about the whole experience was that it was almost a community event. When the shows were taking place, you could not buy lunch or get a drink at the bar; nearly all of the day’s visitors were standing around watching at the same time. laughing and clapping. It had a really good atmosphere and feeling that everyone was enjoying the show together. Despite our Spanish language skills being very limited, we could still enter into the spirit of it. There are some amusing touches on the set too, such as a building named ‘Sky Sports.’ You could also go and pretend to hang yourself on the noose and stand behind bars in the jail. I did consider dressing up in a costume and having a ‘Wanted’ poster made of myself, but in the end resisted, because of the cost and the thought of dressing up in temperatures of about 90 degrees!

The buffet lunch was not available until after the midday show was over, and that was perfectly acceptable, and as always in Spain, a very reasonable cost at 10 euros a head for three courses. After that I went for a swim in the very welcoming cool water of the pool. Next to the pool area are some bungalows which you can stay in over-night, if you are really keen to spend maximum time at the site. I’d say that the experience is really suitable for all ages. We went with a 16 year old, but it would be great for young children too. The only activity we did not take part in which I should have quite enjoyed, was having a ride around the site on a horse-drawn carriage. We were too late for an early afternoon ride, as the afternoon, outdoor show started at 2:30 and there would be no more rides until 3:00; of course we are talking Spanish time here, where everything is relaxed and ‘manana’ and it was getting exceedingly hot, so we headed off before the end of the show. It was a very impressive affair, with wonderfully evocative music and extremely skilled horsemen riding across the desert sand. In fact there was a lot of music played during the day and particularly for the shows; even as a non Western fan, I have to admit that the music is very atmospheric.

This is a place worth visiting if you are in Almeria in Southern Spain, and want a change from swimming, beaches and visiting the fantastic city of Granada and the beautiful mountain villages.

July 19, 2017July 19, 2017

A wonderful Villa Retreat near Lousada, Northern Portugal (August 2016)

This year we are taking our long summer holiday in Spain and Portugal. We spent a week travelling through Galicia in Northern Spain and arrived at our villa destination for a two week stay at Casa Linda. We booked the villa about a year ago,and ever since the misunderstanding with one of Linda’s paintings, which was in our possession for a short while earlier this year, we have been facebook friends. Linda is an artist and runs painting courses from her Pink Buddha Studio,but we just booked the villa as a holiday retreat. We have had the benefit of admiring original artwork in all of the rooms in our villa. Next plan is to have enough money to buy one of them – not that they are astonishingly expensive as art goes!
I am becoming quite an experienced booker of villas in the peak season of the school summer holidays – no-one will ever overcharge me or offer me some inferior deal just because I happen to work in a school! This villa has to be the best one we have booked so far in terms of location and facilities available. For me, the kitchen is so important, as we like to self-cater properly so I need all my home comforts. The kitchen in the villa is excellent and has most utensils that I need; I have also felt relaxed enough to go downstairs to Linda’s studio and beg/borrow anything extra that I have needed. This is a big contrast to our villa in Tuscany four years ago: when I asked if we could have some sharper knives, our host suggested that we could go and buy our own in the village!
The villa is all on the top floor of the house, up some marble steps and is so spacious. There are three bedrooms which are all a good size and two of them have air-conditioning, which has been most welcome. The kitchen is separate from the living/dining room, which is not always the case with Owner’s Direct properties – many just have one main room. The living/dining room also has air-conditioning which has been great. Our first week was particularly hot and humid and we have really appreciated this luxury. We do like to have a bit of a home-from-home and a villa which is more than just a base for days out. I am currently sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, something I would love to have at home. One other luxury has been having both a dishwasher and a washing machine – many properties for holiday lets have either one or the other and I have learnt from bitter experience not to go for the dishwasher-only option. We seem to get through so many clothes on holiday. This villa also has a tumble-dryer, but I am not a fan of these – nothing like drying your clothes in the fresh air.
Apart from all the wonderful facilities, including a big television and a selection of DVDs – so far we have used this once, although our young visitors last week also made use of the wii last week, it is lovely to have such attractive furnishings, adequate space for storage, and as I mentioned before,the original artwork on the walls in every room.
Last of all of course I must mention the swimming pool. For me a pool is an essential part of my holiday, and a private one is the preferred option. With this exceptionally hot weather it has been most welcome, and I had a lot of fun playing silly games in the pool last week with the girls. My daughter and her best friend visited for a week and were made to feel just as welcome as Paul and I have been. Being only about 30 miles from the airport at Porto has been a big advantage too, as it made it possible for the girls to visit without our having to travel too far to the airport. Linda keeps the pool clean and ready for use every day, and is also very relaxed about when we make use of it. I have had experience of being asked not to use the pool too early in the morning or late at night at other properties.
So, what are you waiting for? Come and visit this beautiful part of Portugal and stay in a villa which has all the facilities you could possibly need for a holiday long or short, whether you just want to relax and spend most of your time reading and swimming, or visit some of the beautiful cities and beaches nearby.