Holidays are just never long enough, are they? A week can pass in a flash! Our time in Portugal was like a long, cool drink I couldn’t get enough of…

As you know, we spent a lot of time doing housey stuff, which while hugely rewarding does sometimes take away from doing proper holiday things like eating out at restaurants on the beach, discovering somewhere nice for lunch, exploring markets and wandering aimlessly with a camera. 

Somehow though we did manage squeeze all these things in little doses though and we had the added pleasure of a surprise visit from a good London friend who happened to be in Portugal visiting family. There’s nothing quite as good as exploring a new coastal town and finding somewhere for delicious seafood, chips and white wine on a sunny afternoon nattering lazily and catching up on life, love and everything with an old pal. Highly recommended! 

Gus loved the beach, and even though most days weren’t really warm enough for long sandy days, he did get a good splash around in the waves. I love that feeling when it’s time to go home, sitting in the car worn out from good food and fresh air. And as it was, the day we did, an unexpected shower resulted in a fabulous rainbow over the Algarve hills. Magical and so memorable. Ah, more holidays please!  

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Visiting the white-washed hilltop village of Sao Bras de Alportel near our house…

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Making super-healthy quinoa salad lunches – love throwing in whatever fruit is around, this one with strawberries, goats cheese and grated apple!

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Oversized sofas make for excellent naptime…!

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Delicious beachside seafood with our day-tripping actress pal Annabelle, who wears a messy bun so perfectly!

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Love this pic, apart from the fact my bikini top seems to have come unstuck making my chest look like a pillow! Why do these things happen? (Outfit – Urban Outfitters cardigan, LNA tank top and Shopbop bag, Zara culottes and Dune sandals. Gus is wearing a jumper my mum knitted for me when I was little, which I am obsessed with and Gap trews)

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Visiting a Sunday fleamarket in Almancil – which is where I picked up the copper pan and mat below…

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Freshly-picked nespera, a local fruit, cousin of the pear and apple – good for jam-making. These went in the freezer for next time!

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Spending an obscene amount of time photographing yellow in the field for one of the Instagram Hashtag Weekend projects – love a new challenge but quite overwhelming when you’re one of 30,000 or so entries!

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Get ready for the flower shots! I got into a bit of rose and vine pruning this trip. Not my usual, but hugely satisfying, so put myself together a little pruning basket kit with secateurs and gloves, haha!

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All shot on the Olympus Pen E-P5 and E-PL7. Stylonylon is a UK ambassador for Olympus.