Bread Diet

This is an easy diet to go on.  The necessary foods are readily available, hot, all day long in most grocery stores.  You don't have to buy supplements, exercise or wait for food or shakes to come in the mail.  Many people respond well to this diet but I don't think that it is working for me.

Baguette and Chicken Pocket.

The sesame rolls were coming right out of the oven so I couldn't resist.

The pained expression on my face is simply because I can't decide which to buy.

By the scientific method of trial and error, Ron and I have decided that this is one of our favorites.

This little beauty is a Pascoa bread with an egg baked right in the middle.  The bread has the consistency and taste of Hawaiian Bread that we can buy in our markets sans egg.

Our Branch in Tavira

This shows the front of our chapel.  We are a store front between the Pastelaria and the entrance to some apartments next door. We have about 4 stories of apartments above us.

This is the inside of our branch in Tavira.  Entry.

Chapel.

 There is enough seating for 24 people and an overflow area which is the Relief Society Room behind the folding doors.

All the buildings in the Algarve have pianos.  I think in new structures the trend is towards keyboards.  There are 2 free standing church buildings in the Algarve.  One is in Faro and the other is in Portemao.

 This is the Relief Society Room-

 This is our primary room with 6 tiny chairs.

 This is our YW room-

Some years ago a sister decorated all the rooms and I think that she did a good job.

We are small but mighty.

Back to Work

We went toTavira to teach a lesson with Elders Judd and Richards. The building on the right was built in 1902.

Elders Richards, Sommer and Judd

Elder Judd and Richards at the door.

This is Eva.  She was baptized on Sunday, April 7 between sessions of general conference.  It was a wonderful day.

A Blustery P-day

I thought about all my painting buddies as we drove through the hills just fifteen minutes north of Olhao.  I really love the way they don't tear things down here they just see the beauty of it.  Like the freshly painted door in an old crumbling building.  I know they painted that door just for people like me to come and take a picture of it. 

Land's End

Where Portugal meets the Atlantic on the west and south coasts is a very spectacular stretch of coastline.  We were in awe of the giant waves breaking on red-ocher cliffs and turquoise water.  We could feel the spray of the waves from the top of the cliffs.  A perfect day.

The Road to Beja

Beja is a town about 90 miles north of us and it is in our district.  We visited the Elders and Sisters there and took them some treats.  We also had some business with the branch president.  Anyway, on the way we saw this castle from our car window in a town called Mertola.

The storks build their nests on the top of telephone poles.  This nest was one of several score of nests along the road to Beja.

Seems like every self-respecting town has a castle.  This is the one in Beja which we saw up close. Castles are cold and creepy and I pity the poor person who was locked up in this tower, if in fact there every was one.  Ron climbed to the top of the tower. On the inside there was a circular, steep, narrow tread stairway cut out of stone.  I had a migrane that day so was too wobbly to maneuver tiny stairs.

Galinha/Frango

A live chicken is called Galinha

A dead one is called Frango.  Not knowing what I was getting I went to the market and bought frango.  This frango came with head attached and legs conveniently placed in the package along with the chicken.  This was about the first meal that I had cooked and I looked in my drawer and realized that I had a very dull knife or a pair of scissors.  Which would you choose?  I chose the knife.  Poor frango.

Olhao Farmer's Market

The Farmer"s Market in Olhao is a feast for the eyes.  There are two large buildings each about 80 yards long; one with produce and the other with freshly caught sea food and meat.  I don't have a picture of the laranja honey which is very light gold and mild in flavor, so good and reasonably priced.  Almonds are grown locally and are delicious.  

Outside of these 2 huge buildings are vendors also with produce.  It is mind boggling.  Each vendor's food looks better than the last and finally I just have to plunge in and start buying.  

We live in Olhao.  It is located almost center of our District.  We are so lucky.