Sunday Sevens #213 22.12.19

December 22, 2019December 22, 2019 ~ Postcard from Gibraltar ~ 2 Comments

Hello and seasons greetings on this Christmassy Sunday Sevens. I hope you are well, and not too frazzled by the pre Christmas prep.

Sunny Sunday

The weather last Sunday was truly glorious, even the cold blooded ones among us came out of from indoors to enjoy some December rays!

No, it’s not our tree

On Monday, I found myself in a beautiful Colonial building in town for a meeting. I was bowled over with this lovely tree in the entrance hall. It looked very much at home in the grand entrance.

Keep on running…

I’m on week two of my running plan, attempting to get a bit fitter. I only managed one run this week, which I’m annoyed with myself about, I was busy at the start of the week but by the end of the week the weather was pretty grim – think gale force winds and driving rain. This was taken on Wednesday morning on my walk down to the sea shore to begin my run/stumble along!

Sharing on behalf of a friend

A good friend of ours was staying over on the East side of the Rock this week and she sent me this lovely photo of the sun rising up over the horizon. What a spectacular start to the day!

Decorations are up – at last!

After much nagging from the Little Postcards, I finally got round to putting up the Christmas decorations and the tree. I wasn’t really feeling Christmassy at all and I couldn’t bring myself to put the tree up when I hadn’t completed all my pre decoration jobs, like tidying up and washing the windows. On Thursday I made a promise to Littlest that I would get the tree up and ready for him to decorate while he was at school. He was happy with that! I treated myself to some little star lights for the hallway – they are battery operated and I think they look rather nice over the mirror.

Carol singing

Also this week, we had a few of the obligatory carol singing events for school choirs. It was lovely to see Littlest singing with his school at the Artisan Christmas market in town.

Friday morning rain

That bad weather I told you about… it was a bit grim. In a break in the rain on Friday I popped quickly into town to pick up a few Christmas things I needed, before school finished at lunch time – my last proper opportunity. I just took the photo to make those of you reading this up north in the UK who might be experiencing a bit of bad weather too, realise that you are not alone! Also, that while I was feeling smug last Sunday watching the gecko sunbathing over on the East side of the Rock, that gorgeous weather was short lived!

And that, as they say is that. Sunday Sevens done for another week. Not the most inspiring set of photos I’ll grant you, but it’s been a good week for us with some fun times and a few meetings with lovely friends, which I forgot to capture in photos – probably because I was too busy talking!!

If you are celebrating Christmas I hope it is a very happy one for you. I send every good wish from Gibraltar for a lovely time with friends and family, and thank you for stopping by!

Sunday Sevens was first created by Natalie from Threads & Bobbins.

Sunday Sevens x2 #210 24.11.19

November 24, 2019November 24, 2019 ~ Postcard from Gibraltar ~ 3 Comments

Hello there, sorry for the radio silence last weekend, life was just too busy for blogging. But I’m back with a bumper Sunday Sevens x2! Here goes…

Bowling on a Sunday afternoon

Two weeks ago today, my parents were just a few days into their stay here in Gibraltar- their first visit this year. On Sunday afternoon, we took Grandma bowling! I’m not sure why a film about Venice was being projected onto the screen above the alley!

A beautiful building

I found myself stepping through the door of a building I have passed many times before to have a meeting. I was rather blown away with the beauty of this historic vestibule & staircase.

Hibiscus in bloom

Mr Postcard spotted some hibiscus plants at the supermarket and brought some home. They have really cheered up the balcony with their bright flowers.

Remember to look up

I was on the upper floor of one of the shops on Main Street and spied this rather elegant facade on the building across the street. Admittedly it looks in need of a bit of maintenance but there’s something quite charming about the wonky slats on the shutters. As a homeowner with wooden shutters I can vouch for the fact that they don’t stay looking pristine for long with the intense sunshine we experience here over the summer months. It’s rather a destructive force on paintwork.

Oh for a proper camera

I’m afraid this photo doesn’t do the view justice, but one evening I drove south to Europa Point and as I turned on the road to the Eastside I spied a large orange coloured moon just above the horizon. It was stunning, so I pulled over and attempted to take a photo – it doesn’t do it justice I’m afraid!

Literary festival time!

So this is the main reason why Sunday Sevens didn’t happen last week. It was the annual Gibraltar Literary Festival and it was just amazing. Four days of fascinating talks given by people from all walks of life. Just loved it. I only wish I could have seen more and that it didn’t only happen on 4 days each year!! Below is pictured former BBC journalist Gavin Esler who gave a great talk on Brexit and some of its implications.

Accidental bloomers

So in my dressmaking course I am currently making a pair of trousers. After two trial attempts I am now ready to do the real thing, however my lovely teacher pointed out that the fabric I had bought may be a bit itchy so I should line them. I had some excess lining fabric left over from my jacket last year and used that. I didn’t have enough to line the full leg, just to above the knee – hence I now have a rather fetching pair of bright pink bloomers!

Getting ready for the big match

Gibraltar played host to the Swiss National team this week as the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers continued. Look even Moorish Castle was wearing a shirt! Sadly the support from the Tower of Homage wasn’t enough. Gibraltar lost 6:1.

Obligatory sunset

We had a lovely sunset one evening last week. The high clouds were back lit by the sun which had already disappeared behind the hills opposite.

The last glimpse of sunshine!

We had been warned that bad weather was on the way, on Wednesday morning I could sense this being the last sunshine we’d be seeing for a while, I was correct…

Winter weather

And the rain came, and gale force winds! Thankfully my parents’ flight home managed to land ok, but some flights this week had to be diverted to Malaga to land because of the strong winds. Sadly for me, it meant the end of their two weeks here which seemed to go too quickly.

Christmas is around the corner!

Last night Gibraltar turned on its Christmas lights. They were actually supposed to be turned on on Friday but the weather warnings were such that it was postponed and the stage etc was dismantled to prevent it being damaged by the gales.

It was all put back together in time for a packed Casemates Square to see the Christmas tree get lit up.

And that brings this bumper Sunday Sevens to a close for this week. I hope you haven’t dropped off while reading it – it’s been so long!

Have a good week, and I hope to be back next Sunday all being well!

Sunday Sevens was first created by Natalie from Threads and Bobbins.

Sunday Sevens #175 17.2.19

February 17, 2019 ~ Postcard from Gibraltar ~ 2 Comments

Hello there, I hope this finds you well and that you’ve had a good week. Mine has been full of jobs and not much that’s been worthy of photos…. I promise next week’s will be more interesting! 😉

An early evening stroll

Last Sunday was spent pretty much at home doing housework and lots of washing. We are in the midst of a kitchen renovation at the moment and I have only had limited access to the washing machine. That meant a frenzied washing session for a family of five!

By the time early evening came, I was craving a walk so headed out with Eldest to enjoy a golden hour stroll…

Dressmaking class

Do you remember that jacket sleeve from last week? It came off, went back on again and came off again at this week’s lesson…. I’ll get it right eventually!

Submariners visit

We were visited by another Royal Navy submarine this week. It always facinates me watching come into port. Not sure I’d like to go in one though…

It’s finished…

At my watercolour class this week I finished my watercolour painting of the ceiling at Sacred Heart Church in Gibraltar. It’s been a fun project, started way back in November! Got there in the end!!

We have fruit!

Our citrus trees are doing well at the moment – I don’t want to tempt fate, but for the past couple of years we’ve lost our fruit before it was ready to pick. Fingers crossed we’ll get to enjoy these in a G&T before too much longer…

Kitchen update

Progress has been made in our kitchen… we have a floor, plaster on the walls and even the beginnings of cupboards. I’m so looking forward to washing up in a sink rather than a bath!!

That’s it from Sunday Sevens this week. I hope the week ahead is a good one for you!

As always I’m linking with Natalie from Threads and Bobbins for this weekly blog series.

Sunday Sevens #173 3.2.19

February 4, 2019 ~ Postcard from Gibraltar ~ 2 Comments

Hello! Greetings from a sunny, slightly chilly Gibraltar. It’s been a week of wild weather all over the shop. Thankfully we just had torrential rain and gales and no misplaced polar vortexes or cold snaps! I hope you’ve managed to stay warm and dry this week.

For the first time ever, this is Sunday Sevens on a Monday – I forgot to press publish!! ….whoops! 🙈

Here’s this week’s Sunday Sevens…

Surprise trip

Last Sunday I made a last minute surprise trip back home to see my parents. My Mum hasn’t been too well since New Year, so I headed back to try and cheer her up. I left Mr Postcard in charge at home and ran away for a few days. Mum was rather incredulous when my face appeared at the lounge window – but after the initial shock she was pleased to see me!

Sunshine

Coming from Manchester I have faced a lifetime’s torment about the fact it always rains there… here is proof that that’s completely untrue! It’s funny being back at home, within moments of going out to the shops I bumped into an old school friend and a friend’s husband. I had to message the friend to say that her husband wasn’t seeing things, and that yes, I was waving at him from my Dad’s car!!

Snow!

On Wednesday morning we awoke to a surprise blanket of snow. Little did I know the impact it would have on my day ahead and my trip home… if you saw my Friday photo challenge post this week, you’ll understand (2 hour long drive to the airport which normally takes 20 minutes and 5 hour delay for takeoff).

Where’s my kitchen gone?

So while I was dashing off home to visit my Mum, poor Mr Postcard not only had three young men to look after, he also had the builders in. After 6 years in our apartment, with a kitchen which was falling apart, it was ripped out this week. We’re living off very simple meals, takeaways and leaning heavily on the microwave!

Art class

I escaped the dust and power tools on Thursday to get to my watercolour class. It was bliss to get away from the chaos!

Stormy skies

On Friday we were greeted with gale force winds and torrential rain, just in time for the morning school run – it was rather grim! Fortunately the rain subsided later on, so we had a dry afternoon school pick up. It definitely felt like winter after a long run of good weather here. Not as bad as snow and ice though!

Food!

We had a gorgeous dinner last night – we went out rather than cobbling something together in our makeshift kitchen. It was delicious and I didn’t have to wash up in the bath afterwards!!! (#firstworldproblems)

I hope you’ve had a good week and that wherever you are in the world, you are dry and warm. Until next week, bye for now!

Friday photo challenge (week 5) Nature

February 1, 2019February 1, 2019 ~ Postcard from Gibraltar ~ 3 Comments

This week, I made a quick trip home to see my family. On Wednesday morning I awoke to find everything covered in a light blanket of snow.

It was beautiful to see everything brightened by the dusting. Little did I know what an impact nature would have on my day…

Not only did it mean a 20 minute journey to Manchester Airport would take 2 hours…

It also lead to a delay of 5 hours to come back home to Gibraltar… I was one of the lucky ones – at least I got home. Many didn’t.

It’s hard to believe that such a little bit of snow could cause such disruption. But it does remind you that nature is always capable of disrupting our well made plans.

Nature is so beautiful though…

…don’t you think?

I’m linking with Alison in Andalucia for this weekly photo challenge #52Fridayphotos

Sunday Sevens #173 27.1.19

January 27, 2019January 27, 2019 ~ Postcard from Gibraltar ~ 6 Comments

Another week gone, I hope it’s been a good one for you. Here’s this week’s Sunday Sevens…

A quiet Sunday

Sunday was a quiet day, a bit of pottering, homework with the Little Postcards and a nice sunset to end with.

Super wolf moon

Early on Monday morning (6:12am) there was a total lunar eclipse. I was asleep when that happened. Eldest got up early to see it but not early enough – it was supposed to be a red/brown colour which gives it the name ‘blood moon’. The very large normal coloured moon was still in evidence when I left the house for the first time on Monday morning. That was spectacular enough for me. Sadly this photo doesn’t do it justice, it was beautiful to see.

Back to sewing

After a rather long hiatus for Christmas and New Year, sewing classes started up again this week. It’s so nice to be back and to catch up on everyone’s news. Oh, and work on my jacket sleeves began…

Rough seas

We have been exceptionally fortunate with our weather lately. We often have a lot of rain at this time of the year, but thankfully we haven’t seen much at all so far. I can’t help feeling it won’t be long before the wellies are back out again. It was a bit gusty though midweek. It doesn’t look too bad in this photo, but the sea was a bit choppy – not a day for going out in a little boat.

Watercolour class

My watercolour of Sacred Heart Church ceiling is coming on apace in my art class. I’m enjoying slapping a bit of colour on it now!

Blue skies

The lovely weather continued on Friday (above) and Saturday (below) it doesn’t feel like January at all … until you get a cold gust of wind or stand in the shade for too long – then you know it’s not summer!

A big plane

I’m not sure whether you can make out the huge grey plane through all the netting, but we were rather taken by surprise at Littlest’s football match yesterday. All of a sudden this rather large RAF plane appeared behind us coming in to land on the runway – it was silent until we heard a sudden roar! ‘Only in Gibraltar’ as they say round here…

So that’s Sunday Sevens for another week, I hope the next seven days are kind to you.

As always I’m linking with Natalie from Threads and Bobbins for this weekly blog series.

Sunday Sevens #171 13.1.18

January 13, 2019 ~ Postcard from Gibraltar ~ 9 Comments

Hello and welcome to yet another Sunday Sevens, my word, that week went fast. It’s been a great one for us here in Gibraltar weatherwise, distinctly un-Januaryish. Normally at this time of year we can get some very wet and rainy days, proper soak-you-through-to-the-skin rain, but we have been remarkably lucky and had lots of clear skies and sunshine. Here goes…

Sunny Sunday walk

The aforementioned sunshine was out in abundance last Sunday, so we headed out for a nice afternoon stroll with scooters and looked for good spots to get up a bit of speed. I even got roped in for one of the races, not sure what the people who saw me zooming past thought (can I just point out that it felt like zooming to me, but was probably more like crawling to the onlooker).

Med steps on a Monday morning

I headed off up the Med Steps first thing on Monday, it was a clear morning in the diary. As I had just dropped the Little Postcards off at school for their first day after the holidays, I thought the laundry could wait and I’d head off for a walk to burn a few of the calories I may have consumed over Christmas and the New Year. There were a few apes about early on in the walk which is rather disconcerting as it was at a rather narrow part and I wasn’t able to give them a wide berth. I’m pleased to say they weren’t bothered about my presence and continued picking fleas off each other or whatever it was they were doing while I continued past.

Boring jobs

This is the point in Sunday Sevens when I would normally post a photo taken at my sewing or watercolour classes. They are yet to start up again after Christmas, so I made use of my time by getting some boring admin jobs done. Hopefully there will be more creative photos in next week’s Sunday Sevens.

Something’s afoot

When I was out in town during the week, I happened to pass the old police station in Irish Town. It’s been lying empty for a few years now, which is a real shame because it’s a beautiful building. I was sad to see it slowly falling into disrepair, but it would appear that something’s going on. I hope that whoever has taken it on, will treat it with respect, because it’s facade is beautiful.

More sunshine!

I’ve got nothing much to say about this photo other than to show you more sunshine. I was out and about doing jobs and spied some tourists heading off up the Rock on the cable car.

Fluffy clouds

I don’t normally walk this route, but I ended up walking this way past St Joseph’s Church on Friday and it struck me how pretty this flight of stairs is down to Scud Hill below, especially with the boats in the distance.

A quick jaunt into Spain

Yesterday morning, once our footballing commitments were finished we headed into Spain for a bit of retail therapy, well actually it was just a trip to the supermarket, but it was nice to have a mooch around somewhere different and get some things we can’t get hold of in Gib as easily. It’s always nice to see the Rock waiting for us on our return.

That’s all for Sunday Sevens for this week. I hope you’ve had a good one and if you’ve returned to work / restarted a school routine this week, that it’s run smoothly for you. I have to admit I’ve enjoyed having a bit of time to myself again, as much as it’s nice to have everyone around at Christmas.

Have a good week!

As always I’m linking with Natalie from Threads and Bobbins for this weekly blog series.

Postcard from Gibraltar Review of 2018

December 31, 2018December 31, 2018 ~ Postcard from Gibraltar ~ 4 Comments

Well here we are at the end of another year, it’s been a year of crafty and photo challenges, and on the whole a good one for the Postcard clan. It’s only now I’ve taken a look back at what we’ve done that I realised that we’ve packed a lot in! Here are some of my highlights from 2018…

January

I started the year off with a lovely walk up the Rock, those paperwhite narcissi were photographed on New Year’s Day. After enjoying participating in a photo challenge in 2017 under the stewardship of Sandra at Wild Daffodil, I decided to have a go at running one in 2018, so #postcardfromgibfridayphoto was born on Instagram and in Blogland. I also embarked on the Seaside Stash Busting Blanket CAL in January too. Little did I know what fun it would become.

February

February saw plenty more crochet and a fair bit of watercolour painting, along with the arrival of HMS Queen Elizabeth to Gibraltar. The huge Royal Naval aircraft carrier was quite a sight to behold.

March

March, very fortunately for us was a month for travel, first to attempt skiing for the very first time in the Italian Dolomites – it was amazing, and second to take the Little Postcards on an Easter trip to the South of England.

April

We began April on Easter Sunday on the Jurassic Coast in Devon, then headed to London for a few days before heading home. It was a fun trip.

May

May meant Med Steps 5 Challenge, Gibraltar’s Comic Con and some lovely spring weather.

June

June brought with it the Calentita! food festival and my very first printed article in the Calentita! magazine. We celebrated World Environment Day and I had a go at Yarnbombing the Alameda Gardens!

July

Summer holidays we the order of the day in July (along with my now traditional annual Summer Craft Challenge). We headed off to Suffolk to help celebrate a big birthday for a member of the Postcard family. We traveled by plane, old trains and kayak! Which reminds me, we went to a fabulous country fair at Worstead, I really should get a post written about that…

August

August was spent in Suffolk, Gibraltar and visiting my family in Manchester. We watched acrobats and magicians in Gib and followed the Bee trail around Manchester.

September

Back to Gibraltar in time for school starting and the end of the Gibraltar Fair. We had National Day celebrations and the MTV Presents Gibraltar Calling Music Festival.

October

At midterm in October we headed off for a short break in Portugal. We’re so lucky to be able to drive to so many lovely places from where we live. This was also the month that I finished my Sandy Bay blanket.

November

November began for us in Portugal and ended with the Christmas light switch on with the fabulous Gibraltar Literary Festival in between. It’s a truly wonderful festival which happens right on our doorstep.

December

December saw the end of the Friday photo challenge I curated as well as a rather pleasant pre Christmas trip up the Med Steps…

Thank you to everyone who has followed and read my posts this year, it’s been lovely to know that there’s someone out there actually reading them! I hope that 2018 has been a good year for you and that 2019 is too!

Friday photo challenge (week 52) Winter plus the Autumn / Winter roundup

December 28, 2018December 28, 2018 ~ Postcard from Gibraltar ~ 3 Comments

In these parts we don’t have a winter like in the UK, we don’t get frosts or snow, and in many cases the trees keep their leaves. However there are some unmistakable signs of winter, like the naked vines with their pendulous seed pods and bountiful crops of citrus fruits.

This is the last entry for this 2018 photo challenge. This year I embarked on a photo challenge adventure after following other people’s challenges in previous years. It was done on a whim and amazingly some lovely people joined in. It has been fun to share this year of photo challenges with you all, thank you to everyone who took part along the way!

I’m taking a step back from organising the photo challenge in 2019 but my blogging pal Alison in Andalucia is running one next year if you fancy tagging along.

This year, we had participants on Instagram and on blogs too, and here is a little round up of the highlights from the last few months:

Autumn / Winter round up:

Week 41 Nocturnal

Let’s start with a bang… how about this for drama?

Bats were a crafty project for Hook Stitch Sew:

Week 42 Curve

And another globe-trotting shot from Susan (bluejake235):

Alison shared an iconic Andalusian image this week:

Week 43 City Life

Alison in Andalucia showed a rather damp Granada for this challenge:

Meanwhile in a much drier Gibraltar, Sandra showed one of the downsides of living in a city which is always developing…

…there’s always a construction site nearby.

Week 44 Tunnel

My well traveled photo challenge friend Susan went through a tunnel to drive across this amazing and fictionally infamous bridge…

Crafty Creek used tunnels created by avenues of trees to great effect this week.

I love this now closed tunnel – it looks so inviting.

Week 45 Remembrance

Susan at bluejake235 is the proud owner of one of these beautiful ceramic poppies….

Sandra at Wild Daffodil wrote about a lovely act of remembrance from World War I in the shape of the Sawdust Heart Project:

https://daffodilwild.wordpress.com/2018/11/10/1568-sawdust-hearts/

Week 46 Storm

Stormy seas featured this week…

Along with snow in Crafty Creek’s blog post and Randall Peck’s Instagram entry…

Week 47 Climb

What about a climb to the top of the Vatican?

Crafty Creek has created the most beautiful patchwork of the Catbells, they look rather similar to the Rock we live nearby!

And visiting this picturesque castle has got to be worth the climb!

And this is a climb I’m yet to make, up to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar curtesy of Sandra!

Week 48 Wild

Randall Peck used wild grass as his inspiration:

Crafty Creek went wild this week with some fantastic photos of the Yorkshire Dales! It includes the most amazing shot of a never ending dry stone wall!

And Sandra, who also lives in Gibraltar has shared this great pic of some of our wilder residents!

Week 49 Sunset

What about a desert sunset?

Or perhaps one where the sky’s on fire?!

Week 50 Decoration

How about this for a Christmas tree? It’s in Brussels and comes curtesy of Susan at bluejake235:

This, my friends, is carved out of ice!!!

Crafty Creek shared some beautiful photos of her home decked out ready for Christmas.

And Sandra captured this great ‘decoration’ in La Linea just across the border from Gibraltar…

Week 51 Star

Here’s next year’s photo challenge custodian’, Alison’s entry for star…

Crafty Creek has a beautiful selection of Christmas creations on show for this challenge too.

And finally, how about this for a light?!

Thank you once again to everyone who has joined in along the way, it’s been great to make new ‘friends’ and hook up with long-standing ones too. Alison, I now officially pass the baton over to you! Have fun and every good wish for 2019 and all the fun it may bring your way!

A stroll around Gibraltar: No. 24 Med Steps & Upper Rock at Christmas

December 27, 2018 ~ Postcard from Gibraltar ~ 3 Comments

It’s been a few weeks since I last took a trip up the Med Steps, fancy joining me? Look, there’s even new signs!

Last week, just before the schools in Gibraltar broke up for Christmas, I made the most of some child-free time and enjoyed the tranquility of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve. Just the tonic needed to recharge the batteries ahead of the final push of chaos towards Christmas…

As it had been a while since my last walk, I allowed myself to take it easy, stop and take lots of photos and just enjoy the moment rather than attempting to rush up there as usual.

I did something I’ve not done before… I went into both of the Goats Hair twin caves…

I’m so glad I did! What a view, perfectly framed by the cave opening…

I just love this ‘official’ graffiti.

What a gorgeous place we have on our doorstep, here in Gibraltar.

Everything was looking rather floral too…

Narcissi galore! They even colonized this disused military lookout post…

How’s that for a green roof?

Aah, those views….

The morning light was special that day, it even made the concrete lookout post look almost romantic…

The hills in Morocco were clearly visible across the Strait.

Everything was looking so fresh and verdant, such a difference to the parched brown scrub of a few months ago.

Clematis and other climbers were scrambling over the rocky walls which line the steps.

I just had to give the lavender a gentle rub on the way past, the perfume was divine!

One brief rest stop en route to the top, but not for long as I could hear voices coming up just below me, can’t have people thinking I’m a lightweight ;-).