Happy Richters

London London

2012-01-18T22:39:00.000Z

I hadn't seen my little brother for 2 years!! It was very nice to spend time with him :)

LOVE the National Gallery, my favorite !

196 days to go, and WE WILL BE THERE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So much fun, Afghani naan is the best, hot, crunchy, tasty....

London or India??

Dearest Louise and Russ at Fulham Mitre Pub

Amy visited me in Brazil, and we all met more than 10 years ago !!

Breakfast with Louise and Russ, perfection...

Hot Drink Cold Day

Gulosassssssssssssss

So exciting hehe

This is Shamrock, such a sweet doggie

My sister in law and in heart :)

Thank you guys, it was lovely lovely lovely !!!!!!!!!!! We ll see you soon, the whole family hehe

Happy 2012 for Happy Richters !!!!!!!!!

2012-01-01T13:17:00.000Z

She is so relaxed and relaxing..........

Doggies stayed home with a suspicious look in their faces hehe

Christmas decoration downtown !!

I really liked this, they show the culture of end of year at a Madeiran table

and the gorgeous hand work they are famous for

A Christmas tree made of golden shoes :)

Happy Richters having fun, and waiting for the New Year !!!!!!!

Making friends :)

Abre o olho Roberto !!!!!!!!!!!!!


The fireworks were beautiful, stunning, spetacular, I was so speechless watching everything I could not take pics hehe They came from everywhere, the ocean, the hills, all color coordinated, hundreds of people welcoming 2012.

On the way home flowers (in the winter !!!!!!!!!)

May 2012 be a year of peace and flowers all over our planet !!!!!!!!!!!

A Cherry Christmas

2011-12-24T22:30:00.003Z

We are so blessed, not enough Chilli & Pepper to cover us with love, this Christmas we have Cherry, a lovely lovely doggie, that is taking over my bed hahaha

We all love Papa !!

Finally relaxing....

How do you like my Christmas charm ??

Let's attack Papa !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Helping Mama to open her Christmas gift :)

Wowwwwwwwwwwwwww Papa is the BEST !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Papa's turn hehe

Sweet Cherry...

Night night... Merry Christmas !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday Outing in Madeira

2011-12-18T16:17:00.000Z

This is a new promenade by our home. We tried it today for the first time, hot hot hot hehe doggies had their tongs out !!!

Merry Christmas !!!

This is the biggest creche in Madeira, a walk in one hehe They show all the traditions of the Island, sooooooooooooo cute, we had a fantastic time !!

Making wine :)

Apple harvest :)

The church of Nun's Valley and the flower carpet made in May for the Flower Party.

The dolls were so adorable with very well made outfits

Chestnuts are plentiful here at this time of the year, love it !!!!!!!!!!!

And here we have the main characters. We are getting ready to celebrate His birthday! A peaceful evening with our doggies and an American dinner with everything Marc likes hehe But on the 23rd evening we have another outing downtown, where there will be a huge street party hehe lots of treats and hot roasted chestnuts, my favorites :)

Home Sweet Home...

2011-11-30T16:18:00.002Z

I love Funchal !!!!!!!!!! I love being home with my doggies, make lunch for my King, go to the gym, re organize the tiny home for the 100th time hahaha It is so nice to be back. Winter is almost non existent here hehe Lovely temperature :) These are my thanksgiving thanks to God who brought us to such a magical island...

Bye Bye Brazil !!

2011-11-27T21:35:00.000Z

Morning walk with Luiz Fernando, Ro & Lucio

Lucio, my uncle, was at his best, happy with his new wonderful house, happy with his life, HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY !!!

Here he is, my dearest friend and mentor

belezinha, Love you always !!!!!!!!!!!

time to go to the airport after a delicious lunch with Thais, Pable & Tutu !!! Sorry guys to leave so early, but my doggies were waiting hehehe

Sao Paulo Day 1

2011-11-26T21:22:00.002Z

and then... my mom and I went to Sao Paulo to visit love loved loved ones...

Arthur is the first great grand child of my grandma. He is an adorable baby, super smart and the continuation of our hot blood hahahaha

We had a great time together :)))))))))

Sweet Ro and Tutu eating mama's corn cake hummmmm

Cheeeeeeeeeeese

In the evening another Indian dinner, they really abuse of my cooking skills hahahaha

Mama

Ro, Con & Mom

This is MY first Godson, he says I am a terrible Godmother hahaha and even compared me to Portugal and Greece downgraded -C rating hahahaha We love each other and I hope to see you soon man !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Campinas

2011-11-24T21:19:00.001Z

And this is MY Godmother, whom I love and cherish since the day I was born. She has been a great Godmother, and mother and friend! Lenine is her son. I also met my Uncle Afonso, my cousin Paulo Vinicius and dear Alexandra. Wish I had seen the whole family but I spent only a few days in Campinas... Next time !!

Alice's Christening

2011-11-20T21:12:00.006Z

Bye Bye Titi !! Bye Bye Dear Alice, we had a wonderful time together, your Christening was very special and I m honored to be your god mother. Words can not tell how much I love you, words cannot describe how amazing you are. Love you Queen Bee !!!!!!!!!

Lunch with the kids

2011-11-16T21:09:00.006Z

I love spending time with Tete & Tutu, they are like my first niece and nephew as they are kids of very good friends of mine.

Tete & Marcel

Happy Day !!!!!!!!!!!!

Indian Dinner for Alice

2011-11-14T21:02:00.000Z

She loved her bindi, however it got lost in the middle of the night and nobody knows where it ended hahaha

Mom & Alice

We all dressed up and enjoyed the evening !!

By Chef Connie hehe Indian but not too spicy please... hihihi

Shopping Spree for Alice

2011-11-12T21:06:00.001Z

We all love her sooooooooooo much.

My adorable sweet candy

She loved the shopping experience hehe Women...

Happy mama & Alice

Unexpected get together

2011-11-12T20:56:00.015Z

Dear Patty

Brotherhood

Memories of our trip

Artists by birth, heart and soul

Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi & 5th Wife

Unexpected evening as my friends had lost a friend, but late very late i got a phone call: COME NOW !!!!!!!!! hahaha

We are nothing without friends...

2011-11-11T20:49:00.013Z

Saude !!!!!!!! These guys have been in my life for many many years, and it is always a great pleasure to spend time with them.

Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon by Barbie

Dearest Albertino & Barbie

Marcos

The Dream: Picture from the book

The Middle: Experimenting a retro dessert

The reality: Barbara's skilled hands

Brazil !!! Again ??????

2011-11-09T08:45:00.007Z

Ahhhhhhhh but if you have such a doll as a niece is sure worth it to travel across the Atlantic !!!!!!

And they were all at the airport for Aunt Connie hehe

She is soooooooo charming !!!!!!

His & Hers

I lived very very happy moments with Alice, wish we lived closer, but such is life...

DGostar Restaurant, Old Town, Funchal

2011-11-06T08:57:00.003Z

And another wonderful evening with Bhima and Sudha !!! Madeira is getting better and better hehe

We tried a new restaurant last night and were incredibly impressed. Doggies relaxed....

The honeymooners....

Goodness gracious, what good food, another feast :)

We were so impressed we wrote a review for a local newspaper (below)

Picanha !!!!!!!!!!!!!

D must be for DEMAIS........ and Gostar for YES !!! Gostamos muito hehe

This restaurant was affected by the floods 2 years ago, they had to rebuild everything, and they did it well.

After dinner we went for a walk in the old town. This statues are outside of a bar.

Amazing, they had an art project in the summer and painted the old houses doors with very creative and funny art work. The city that gets better by the minute hehe

Restaurant Review

A Hidden Treasure

One of the reasons we moved to Madeira was certainly the attraction for Portuguese Food. Last night however we experienced something different and worth sharing with the world. It is hidden, discreet and they call themselves Restaurant &Lounge Bar but they do not bore you with intense and incessant Buddha Bar music. Appetizers were served in a greenish nicely decorated terrace. They make their own Ciabatta which is tasty and soft. It was a perfect match for all the appetizers

1. Melted (hot and melting indeed ) provolone with a touch of oregano

2. Their Filet Carpaccio was served at perfect temperature with very fresh seasoned green salad

3. The Cevice ah the Cevice… a mixture of fish with a light ginger chutney - perfect taste and presentation

And then one of the starts of the night arrived!!! Picanha is a Brazilian cut of meat , made to perfection in an open grill and brought to the table sizzling hot every few minutes. Thin slices of medium done meat are cut straight into your plate by a Brazilian, and it does not stop coming!! Our guests from England were speechless by the size of the meal and the level of the service. The picanha was served with white rice, Brazilian thick black beans and “couve”, a green crunchy cabagge like vegetable that is a perfect match to the Brazilian meal. Oh and the liquid red pepper…. The best we’ve tasted in this part of the world!!! Excellent value for money.

We also ordered octopus and spinach sorrentino which we all tried and approved.

We were ready to go home rolling… when the owner told us we could not go home without trying their mousse. We agreed she would bring a plate with 4 spoons so we could try it. We all imagined a tiny portion of mousse… What was our surprise when she approached the table with a huge (I mean huge…) clay vessel, and spooned it 3 times, serving us an immense portion of rich white and dark chocolate mousse. Laugh was our own reaction. The plate was emptied in a few seconds!!!

What called my attention was that the locals know about this hidden treasure. The restaurant was absolutely full, however we were the only expats there enjoying such good atmosphere, service and food. There were several big groups of friends enjoying their evening with good wine and cold beers.

After such a feast walking was our only option, so we went on to enjoy the new paintings of old town. Madeira gets better every day, and discovering its hidden treasures is a great pleasure.

DGostar is located at Rua da Praia, nº 45, next to Porto Santo Line Office, in front of a big Arch. You can see a sign in the Rua da Praia entrance, but the terrace which faces the city arch is a very discreet and hidden entrance without any sign. Go for the terrace! Telephone: +351 291 237 076 There is a good map in their website. We were told their lunch menu changes daily, but the Picanha is served only Friday and Saturday evenings. http://www.dgostar.net/ - https://www.facebook.com/dgostar?v=info

Moosa Alikhani Abstract Painting Collection 2011

2011-11-05T12:36:00.000Z

THE GLORIOUS BEING - Art Exhibition and Charity Auction

Time	Wednesday, November 9 · 6:00pm - 10:00pm

Location	N'dulge Club, Atlantis Hotel, The Palm, Dubai-UAE

Created By	Art Persia

More Info	ArtPersia presents the exhibition and charity auction of the work of MOOSA S. ALIKHANI - "THE GLORIOUS BEING" ABSTRACT PAINTING COLLECTION 2011 ABOUT THE ARTIST Moosa S. Alikhani is an Iranian born self-developed artist currently living and working between Toronto, New York and Dubai. He has a great interest in human sciences, literature and fine arts and developed his talent in writing and visual art, expressing it through painting and photography works. As a gifted talent and a national top student, he has been selected and had the opportunity to continue education in the National Organization for Development of Exceptional Talents in Iran. He had the honor to learn from great masters in different fields that could make significant effect on his life. Masters like Alireza Eskandari who is an icon in Persian calligraphic painting art and Mohammad Ayoubi, one of the great contemporary Persian fiction writers during years. Although he was doing painting pieces time by time in past few years, this collection of works is the first effort of its kind, developing a single concept into abstract expressions in different forms of works presented together. ABOUT THE EVENT The event will feature both exhibitng of the collection and auction of the pieces at the venue. There will be a silent auction proceeding for all the featured works during the night, and also limited live auction for popular pieces of the collection. Each piece in the collection has an estimate of value and set reserved minimum bid amount by the artist which are in a range starting from $1000 to $3000. Proceedings from the sale of each auction lot in excess of the set minimum bid amount will be donated to the Mekdela Kids Ethiopia project. Sponsored by N'Dulge Club, the venue provides an excellent setting for the event, located in prestigous five-star resort and featuring both comfortable indoor lounge seating area and outdoor balcony to enjoy the revitalizing breeze of the sea assures us to create a memorable night for all our guests. Guests will be welcomed with a glass of bubbly drink and cocktail food courtesy of world well-known japanese culinary brand, Nobu. ABOUT MEKDELA KIDS ETHIOPIA The auction event will support a cause initiated by former colleague and friends of the artist, Connie and Marc Richter that enabled 19 orphan and poor kids in Ethiopia to continue their education with providing daily food and basic living needs to them since 2008. The courage of all supporting people, has inspired creation of this collection of art works to help provide financial support required to continue this project during year 2012. This is just to remind us, a small act of love that any one of us can express, can make a bigger difference in the future life of many other human-beings. And this is what transforms our being, and brings joy and happiness to life. For more information about the project please visit: http://mekdelakidsethiopia.blogspot.com/ INVITATION NOTE It is an honor to invite you to this social gathering, to indulge yourself in a relaxing ambient, being inspired by beauty of art, accomponying and making good friends, supporting a developing artist, and contributing to an established worthy cause. All is enough to make a sweet memorable night. For more information about the event please download event's guide: http://artpersia.org/moosa/MoosaAlikhani_ArtAuction_Invitation_2011.pdf

Levada da Ribeira da Janela

2011-11-03T22:19:00.000Z

And following our booklet of Levadas da Madeira, we completed today Levada number 1, which was the best and longest so far hehe Bhima and Sudha had to put up with my screams every time Pepper and Chilli felt in the water, sooooooooooooooo scary for Mama hahaha

It is so beautiful that it is difficult to comment on the pictures, you must come here to experience the whole Madeira thing !!

Nice to spend the day with normal nice people :) Thank you guys, it was a perfect day !!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Chilli's best friend hahaha They went insane, lots of chicks hahahaha

This is a levada, they built many in the 70's to bring water from the mountains, very smart

"Avencas" remind me of my dearest beloved forever grandma Lucia. She had one in her house for many many years, and it was always there beautiful waiting for my arrival, just like her... Te amo Vo !!!!!!!!

Lunch time, it was about 4hs walk afffffffff tired hehehe

ALL PICS ARE PROPERTY OF BHIMA AURO. My camera was nuts today, thank God for Bhima with his super professional approach to photography and great camera. Thank you Bhima for making our blog so tropical looking hehe

Go Gilrs Go Project Day 28

2011-10-31T09:45:00.000Z

I am pleased with the results of GGG... Over the weekend I felt my walking pants much much looser, I feel thinner and I move faster. My abs are also stronger and I can tighten my stomach muscles, something I was not able to do before. I feel I lost measurements, but I also lost almost 2kg. It could be more but this time I'd like to be able to keep my weight loss. I have had bread a few times, hot fresh bread hehe as I think I should start introducing a little bit of carbs in my diet, not every day, maybe twice a week I had bread that I love. I keep out of potatoes, pasta, rice and sweets for the time being. :)

Levada do Castelejo

2011-10-30T17:05:00.001Z

Wonderful !! Wonderful !!! Wonderful !!!!

Almost 3hs of walk at an altitude of 350 mt, much healthier for Marc !! We met several groups of tourists as it was Sunday hehe They were all delighted to see our cute babies and opened the way for the running beasts hahaha

Chilli & Pepper had a great time, jumping on the levadas, running all the time !!! It was lovely :)

From the end of the walk we could see Eagle's Rock !!

Lovely weekend, and we want mooooooooreeeeeeeeee !!!!

Levada da Serra do Faial

2011-10-29T16:42:00.028+01:00

And then....... I bought this wonderful book with light Levada walks in Madeira !!! There are 16 Levada walks and we have enjoyed 2 of them this weekend hehe The first one was called Levada da Serra do Faial, and was wonderful !!! About 2 hs walk at 800 mt of altitude, it was hard on Marc though because of the altitude, so the next ones will be in lower lands !!!

After the walk we found a great restaurant in Porto da Cruz, called Pipa. The meals were very cheap and a huge portion !!! We spent the night at Porto da Cruz which is a piece of paradise... Lots of people fishing there so... we ll go back soon for a fishing expedition hahaha

Day 4

2011-10-10T09:25:00.001+01:00

930am Breakfast - 1 glass soy milk with sweetener and sugar free cocoa powder, 1 glass of bran cereal with Greek yogurt
Dear Go Go Girls and Boys............ got tired of posting my diet hahaha It s boring, I have to remember what I ate, what time I ate, so by now you have an idea of what I eat, I think it s enough
The Project is going well, Hydro today was great and I truly enjoyed it. Tomorrow I am trying Pilates :)
So I ll post from time to time and let you know of my progress !!!

The Best of our Europe 2011 Trip :)

2011-10-09T16:10:00.004+01:00

Best meal - ham and cheese pizza Bari-Italy
Best peaches - Croatia
Best pears - Spain
Best figs - Italy
Best melons - Albania
Best sunrise/sunset - Servia by the Danube River

Funniest moments - all provided by Chilli & Pepper
Prettiest River - Sorge France
Most expensive meal - 42 euros - Spain
Most expensive night - 40 euros - Dubrovinik by the old city
Best phrase from a German traveling Cape to Cape - "The world is not as bad as they say"

Day 3

2011-10-09T14:26:00.003+01:00

Today I decided to stay home to organize the mass hehe could not put it off any longer, but tomorrow I am back to my Hydro :)

9am Breakfast - 1 glass soy milk with sweetener and sugar free cocoa powder, 1 glass of bran cereal with soy milk do you think my breakfast is boring??? sometimes I change it hahaha

11am Snack - 3/4 apple

1pm Lunch: eggplant and meat stew with my wonderful new Macedonian chilli wowwwwwwww super hot hehe, few bites of fried pork
in the afternoon - 2 slices of cheese, 2 handful peanuts
8pm Dinner: 200gr steak with maionese garlic sauce, 1 small beer

LOVE MY HOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-10-08T18:01:00.001+01:00

I got this beautiful piece in Macedonia, Skopje... Sweet memories, I met this gay guy who hated the country and when I complimented their flag he said it looked like a fan hahaha The tray was a gift from my dad, he left me many gorgeous ones, from the time he lived in Africa. I cheer each one of them... Thanks dad...

Wowwwwwwwwwwww I got these shelves in Bulgaria and could not wait to see them up Voila !!! Indian spices on the right hahaha I really like it, and it s very functional for Mrs Chef :)

Day 2

2011-10-08T14:52:00.002+01:00

9am Breakfast - 1 glass soy milk with sweetener and sugar free cocoa powder, 1 glass of bran cereal with soy milk today I had less cereal, the less you eat carbs the less hungry you are

hydro gymnastics dint feel that hungry today after exercising

12am Snack - 1/2 slice of melon, 1 slice pineapple, coke zero, 1 slice of cheese (50% fat)

2pm Lunch: curried meat, curried lentil, chick peas, lettuce and carrot salad

I drink water of course, but I am not going crazy and counting it, I drink when I am thirsty and I drink when I remember it is good for me.

4pm 3/4 apple

6PM 3 slices of cheese, thin, 50% fat free, coke zero, few chickpeas hehe

9pm dinner same soup as yesterday, much less though.

Day 1

2011-10-07T12:49:00.004+01:00

9am Breakfast - 1 glass soy milk with sweetener and sugar free cocoa powder, 1 glass of bran cereal with soy milk

Went to the hydro gymnastics, loved it, very light, got home starving hahaha

12am Snack - two fingers sugar free orange juice with lots of cold water, 1 slice of melon

2pm Lunch: fish, chick peas, lettuce and tomato salad

3pm dessert 1 handful of white raisins

430pm 3 slices pineapple

630pm 2 handful peanuts

9pm Dinner: soup (spinach, cabbage, leek, carrot, and the left over juice from fish)

Happy Richters = Pet Sitters !!!!!!!!!!!

2011-10-06T22:05:00.001+01:00

We cannot stop moving and doing things and meeting friends !!! So we are Pet Sitters now hehe Cool... We hope to make many new doggies, cats, fish, lizards and maybe horses, ducks, chickens, birds... friends :)

Physical Evaluation

2011-10-06T08:46:00.001+01:00

Here is the damage:

Height: 1,64
Weight: 66 kg (one more kilo I will be considered excess weight)
Fat Index: 36% (ouch...)
Aerobic condition: excellent (all the sightseeing hahaha)
Muscle Toner: weak
Flexibility: very weak
waist line: 83cm (ouch 2...)

I will not measure my goal by kilos, because my main goal is to fit in my clothes... not much to ask right? But I will weight myself fromt time to time

Oh ohhhhhhhhhhhh

2011-10-05T12:42:00.004+01:00

I didn t sleep well of anxiety (Hydrogymnastics starting today). Got up, had breakfast (light), packed my backpack with shampoo, conditioner, change of clothes, flip flops and everything else a modern girl requires for entering and leaving a swimming pool. Got there 30 min ahead of the start of classes so I could get the password. HAHAHAHAHA Guess what?? No classes today as it is a holiday. Priceless funny life...

GO GIRLS GO !!!!!!!!!!!!!! GGG :)

2011-10-04T12:30:00.004+01:00

I ve being dieting since I was 40 years old when I put on a few kilos. I tried herbalife, wonderful, best diet ever, lost many kilos fast, but then... I thought Herbalife shake was alittle expensive, moved, stopped it, and guess what?? Kilos were back quick. Then I tried Atkins influenced by my darling King. Not bad, little greasy but also, I lost the kilos. Went traveling around Europe, couldn t resisit croissants, pasta, pizza, beer, and carbs in general, and guess what? Kilos are back baby...

So now I am trying something different, and I will share my efforts with you, and hopefully I will motivate someone to loose a few kilos too. I was motivated to start the gym by my brother and sister in law, they are doing a wonderful job, and they enjoy it so much, go to the gym on Sundays at 7am, that I thought I cold start enjoying something too.

So, Today I enrolled for 5 days hydro gymnastics, 1 day yoga/pilates and 1 day of cycling in a week.

I also stopped eating: bread, pasta, rice, flour, cow milk, sugar.

What I eat: everything... veggies and fruits (except bananas that have too much carbs - learned that with Atkins), meat, nuts, I dilute sugar free orange juice in water, tea, soy milk,sugar free cocoa powder (love my chocs in the morning), cereal, eggs, and you will see what I eat daily, as I will be posting it here ok?

I am calling the program GO GIRLS GO !!!!!!! GGG hahaha how cool is that??

Back to our Home Sweet Home !!!!!

2011-10-03T20:20:00.000+01:00

And then... after 24hs in a ferry we made it back home !!! It is soooooooooooo nice to be back after 5 months on the road (don't take me wrong, I also LOVE being on the road hahaha). It was a wonderful, lovely trip. We've seen so much, we've grown so much as persons, as a couple, and as a family. We will be always thankful to our God for such an amazing gift. Of course we have already started planning the next one hahaha, but it will take a while... We love Madeira and it will be nice to be here for a while. well maybe a long while hehe Thank you to all our friends and family that shared every moment, every post, every milestone!!!

We traveled 12.829 km !!!!!!!!!!! Super cool :)

Our blog will go on of course with many news of Happy Richters !!!!!!!

Praia da Falesia, Algarve

2011-09-28T13:18:00.000+01:00

A typical relaxing morning, Marc sets the chairs and rugs outside, I make coffee, doggies hide under the car for a quick nap...

Our view of Praia da Falesia :)

View of Albufeira, the closest city

Marc found a point in the GPS when we were in Faro, it was called Road & Road, wowwwwwwwwwww it is here, Praia da Falesia, gorgeous hehehe

Faro

2011-09-27T13:14:00.001+01:00

Faro is lovely, old city... sardines... cold beers... very nice break :) We harvested these olives outside the Mall hehe and they are already being prepared for next year's trip :)

Tavira

2011-09-25T13:12:00.001+01:00

Indian Food in Tavira :)))))))

Puerto Gelves Seville

2011-09-23T13:05:00.000+01:00

We stopped here in the beginning of our trip, and it is such a nice place here we are again, and the flowers inspired my pedicure hehe

Morning view

Granada

2011-09-21T13:02:00.003+01:00

Granada is a lovely city... It seems our trip is reaching an end as I was so lazy to take pics hehe Worth it, great and relaxing spot by the river

Opssss tires hehe

2011-09-19T12:59:00.004+01:00

And there we were going home through Spain when opsssss flat tire hehe I was driving.... very scary !!! So we took the opportunity and trusted these great guys to change our tires, 5 brand new Michelin for Long and Safe Travels !!! Note: we got the flat tire 100mt from this garage hehe Thank you God for keeping an eye on us always :)

Sommiers

2011-09-15T12:42:00.000+01:00

We've been travelling a lot, went to La Fuma Factory in Annoray and got a few shoes on sales hehe Then Beausemblant for the night, back to Narbonne in the south whe we got some supplies for the car, and then a night in Sommiers. There is only one pic because it is impossible to photograph hundreds of birds screaming and flying over the trees while you have a cold pint in front of the river. Memories never to be forgotten.

Fontaine de Valcluse

2011-09-12T18:34:00.001+01:00

Back to our ducks and clear Sorge River. Soooooooooooo peaceful and full of love :)

Honey... dinner is ready hahaha

St Remy De Provence

2011-09-12T11:50:00.000+01:00

hehe When in France do like the French do hahaha

We spent a few hours in St Remy, very cute town, but we are after the ducks and the noise of the river...

Isle Sur La Sorge

2011-09-10T11:33:00.012+01:00

Provence is to be enjoyed slowly, day by day...

Wild Camping downtown. Perfection...

We made a friend and he sang Provence songs for us early in the morning. Special people we meet on the way...

Love it !!!!!!!!!

Our neighbors: noise cute ducks and clear clear river Sorge

Gerard at work hehe

Cheeses, wines, sausages, olives.... The abundance of Provence

Gorges du Verdon

2011-09-09T10:45:00.004+01:00

Gorgeous, France is Gorgeous, our favorite country, every corner is sweet and magic !!!

Moustiers Ste Marie

2011-09-07T10:36:00.007+01:00

We spend a few days in this little paradise in Provence. Days were filled with walks and marches hehe

We also spent hours watching the change in colors of these beautiful mountains, so pretty...

Day and Night...

Abbey Du Thronet

2011-09-06T16:25:00.001+01:00

Provence !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-09-06T16:23:00.004+01:00

We got so lost and ended up in Collobrieres hehe Provence !!!!!!!

Monaco

2011-09-05T16:21:00.001+01:00

Breil Sur Roya

2011-09-04T15:54:00.000+01:00

We spent the night here, nice river, coolish....

and tags finally got his cone, he has painted it red though hehe

Portofino

2011-09-03T15:50:00.005+01:00

Boat trip to Portofino

Huge Boats hehe

Pep's little friend

Santa Margherita Leguro

2011-09-01T15:48:00.002+01:00

We stayed here for 4 days, gorgeous.... long walks, beach, sun bathing, music, perfect homemade pasta, and blue sky hahaha

Pisa

2011-08-31T15:45:00.007+01:00

What a fun day !!!!!!!!!

McDonalds Pic Nic by the Leaning Tower of Pisa hehehe

Strong couple haha

Volterra

2011-08-31T08:41:00.000+01:00

Maybe the vampires crossed this gate ?? hahaha

The land of the Volturi !!!!!!!! But the movie was not made here hehehe Still lots of fans of Edward and Bella

Siena

2011-08-30T15:37:00.004+01:00

Resting in Siena central square

Nice pic hehe

This is the best ever pic of Mama and Peps :)

We are in Toscana/Tuscany !!!!!!!!!

2011-08-29T16:56:00.000+01:00

The Model of San Quirico D'orcia hahaha

Roma Day 3

2011-08-29T15:33:00.013+01:00

Got this for my little Princess Alice hehe

This morning I went to see the Affrescos of Raffaeli, MARAVILHOSOS !!!!!!!!!!!!

We looked at this founstain for hours, so perfect, calming...

Popes the Kings hehe

Leisure day - ice cream.............

One more obelisc

For you Tete !!!!!!!!!!!

They have similar poses and attitudes, so adorable my doggies.....

Rome Day 2

2011-08-28T15:29:00.010+01:00

Break from pastas and pizzas hehe Indian Food !!!!!!!!

Vatican Museum Day, amazing !!!!!!!!!!!

My favorite mosaic

In front of St Pietro, Pope was on vacations hehehe like the elephants in the safari in India hahaha

Roma Day 1

2011-08-27T15:23:00.001+01:00

And Happy Richetrs take a double decker bus in Rome hahahaha Priceless !!!!!!!!

Chilli exausted at the end of a hard day of sightseeing

Told you she was the star at the Fontana De Trevi hehe

Love is in the air and water hehe

Liked this Jesus face hehe Panthenon

Rest in the park- tooooooooo hot hehe

Napoli

2011-08-25T15:18:00.000+01:00

I sw the rest on Pompei in Napoli hehe Gorgeous mosaics.... amazing Archeological Museum...

Flowers in our camping site

HERCULANEUMMMMMMMMMMMMM

2011-08-24T16:03:00.000+01:00

The Bakery hehe

The mosaics in Herculaneum are the most delicate I've ever seen in my life.... No words, it was very emotional to see details of such an old city.

Tags Bacus Augustus hahaha This is a morning pic hehe before the sightseeing...

The Fast Food Restaurant in Herculaneum hahahaha Love it :)

Pepperis Cesaris looked at the camera so smart my doggie...

King Bacus Augustus again....

Details of a ceiling

Pompei

2011-08-23T13:42:00.000+01:00

Yep, it is very cool.... but it is very hot hahahahaha and humid.............

My cute foot in the streets of Pompei hahahaha

In this house lived a man with a very big penis hahaha

My favorite pic, so cute the four of us :)

Happy Birthday to me hehehe

2011-08-22T13:55:00.009+01:00

Breakfast in Ravello in a cute Agrotourism hehe

Crazy Road and a Good Driver next to me !!!!!!!!!!!!!! My King of course...

Amalfi Coast Rocks !!!!!!!!!!!! But it has no parking hahahaha

Emerald Cave, amazing... Chilli and Pepper loved it hehehe Lucky dogs..........

45 was good, I am healthy, traveling with my dear love and doggies, just missing to sort our the things for my Mekdela kids, I really suffer thinking they will not eat, but I keep praying and I do believe in miracles...

Vietra Sur Mari

2011-08-20T13:37:00.004+01:00

hahahaha Here we are in the beginning of The Amalfi Coast, stayed here for two nights and made friends who gave us this huge vegetable hahahaha

Our fruit bowl has been abundant in the last days, the figs and plums are form our camping site, free hehehe

Lovely Bari

2011-08-18T13:32:00.011+01:00

Oh bari is so lovely, we had long and nice walks, and really enjoyed watching the locals real life...

You see their religiosity everywhere

Marc joked this was the museum of acupuncture hehehe

Highlight of the day: the best pizza ever with the best cheese ever in a local small restaurant

Kosovo, Albania and Ferry !!!!!!!!!!!

2011-08-17T13:26:00.012+01:00

Another unplanned crazy day - 12 hours of driving !!!!!!!!!! Crossed Servia, Kosovo, and unexpectdely found a great road to Albania, got at Durres Port one hour before the departure of the ferry to Bari- Italy, got cheap cigarettes, ate a quick pizza and board !!!!!!!!!!! The kind Italians lent us a cabin on the ferry so we took a deserved shower, we slept in the van with our doggies.

Kosovo is a beautiful country, no pics though as we were only driving driving hehe What was funny was the customs asking us to go to the "terminal" to check our temporary license plate HA HA HA First I am Brazilian, and I do not go to terminals haha second our license plate is not temporary, so i talked and talked and they decided to let us in :)

Surprise Surprise !!!!!!!!!!!

2011-08-16T13:15:00.000+01:00

Our GPS Vivi has always had its own mind but this time it went far beyond our expectations hahaha So we left Bucharest early in the morning to go to Sofia and then Tessaloniki, after about 100km on the road we realized it was easier to cross Servia and Kosovo in order to get to Albania and so we did hahaha

After a full day of driving we found this gorgeous setting by the Danube, sunset and a wonderful red moon (could not move from my bed to take pics hehe)

but at 6am i was fresh and ready for the sunrise, wonderful !!!!!!!!!!!!

Our doggies enjoying the morning sun in Servia hehe

We stopped for lunch on our way to Kosovo by this beatiful Ortodox Church, seldom we have the opportunity to take pics

Bucharest

2011-08-15T13:09:00.014+01:00

hehe here we are having dinner with Dear Susie & Barbara :)

Before going exploring it's a good idea to know where you have your car parked!!

Beautiful morning walk in Herastrau Park

Popovo, Last Day !!!

2011-08-14T08:56:00.001+01:00

Our Sausage is ready to roll !!! I thoght I would show you a little bit of our house today, for a change hehe We bought this good blanket in Austria (planning for winter already hehe), unfortunately the cover do not match our beautiful butterfly curtains, not yet hehe Going to Morocco and fixing it ebaaaaaaaa

Our wardrobe which has seen better days hehe We are fully packed at the moment hehe Marc is considering renting a store area before we go to Morocco in October hehe sick...

Here I keep our spices and food

Our small kitchen with refri underneath

Little storage area under the bed for water, chairs, dog food et all

We got this somewhere along the long road, cute ins't it?

Our library :)

Our Masallah birds, Marc has had them for more than 30 years !!!

Super shower a blast of warm water (sometimes...) hahaha

Our office with AC power, sofa, and we used to have plants in the pot, now it's being used for storage of dog's toys hehe

A word of Thank you for Sharon, today is our last day here, we leave tomorrow morning, and we are happy to say we did save money in the last 2 weeks !!!

Popovo, Day 13

2011-08-13T10:21:00.000+01:00

The neighbor Annie brings us delicious dishes, this fresh and hot pastry was the best !! Thank you Annie, you make our days even happier :)

Chichi loves taking baths with Papa hehe

Pepper hates water hahaha He just wants to leave....

Tip: roll inside drawers.... keep rolling hehe

The birds :) The yellow one had a bath the other day hehe

Every day at 8am and 8pm they come and go...

Doggies always get very curious about the noise

Today I cleaned the house and Marc finished mowing. Tomorrow last touches in the van and voila !!! Monday we hit the road Jack :)

Popovo, Day 12

2011-08-12T09:34:00.001+01:00

After 2 days of rain the sun is out !!!!!!!!! Marc is making a revolution in our car to get ready for our next 3 months of travel :)

He also gave the last touches to the barn window

The poor beans got wet in the rain, but they will recover hehehe Inshallah...

Mekdela Kids Ethiopia

2011-08-11T17:40:00.000+01:00

Dear Happy Richters Blog followers. We have had a project in Ethiopia for the past 3 years, feeding low-income kids at school. Friends and family have always helped us, but now, when we are ready to start our 4th year, we do not have much money. I am being proactive and reducing from 23 kids to 19 kids for the first month of school, September. We are stopping aid for 3 kids who have always had poor grades, and one child in moving from Addis Ababa. These 3 kids will either stop studying and start working in the streets of Addis, or they will endure a full day of school without food as their parents do not have enough to feed them.

If we do not get donations until September we will reduce our group to 8 kids, which is the maximum we can sponsor ourselves.

So, donations are welcome, we really would like to have all the kids under our wings until they graduate from College, but God has its own ways of doing things and we do respect it. Even though I respect it, I am crying, and my heart is bleeding because these kids are very dear to me, and they do deserve a chance in life.

There is a link to their blog in our blog on the right

http://mekdelakidsethiopia.blogspot.com/

Popovo Day 11

2011-08-11T06:37:00.001+01:00

It has been raining here since yesterday, it s very beautiful, but Chilli and Pepper refused to go outside on the rain haha we had to kind of give them a push hahaha Sharon sent us a nce e-mail, it's nice to hear she is happy with our work (I have delete personal comments) "

Sharon West …. sender

Hello all, sorry have not been in touch but only arrived at mums today,my sister has no internet at moment…… its been busy here, i just read your blog,its great, i hope you are all ok there and the stuff you have done looks really great,thank you. I am at mums until thursday and if you need to speak to me please skype call mums landline…. will see you on sunday eve, my flight gets into romania at ….. then i will get back asap,will try and get back to lyublen before it gets dark, keep well and big hugs,ps the dogs look lovely and clean .great photos, …… ps, if you go to bed before i get back on sunday,please leave keys out for me to get in …………,the tiling looks brilliant, so clever the both of you, im very grateful xx
--

Sharon West

Voila !! My 3rd clean refri of the Helpx season 2011 haha I love clean refris, they look so bright, and even the food tastes better hehe

Marc spend hours trying to do a good job on this little piece of missing wood, can you tell ?? hahaha


Ceiling is done, two coats of white paint. So our plans for today are pray so the rain stops a little bit so we can finish mowing the lawn, organizing our van inside and playing with doggies !!!!!

Popovo, Day 10

2011-08-10T10:02:00.000+01:00

That is how you feed your husband in the morning hahahaha

We went for a nice walk in the village and made many new friends !!

This is the Turkey Gang hehe

Blue details in an abandoned house downtown hehe

Smallest Zuchinni we found in the garden, amazing.....

Dear Helpx Host, this is O.J. We carry him around and hang them in the bathroom of your house hahaha This way you don't have to see our bathroom stuff all over the place hehe How organized is that ? hahahaha Just joking, but O.J. is very practical when we are traveling

Popovo, Day 9

2011-08-09T10:09:00.000+01:00

Bored.......... hehe time to hit the road Jack :) Painted the mini clothes pins for Alice. Each with a different theme matching with what will be hung, so cute...

Swimming pool is clean, keep weeding...

Marc started painting this ceiling

and the window in the barn is ready. Not many news.... I have planned the rest of our adventure, and we started cleaning and organizing the car :) Soon life will be more exciting hehe

Popovo, Day 8

2011-08-08T09:59:00.000+01:00

Voila, almost done, it only needs a good cleaning now. My King is so talented :)

These are the Bulgarian Beans, we'll have them for lunch today, they do look delicious...

I keep weeding...weeding...weeding.... and Marc is now working on replacing a little piece of wood in the sitting room, also the toilet flushing system had a little problem today but it has been fixed already.

It is a hot and sunny day :)

Happy Sunday !!

2011-08-07T11:48:00.001+01:00

You see, that's why he is called Brave Heart hehe Today he disappeared because he ate lots of tomatoes yesterday hehehe

weeding...weeding...weeding....

Oatmeal pancakes with honey and raisins for breakfast, so healthy :)

Tags finished the sides of tiles, and now another 24hs to dry

Today the neighbor brought us another 20 eggs, to add to the 29 eggs we already had. I used 6 eggs for an egg salad, 3 for our oatmeal pancakes, and 3 for the Raspberry French Delight, how many eggs we have left? Hahaha

By the way she also brought raspberries, corn, pears and I harvest about 10 tomatoes form the garden hahaha And in the meanwhile kids starve and die around the world, why these natural abundance distribution got so messed up?

I learned this recipe with Tom in France, almond flour nhameeeee

Popovo, Day 6

2011-08-06T11:25:00.000+01:00

Every day we do a little bit of mowing, this area next to veggie garden looks much better hehe

Voila !!! My preserves are ready :) Melon Jam, Spicy Curry Tomato Sauce and Italian Tomato Sauce. Hope the neighbor doesn't bring anything else as we run out of jars... Wish the decoration was nicer but I couldn't find much material to play with. I bought the linen in Popovo before our host left.

Marc started the tiles today, now he has to wait 24hs to finish it up

And as he was working with cement he decided to fix the entrance of the house. I had cleaned it partially yesterday and will clean again once it is dry

Done !!!

Popovo, Day 5

2011-08-05T12:15:00.009+01:00

Oh sooooo cute !!!!!!!!! We've had a busy night and a busy morning hehe Last night I heard the dogs barking... My Super King got dressed and went there to see, guess what? He found this sweet spiky hedgehog hahaha and kept him safe in a bucket the whole night

Chichi and Peps got to smell him hehe

And Marc got up very early to build our little friend called Sonic a nice hole

He likes his new home hehe

Brave Heart is Marc's new pet haha He even sat in his arm and ate from his spoon...

Got these from the veggie garden this morning

Gringo got a good brush and he also got to play a little with our dogs, adaptation...

There he is !! Hope he doesn't take up smoking hehe

Beautiful snails everywhere

Tags worked making the surface ready for the tiles, and he also finished the barn window

Voila !!! My Rabbit :) Recipe below if you would like to try, it was delicious......

The neighbor brought us corn and more tomatoes hahaha Today I will make tomato curry sauce for a change hehe

And melon jam with ginger and lemon. It has to sit on sugar for a while.

Gringo is a sweet doggy, hope he will get to play with Chilli. Tobi visited Chilli today again, he loves him !!!!!!

Mustard Rabbit recipe

This Mustard Rabbit dish takes some time to prepare ... but it's worth it!

Ingredients

Half a dozen rabbit joints
4 large tablespoons of Dijon mustard
Seasoned flour
Large knob of unsalted butter (a couple of ounces is about right)
3 or 4 rashers on streaky bacon
onion
garlic
about half a pint of double cream

Method

Wash and dry your rabbit joints.

Put them in a large bowl, cover with salted water and leave to soak for a couple of hours.

Drain and dry.

Coat the rabbit joints evenly with the Dijon mustard and leave them in a cool place overnight. I suggest the fridge... if you're in the market for a fridge look here for excellent fridges.

The following day...I said this mustard rabbit recipe takes time...
Dust the rabbit joints lightly with seasoned flour, shake off any surplus.

Melt the butter in a flame-proof casserole and lightly brown the rabbit joints on both sides.
Lift out the rabbit joints and set them aside.

Peel and finely chop one onion and garlic cloves to taste.
Remove the rind from the bacon and roughly chop it.
Fry the bacon in the butter for three or four minutes add the onion and garlic and cook over a low heat until the onion is soft.

Return the Rabbit joints to the casserole, cover with a close fitting lid and cook over a very low heat for a further thirty minuets.

Remove the casserole from the heat and stir in the double cream.

Cover again with a close fitting lid and throw the whole lot into an oven preheated to about 180c.
Cook for about forty five minuets..you might like to stir the casserole once or twice during the cooking time.

Serve straight from the casserole (mind you don't burn the table)!

Boiled potatoes and the usual green vegetables go well with this dish
You might want to throw a few bread croutons over the top as well.

http://www.squidoo.com/rabbit-recipes

Popovo, Day 4

2011-08-04T11:39:00.005+01:00

The sun is kind of out, so I took the morning to air our blankets and wash our linen. Even though our host told us the dogs could stay inside with us in the first e-mails we exchanged we feel more comfortable having them jumping around in our own linen hehe Chilli made a friend today, it was so funny... I heard her outside and when I run there to check she was having a great time with Tobi, the neighbor's little black dog. He is very cute and short hehe Then inside she looked at me all happy trying to tell me the whole story hahaha

Tomatoes are abundant, so I am having a go at sun dried tomatoes, sun dried in the sun not in the oven, much more environmentally correct hahaha I am using some salt and herbs, and watching them every hour to see any change hahaha It might take 4 or 5 days hihi Maybe more if the weather changes...

I am almost done with my beans, and I might cook some, I remember my grandma telling me: "These are new beans... very soft..." My darling grandma :) Hope things are going well up there and that you are having a great time !!!!!! Love you always.

KISS, the dog, had dinner with us today, they all behaved very well and are almost friends, Marc brushed his fur and he was very sweet with all of us. Gringo was jealous but tomorrow is his turn to socialize with Chilli & Pepper. We named the white chicken that leaves in the garden hehe Brave Heart because he is so brave around dogs and cats hehe He ate from Marc's hands and had a good time. We started cleaning up the weeds, slowly because there lots to do, but the front door looks much better already, I removed several dead pears and lots of weeds.

Popovo, Day 3

2011-08-03T20:49:00.003+01:00

Today Sharon, the owner of the house we are staying, left for her trip and we started our house sitting experience. These are the tasks for the next 10 days:

Lay down some tiles in the front porch
Fix a window in the barn
Mow the lawn
Water garden every two days
Feed the fish every 3 days
Feed and give water to two birds
Feed and give water to 2 dogs, Gringo and Kiss
Of course, deliver the house clean

We are not planning to leave the house as the nearest town is 30 min away (saving money period). I am planning to do some reading, painting, cooking, apple preserve and organizing the van for our long trip back home.

Couscous Salad, a recipe I learned in India in our Cooking Club (Thank you Vanessa!!). Miss this time, only met genuine, sincere, relaxed and kind people, we learned a lot from each other !

The neighbor brought some tomatoes and I made 4 jars of tomato sauce, Italian recipe hehe

Love my dogs !!!!!!!!!!!!! Before we took the picture they were forming a perfect heart shape hehe but as soon as you get up to get the camera they move hahaha Pepper is so funny these days, and Chilli got mesmerized by a chicken today, she doesn't even blink hehe

Plentiful veggie garden

2011-08-02T09:50:00.004+01:00

I started my day searching the veggie garden hehe

I harvested beans, so cool hehe Not used to these simple things of life yet !!

Popovo Day 1

2011-08-01T09:46:00.002+01:00

We are here !!!!!!!!!!! After 6 months of e-mails back and forth we made it to Lyiblen, Popovo, Bulgaria hehe The house is very nice, and we will be house sitting for her for about 10 days. Marc has already started his computer work hehe and I have started my cooking delights.

Unforgetful Arbanasi

2011-07-30T09:39:00.001+01:00

The Church of Archangel Michael and Gabriel, how amazing is that???

Bulgarian Singers

I was so lucky to watch a christening at the Holy Virgin Church, the Priest was super relaxed and informal. The singing was beautiful, the smell of incense typical of Orthodox churches...

Outside of Holy Virgin Church, The Virgin of 3 hands... Gorgeous !!!!!!!!

Several churches were closed, St Dimitri being one of them, but I enjoyed so much the ones that were open, went back several times and never got tired of seeing the paintings on the walls from 15th and 16th centuries

Christening of a beautiful little girl...

Archangels, my dear Archangels...

Sofia we are in Sofia !!!!!!!

2011-07-25T14:57:00.000+01:00

Sofia is massive, in size and beauty. Impressive Cathedral, gorgeous city !!!!!!!

May you give us your blesses always Our Sweet Lord...

HAPPY RICHTERS !!!!!!!!!!!

Skopje !!!!!!!!!

2011-07-25T14:54:00.000+01:00

Alexander The Greater :)

Next to another national symbol hehe Skopsko Beer hehe

Lake Orhid - Monastery

2011-07-24T12:52:00.000+01:00

Lake Ohrid - Houses on the Water

2011-07-24T06:45:00.000+01:00

WE LOVED THIS PLACE !!!!!!!!!!!!

Lake Ohrid - Gradiste Camping Site

2011-07-24T05:00:00.000+01:00

It was super cool, to be among all those teenagers, felt younger again hahaha

What a cute camping site :)

After party hahaha

Good Morning Lake Ohrid You are AWESOME !!!!!!!

Shqipëria (Albanian) Feast !!

2011-07-16T09:23:00.000+01:00

And then one Saturday evening we arrive for this "dinner" at the Albanian countryside... Little did we know hahaha

Aunt Hope :)

Uncle Erlis and Mama Minerva (Minnie)

Super welcoming family. Thanks Doc !!

For the ones who do not know this is MY KING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Delicious drink made of rose petals, wowwwwwwwwwww

And then... it was not a "dinner" IT WAS A FEAST !!!!!!!!! BANQUET !!!!!!!!!!!!

Traditional Burek, fresh, warm, couldn t be better........ I had about 3 big pieces........

Our dear hostess Mrs Butterfly :) Sorry forgot the translation at the moment. Excellent people!!!

The night came and we were there... still eating hahaha

Newlyweds Esperanca & Jeton :) Long Life for the birds !!!!!!!!!!!!

Erlis, our host and Jeton's papa

How cute is that??

The lady on the right is the responsible for my extra kilos haha she would never stop putting food on my plate. Her son loved Chilli & Peps so much that he wanted to move in with us hehe

The chefs were from Kosovo, so these are Kosovo kebabs, great !!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for such a great evening !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And when we thought it was all finished, they came with chicken hahahaha

My favorite sofa...

2011-07-15T10:04:00.001+01:00

I love your sofa Uncle Erlis :)

A Day at the Beach

2011-07-14T10:00:00.002+01:00

Trying Albanian delicacies hehe

What a gorgeous beach !!!!!!!!

Doggies made many friends

Swimming dog's talk hehe

hahahaha Chilli looked so funny...

Erlis' Lovely Family

2011-07-13T09:58:00.002+01:00

I love Uncle Erlis !!!!!!!!!!

Two Papas and one Uncle Erlis hehe

A sweet grandmother and a sweet mother :) It was a great evening !!!!

5th Anniversary Seychelles Wedding !!

2011-07-12T09:42:00.002+01:00

LONG LIFE FOR HAPPY RICHTERS !!!!!!!!!!! We had a lovely day, walked around Tirana, took the doggies for a trimming and celebrated hehe

Surprise Surprise !!!! Flowers for the Queen :)