Med Steps

Farewell old friend….

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The Rock of Gibraltar painted my me at one of my watercolour lessons

Way back in the summer of 2015, I set off on a blogging adventure. Inspired by the likes of Lucy at Attic24 and several other craft bloggers, I decided that I would have a go at sharing a few snap shots of my life on the Rock. At the time, I had a the unique selling point that I was based in Gibraltar, and at that time, there were no other craft bloggers active on the Rock. I thought that even if no one was interested in what I was making, at least I could share beautiful photos of my sunny surroundings way down in the south of Europe.

The Upper Rock Nature Reserve

I felt compelled to share some of the quirks and beauty of where I was living at the time – a much misunderstood place from the outside. There is so much more to Gibraltar than the day trips from cruise ships and bus tours from along the Costa would have you believe. There’s much more than red phone boxes and fish & chips, British bobbies and Marks and Spencer in the sun. It’s home to a diverse group of people with origins from far and wide, the fortunate byproduct of it’s geographical location at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsular and just a short distance across the Strait of Gibraltar from Morocco and the African continent beyond.

The Europa Point lighthouse with the Strait of Gibraltar beyond

Soon I began sharing a series of blog posts called ‘A stroll around Gibraltar’ as I took my camera and later my phone along on walks around the narrow streets and back alleys of Upper Town and into the Nature Reserve of the Upper Rock – in fact my post about the ‘facts and figures of the Med Steps’ remains my most read post to date. I posted more than 200 Sunday Sevens posts and hosted a Friday Photo Challenge on Instagram one year as well.

The view northwards from part way up the Med Steps

I also used Postcard from Gibraltar to share what I was making, from the dressmaking and watercolour classes which I was able to attend once all three Little Postcards (my three sons) were old enough to all go to school, as well as a number of community crochet projects I joined in with from Yarndale worldwide appeals for crocheted bunting and mandalas to Eleonora from Coastal Crochet‘s Seaside Stashbusting blanket and Changing Tides blanket crochet-alongs.

My Seaside Stashbusting blanket inspired by Sandy Bay in Gibraltar

As our family went on trips around the place I would blog about our travels in my ‘A Postcard from…’ posts which included Rome, The Algarve, Carcassonne, and skiing in the Dolomites, as well as UK destinations like Manchester, Cheshire, and Suffolk.

A few photos from one of our holidays in Suffolk as I worked on an Eleonora Tully design from Little Box of Crochet for that year’s Summer Craft Challenge

Postcard from Gibraltar also opened doors for me and I began writing for an online parenting magazine in Gibraltar which now no longer exists sadly, I also got articles published in print for the Calentita! Gibraltarian food festival magazine. In short, Postcard from Gibraltar gave me the confidence to venture back out of my domestic set-up after many years being a stay-at-home Mum.

My Attic24 cosy stripe blanket at Europa Point

In 2020, along with everything else which was happening in the world, close to home for us, change was afoot. We found ourselves moving back to the UK after 11 very happy years in Gibraltar. It was a big adjustment, which wasn’t made any easier by the pandemic, but we survived! At the time, I wondered whether I should continue with Postcard from Gibraltar as it would no longer be ‘from Gibraltar’. I had begun my new podcast project ‘Making Stitches Podcast’ by then, and whilst it brought me very welcome creative distraction – especially during lockdown, I felt I would miss Postcard too much if I just finished it, so I kept it going in a slightly less regular, less sunny and blue skies kind of a way!

I may be in the north of England now but we do still get occasional blue skies!
(Photo taken at Dunham Massey this week)

More than 2 years on from our move though, I think the time is right to say goodbye to Postcard from Gibraltar. I won’t be saying goodbye to it completely though. This blog and all of the previous posts will still be available to read and if you should search for Postcard from Gibraltar online, it will still lead you here. Postcard from Gibraltar is evolving, just as I have, and from now on, will be known as Making Stitches.

It felt right to adapt what I’m already doing to compliment what I have been working on with Making Stitches Podcast. In the last two years, that has gone from strength to strength and is now in it’s 6th Series with more than 50 episodes featuring interviews with creative people from many different disciplines including crochet and knitting (including my old friend Eleonora Tully from Coastal Crochet), dressmaking, embroidery, textile art, weaving, yarn dying and more. In addition to this, I have made a foray into crochet design myself with the launch of my amigurumi crochet patterns. My life has changed quite a bit from what I was doing back in Gibraltar and it’s time this blog caught up with me.

Looking south towards the Rock – photo taken on Alcaidesa beach

I will still post my monthly Postcards (because I would miss writing them too much) although I can’t guarantee I’ll be any more prompt with posting them (!) and I’m pretty sure I will have another go at a Summer Craft Challenge again next year, so in a way nothing has changed, just the name.

View of Gibraltar from La Linea

Thank you to everyone who has read my posts, liked them or commented through the years and a special thank you to those of you who have become friends through this medium too. Your support, although virtual, has been very much appreciated over the years and it’s that which has kept me going. Who knows what lies ahead?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Lindsay x

Sunday Postcard #27 16.5.21

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Hello there! It’s been a while. I hope you’re ok. I went missing in action for a while there, there was no big reason, just didn’t feel the need to check into blogland. But I’m back, I just thought I’d pop in and say hi!

So what have I been up to lately? Well lots of stuff and nothing too. There has been some progress on unpacking the house (6 months after our move) thanks to a couple of trips to Ikea. However, despite this, the house seems to be a bigger mess than it was before for some reason. I guess we will get there in the end. There just seems to be so many other things which need doing too and progress on everything is slow. Here’s a quick recap on what I’ve been up to over the last few weeks…

I’ve been jabbed!

Last month, round about the time I went missing in action, I had my first Covid jab. I have to admit I didn’t have a great reaction to it as I was pretty unwell for a day or so – it felt a lot like when I had Covid last year – but I guess that means it’s working so I’m not complaining. Fingers crossed my next dose won’t have the same effect.

Football crazy

Football seems to have taken over my life in recent weeks. Littlest used to play for a team when we lived in Gibraltar and recently he got involved with a team over here in Manchester. We now have training twice a week and the possibility of two matches a week too to try to make up for lost time during the most recent lockdown. That may have had some bearing on my lack of visibility on here!! He’s loving it though, and the prospect of away matches means we have the perfect opportunity to explore some new locations not too far from home! This was my view from the touchline yesterday morning for his first ever match.

AmiguruMay

I have been taking part in the Instagram challenge by the talented amigurumi designer Ilaria Caliri called AmiguruMay this month. It’s given me the perfect opportunity to look back through my old photos to find my amigurumi creations of old! Here are a couple of old friends Rocksy & Gib! You can read about their exploits up the Rock here.

Podcast news

Episode 24 Rosina from Zeens and Roger

Blimey, I’ve been away so long that I’ve actually published not one, but two episodes of Making Stitches since I last checked in. The first was with a fellow blogger and hugely talented crochet designer Rosina of Zeens and Roger. Rosina and I started blogging around a similar time and have followed each other over the years, although Rosina has done very good things and achieved such a lot in the meantime!!

Episode 25 : Sarah Corbett from the Craftivist Collective

My next episode, which was published on Friday this week, features my conversation with the inspirational Sarah Corbett from the Craftivist Collective. I found our chat so inspiring and utterly fascinating. Sarah’s method of ‘gentle protest’ has had amazing results and she is keen for lots more crafters to get involved in her new project ahead of Cop26 in Glasgow this year.

You can listen to both of these episodes via this link.

In other news… I’ve been published!

I have been a fan and a subscriber to Simply Crochet magazine for years, and recently was given the opportunity to write an article for them. It was a call to action for crocheters to support their local yarn shops after this dreadful year of lockdowns and restrictions. I spoke to some lovely shop owners who were so generous with their time, and I feel very proud to have been published in this super magazine. Thank you Simply Crochet!

And that’s just about it for this postcard. Sorry I was away so long, I will try to do better next time! I hope life has been treating you kindly, and that you have a good week.

Until next time, take care.

Lindsay x

A big birthday – Postcard from Gibraltar is 5 today!

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Hello! Postcard from Gibraltar is 5 years old today!

When I first launched this blog back in 2015, I had no idea where it would lead. It was an outlet for a slightly stir-crazy stay-at-home Mum with a desire to do more but unable at that time to go back to work, even on a part-time basis.

Little did I know the doors it would open or the confidence it would give me. It has brought me the opportunity to write for magazines; both online and in print. It gave me the confidence to return to the world of work after many years at home with children and now there is a new podcast ‘Making Stitches’.

It all started with this first blog post. Little did I know then, where it would lead and even if it would last as long as that first summer!

Catalan Bay

It has also brought me connections with many friends near and far. Friends I have never met and probably won’t ever meet, but friends nonetheless in ‘real life’ and living in my phone!

Our furry neighbours

Thank you to everyone who has read my posts and cheered me from the sidelines over the past five years. I am very grateful for your support.

It seems rather appropriate that this milestone should happen now while things are in a state of flux for us. Not just because of the issues going on on the world stage but also those a little closer to home.

Looking north from the Med Steps

Next month we will be leaving Gibraltar after 11 very happy years here. Life is leading us back to the UK and a new life in the north of England. We leave with mixed emotions; great affection for Gibraltar and it’s people who have made us feel very welcome and sadness to be saying goodbye to good friends and this beautiful place.

Gibraltar National Day 2019

However, looking forward we are thrilled to be heading back home to be close to family and friends (some of which I have known since primary school). Living so far from family has its limitations and that has been brought home more than ever during the past few months of lockdown.

Europa Point lighthouse (with Morocco in the background)

I have thought long and hard about what to do about Postcard from Gibraltar after the move. Can there even be a Postcard from Gibraltar if I’m not in Gibraltar anymore?

View from the Med Steps on a foggy day

But I would miss the community I have met online too much if I packed it all in. I also can’t quite face starting a new blog and going back to square one with it alongside the enormity of moving a family and all our belongings from one end of Europe to the other during a global pandemic, so Postcard from Gibraltar will continue after our move.

View from the Bay of Gibraltar

I can’t guarantee as many photos of blue skies or sea views. I’m not sure whether our sunsets will be quite as picturesque in the suburbs as they are across the Bay of Gibraltar but I will do my best.

The view from our front door

I understand that a good proportion of readers of this blog will be doing so because of the Gibraltar connection, and if it no longer interests you in the future (in its UK based form) I won’t be offended if you fall away. Many readers though, I believe, do so because we have a shared interest in crafty things and trying to find a little bit of beauty in everyday.

Town centre & Upper Town

And so, at the end of Postcard from Gibraltar’s first five years, I look back feeling proud of what it’s become and excited for the future and what it holds in store. Thank you for coming along on my journey with me, it’s been a pleasure to have your company on the ride!

Looking south to Gibraltar from Alcaidesa beach in Spain

Thank you,

Lindsay x

25th June 2020

Sunday Sevens #222 17.5.20

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Hello there! How are you this week? It’s been an extremely busy one for me. I was bitten by the cleaning / tidying bug – it’s a very rare occurrence. I did so much cleaning one day I walked 12,000 steps and hadn’t left the apartment!!

So much domestication has meant not much time for crafts but I hope to make up for that next week now I can sit back in a clean and tidy(ish) home! Here’s this week’s Sunday Sevens:

Sunday family walk

Last Sunday we had a family walk up to the bottom of the Upper Rock Nature reserve. It was a lot busier than it has been of late. There were more cars to dodge and some people were stopping to chat too. It felt jarring to see after so many weeks of isolation and social distancing.

Med Steps escape

On Tuesday I escaped on my own for the first time since lockdown (apart from to walk to the recycling bins or go to the supermarket) and climbed the Med Steps. It was beautiful and full of wildflowers. I wrote a blog post all about it – you can find it here if you missed it.

Pandemonium CAL

I’ve hardly had time or energy for crochet this week. But here’s what I have managed… done rather big bobbles on my Pandemonium blanket!

Sunshine on a rainy day

We’ve had a few extremely wet days this week (think total stair rods /monsoon). Naturally as I was on a spring cleaning mission, I washed all the windows – big mistake! They were soon splattered with raindrops. But at least it meant I caught sight of this brief beauty.

Coo-eee! I can see you!

When I climb to the top of the Upper Rock I like to take a moment to look down and spot places of interest. From certain angles you can see the roof of the building we live in, the schools the Little Postcards have been to etc. When you’re up there, it’s easy to forget that there might be someone down below looking up at you. One afternoon this week, that was me. I was in my kitchen and looked up through the window to see three people up there looking down. It looks rather precarious from below though…

Winning at the weekly shop!

Now when you get up and out early to do the weekly shop and are braced to join the end of a long queue to get into the supermarket, there’s no greater sight than this….

Eurovision night sunset

Last night as we watched Eurovision (the not really Eurovision version) and as the sun was setting on what should have been the venue of the grand final, I looked out of the window and spotted our own sunset too.

Podcast update

This week’s Making Stitches episode features a chat with Carole Rennison from Yarndale about this year’s charity appeal. Pop over to Making Stitches to hear all about it.

That’s all for this week, I hope you have a good one. Sunday Sevens was first created by Natalie from Threads and Bobbins.

A stroll around Gibraltar No. 25 : The Med Steps – an oasis of beauty in the midst of lockdown

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Hello there, it’s been a while since I took you on a stroll with me. Care to join me again?

This afternoon, I escaped for my first solo walk for over 8 weeks, and my first trip up to the top of the Rock since being poorly with the dreaded virus.

Looking south East towards the enclave of Ceuta in Morocco

It was hard work, and took a lot longer than it used to (personally I think they’ve made the steps steeper while I’ve been away 😉) but it was bliss. I just love this part of Gibraltar, it’s my favourite bit. Calm and quiet even when Town is bustling with tourists (not that there are any at the minute) and so, so beautiful – especially at this time of year.

Looking East over the Mediterranean towards some huge drilling ships at anchor

This weekend should have been the Med Steps 5 Challenge in aid of Cancer Relief Gibraltar, but because of the current situation, it’s been put off until autumn at the earliest. I had planned to do it again this year (all 5 laps) but life and coronavirus got in the way. At least I got to enjoy just the one lap today!

This time of year is the perfect time to walk/climb the Med Steps footpath, the wildflowers are in their glory. I was thinking I wouldn’t get the chance to experience them this year, but thankfully an opportunity presented itself today for a solo stroll and I leapt at the chance!

It was so quiet, I spied just 4 other walkers on the entire stretch.

It was so clear looking beyond the Europa Point lighthouse and across the Strait to Morocco

I didn’t realise just how much I’d missed this time alone. I felt energized and able to totally switch off from the world outside this tiny bubble of mine!

Just look at those wildflowers!

A rainbow of wildflowers

I did the touristy thing and went into the cave (pretending it was for an arty photo but actually it was for a rest!).

View from one of the Goats Hair Twin Caves (Gibraltar’s most Instagrammed views apparently)

I spotted these purple flowers, which I had never seen before…

Could they be a kind of orchid?

Whatever they are, they’re beautiful!

Those steps, my word, it was hard work but it’s always worth it for that view!

View from near the summit looking North

And of course our hairy neighbours are never far away!

And that, as they say, is that. One Med Steps stroll done. Now there’s the easy jaunt back downhill to get back home!

Thank you for stopping by to come on my Med Steps trip with me. I hope you’re safe and well and managing during this worrying time. x

If you would like to find out more about the Med Steps, you might like this post I wrote a while back.

Sunday Sevens #207 27.10.19

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Hello there welcome to this week’s Sunday Sevens. You find us on midterm here in Gibraltar – and we are enjoying the prospect of not having an early alarm tomorrow morning!

Trafalgar Memorial

It was the 214th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar on Tuesday. Every year, on a Sunday near to the anniversary, a special ceremony takes place at Trafalgar Cemetery in Gibraltar. This year’s remembrance happened last Sunday.

The men who lost their lives in the battle are remembered and wreaths are laid on the graves of two men who came to Gibraltar immediately afterwards for treatment, but who died from their wounds.

There is always a Royal Navy vessel in port for this ceremony and the sailors attend in their uniforms. It’s a really special time.

Med Steps on a Monday

It was a beautifully clear, sunny morning on Monday and I headed off up the Med Steps. I spied these two big black birds overhead which were circling above the Rock and causing a great deal of excitement amongst the seagull population. I spoke to one of the wardens about them, and I’m reliably told they are a pair of ravens, and it’s hoped that they will breed next year.

Dressmaking class

So my second pair of trial run trousers were sewn this week and although my problematic large calves were adequately accommodated, elsewhere they were a bit on the large side this week! Darts are the order of the day in my next class!

Sunset alert

Sunday sevens wouldn’t be Sunday sevens without a sunset pic would it? Here’s this week’s one.

Framing my paintings

I finally got round to framing a few of my watercolour paintings this week. I bought some frames a few weeks back and wanted to hang them in the hall. My seashells from two years ago we’re just the right size.

A catch-up with a lovely friend

A lovely friend of mine came round for a visit this week – the first time I’ve seen her in months – and she brought these beautiful flowers. They look glorious in their vase and are a lovely reminder of a fab chat over lunch.

A prickly situation

This little chap/lady got him/herself into a bit of a tangle this week in my parents’ garden in Manchester. (So this isn’t one of my photos – thanks Dad). The last time I remember seeing a hedgehog in their garden I was about 10 – so it’s not a common occurrence, or if it is, they are very stealthy!

He/she had a rest in a box in their porch before heading off for a wander…

And that brings this week’s Sunday Sevens to a close for another week. Thanks for stopping by!

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

Sunday Sevens #203 29.9.19

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Hello! It’s Sunday again, and it’s been another busy week at this end with lots going on! Here’s what I’ve been up to this week:

Med Steps on a Monday

It feels good to be able to say that! It’s been such a long time since I had last made the climb. I think it was back in May just after the Med Steps 5 challenge actually, so this walk was well over due! It was hot but glorious up there and took me 46 minutes to get to the top (when I’m on form I can make it in less than 30 so there’s some training required!). I stopped aching yesterday… 🤣

Nocturnal visitors

When we got our new windows put in recently I was hoping our gecko friends wouldn’t abandon us. I am pleased to report that they came back with the warmer summer weather and they are still with us now. They don’t come onto the clear glass windows – just the frosted ones and lie in wait for moths.

Dressmaking class

My made-to-measure paper pattern is finished and the fabric has been cut ready for my trial run at making trousers. Sewing will begin this week.

An evening with friends

This week the book club I belong to had its first meeting since before the summer break. We met on Queensway Quay and it was lovely to catch up on everyone’s news and hear how everyone was getting on. Our book over the summer was Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman which I read when we were away in Portugal on holiday – it was so long ago I had trouble remembering the story! Must be my age!!

Upper Town walk

One morning I found myself in town and had a bit of free time (which doesn’t happen often enough!) so I took a wander up into Upper Town. There was a time a few years ago when I would regularly end up in these streets and alleyways but life doesn’t bring me up here often these days – it’s funny how your life’s geography changes over time.

Down by the water

On Friday evening I found myself at the Park just by the water at sunset. Normally I see the sun going down from our balcony but it was nice to see it from close to the water for a change…

Seamist at sunset

Last night though, I was back at home and saw this great weather as the sea mist swept into the Bay from the Strait of Gibraltar just as the sun was going down.

Eldest spotted it first looking out the window and commenting that it was like being on a plane and being above the clouds! It was quite beautiful. Less so though for those who were actually on planes and had to be diverted to Malaga because the reduced visibility meant they couldn’t land in Gibraltar.

I did manage to grab my crochet hook yesterday for a while in solidarity with all my yarny friends who are at Yarndale this weekend. Each year I hope I will be able to return to this great friendly festival, maybe next year? You can read all about my first, and so far, only trip to Yarndale in 2016 here.

And that brings this week’s Sunday Sevens to an end. I hope you have had a good week and that next week is kind to you.

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

Friday photo challenge (week 24) Clouds

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I’m back for another Friday photo challenge after a break of a few weeks. The theme this week is ‘clouds’ and as Gibraltar is rather famous for its clouds, I had to get back on the photo challenge wagon. These two photos are of Gibraltar clouds, but from above. In the top picture it shows the famous ‘Levante’ cloud from a plane as we came in to land and below shows the view from the Med Steps one day as I climbed up through the cloud to the top of the Rock.

#52Fridayphotos is curated by Alison in Andalucia.

Sunday Sevens #188 26.5.19

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Hello there, Sunday Sevens has made it back to a Sunday! It’s been another extremely busy week at this end, with a school sports day, an inservice day, and now we’re halfway through a bank holiday weekend. I had to put an extra page in my diary this week to allow for all the things we’ve had going on! I’ll be glad when summer comes and things quieten down a little – I hope!

Med Steps 5 weekend

Last weekend was Med Steps 5 weekend. In previous years the fundraising event ran just on the Saturday. This year though, there was a family event on the Sunday. Children were given a Med Steps passport to complete along the route and were awarded medals at the end.bThis brilliant event, as always, raised funds for the wonderful Cancer Relief Centre in Gibraltar.

One very big boat

Do you remember that in last week’s Sunday Sevens I told you about this big boat? Well this week it even had a helicopter on the top! And I hear it belongs to Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook fame.

Last rays of sunshine

I happened to step out onto the balcony just at the right time to spot the sun about to dip down behind the hills across the Bay from our house one evening. It’s at times like this that I’m so grateful for where we live.

Street art

This little chap has been all over social media in Gibraltar lately. The sloth has been painted onto some hoardings around building work and I happened to walk past him mid week for the first time. Moments later I spotted this lovely cat too just a bit further on!

Jacaranda galore

This year I’ve noticed just how many Jacaranda trees there are in Gibraltar. I have been trying to photograph one with it’s gorgeous blue/violet blossom for the past couple of weeks but normally the background has been blue sky which didn’t display the colour of the blossom well. I spotted this one on Main Street and the building behind it showed it off to great effect.

Polling Day

I’m sitting here in front of the TV this evening watching BBC coverage of the European elections whilst simultaneously watching the local coverage from the Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation on my tablet. We, in Gibraltar went to the polls like the rest of the UK on Thursday. Gibraltar is eligible to vote as part of the South West region of Great Britain. Gibraltar voted overwhelmingly (76% of the Vote) for the Liberal Democrats – the party leader, Sir Vince Cable was in Gibraltar to campaign just a week or so ago on a pro-Remain ticket, there was even a Gibraltarian candidate standing as a Lib Dem MEP.

Beautiful botanical gardens!

We took a walk through the beautiful botanical gardens yesterday. No matter what the weather or the time of year, it’s always special here!

That’s all for Sunday Sevens for this week, thanks very much for stopping by.

Sunday Sevens was created by Natalie from Threads and Bobbins.

Sunday Sevens #186 12.5.19

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I completely forgot about Sunday Sevens this week, here’s a rather short and rushed one!

Sunset shot

I spotted this lovely sunset on Sunday evening last week.

Dressmaking class

This week I was going rather cross eyed while I tacked the lace I’m using to make a top to the lining using an identical coloured cotton. Most of the tacking is now done, hopefully I can get sewing soon!

Art class

I’ve lost my painting mojo a bit of late. This was the best of a bad lot this week at my watercolour class…

Visitors

We’ve had some family over to visit this week, which has been lovely. This was as we crossed the runway to pick them up from the airport.

Med Steps

What do you do when you have visitors to the Rock? Drag them up the Med Steps of course!! Shame we picked the hottest day of the year so far to do it… 26.9 degrees Celsius. It was rather warm up there!

Upper Rock wildlife

Whilst taking a breather on our trip up the Rock I heard some rustling in the leaves. First of all I thought it was a snake but then I spied legs! It was the biggest lizard I’ve seen during my time here in Gibraltar.

Convent Garden Party

One of my first ever blog posts was written after visiting this beautiful garden, the Convent garden. The Convent, which is where the Gibraltar Governor lives is a beautiful place, a real oasis in a rather built up place.

And that is a rather rushed Sunday Sevens for this week, I hope it’s been a good one for you.

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