Monday 14th February 2022

Like every year, I gift my children and Steve some chocolate on Valentine’s day, but I gift them my love every day of the year. 

Steve and I had a romantic dinner on Sunday 13th February, just the two of us, the kids having a special treat of McDonalds delivered after we left.  As last year because we had enjoyed it so much and the meat is amongst the best in town, we went to ‘rare’ bar & kitchen at Uga Residences for a high quality meal in the nice surroundings of this impeccably maintained Portuguese colonial villa. Steve enjoyed choosing from the superb wine list, but signs of the import restrictions to preserve foreign currency reserves were evidenced in his first choice and numerous others not being available.

The walk home afterwards was as last year too – but this time pre-warned of the hundreds and hundreds of crows in the avenue of trees alongside Bera lake and the liquid mess they make on the ground.  Steve took a chance and photographed the lake, choosing a spot on the lakeside where the trees were thinner but still flinching every time he heard ‘splat’ on the pavement!

On Valentine’s day itself, I cooked steamed pork on vegetables with home made potatoes wedges and a vegetarian ratatouille – by unanimous agreement, absolutely delicious.  

A family picture was taken holding the big red heart that was made to have some fun with International Expatriates Association members. 

Rennie