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Vanlife. Slow Food. Slow Travel.
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07/06/2024

Have always grown organic vegetables and missed it for the last 6 years of van living. .. Now I have managed to do both in Portugal. As a Permaculture Designer since 1991, to minimize watering I have made paddy fields and am flooding the terraces about once a week which gives me time to explore this beautiful country for the few months each year I plan on being here.
No digging, hoeing or weeding....just mulching and green manure (clover, nasturtium and weeds)
No straight lines and mix all plants together... This naturally grown food tastes amazing and is packed with nutrients!

27/04/2024

Cooked a wholefood plant based dinner this evening for friends before leaving the magical island of La Palma to Portugal for a few months to park up and grow organic veggies in Castelo Branco.
Scallops, aka Giant Oyster mushrooms (marinated in a vegan fish sauce made from simmering wakame and kombu seaweed with miso paste, soy sauce, garlic and sea salt)
Served with dry fried White Beech mushrooms, beans and olive oil infused with organic lemongrass on a bed of home-made humus.

15/04/2024

Pallet bus stop...El Remo, La Palma.

14/02/2024

Removed Volcanic ash and planted 6 weeks ago!...

Amazing growth in La Palma Island in The Canaries...

Cleared 20cm of volcanic ash from this patch of ground (from the recent Volcano) and planted tiny tomato, cabbage, beetroot and pepper plants and some herbs. Sowed beans, spinach, rocket, mustard.

I'm astonished at the growth💥 I guess night time temperatures of 17°C help!

Used a Permaculture technique of emulating a natural woodland with a mix of plants, no straight lines, sticks and other organic debris on the soil, no digging or weeding... just mulch on top of the soil.

You may have spotted the small courgettes and melons planted a few days ago.

04/02/2024

Spent a beautiful 10 days with friends Dom and Missy working on this cabin, cooking plant based food and catching up on their land in Castelo Branco, Portugal 🇵🇹
If you're interested in following their story of transition from the busy world of work, rents and mortgages to living a healthy life off-grid in a remote part of Portugal, subscribe and follow them.

https://youtube.com/

01/01/2024

My Mum sadly passed away this afternoon, having made it to her 101st year. In the this pic I'm holding the letter from the President of Ireland on her 100th birthday with my brother and sister Barry and Sue.
Back to Ireland in the next day or two to celebrate a wonderful life.

13/12/2023

Organic Celeriac Root steaks...

Organic Celeriac root streaks with mashed potato and parsnip mix, spinach and sprouted mung beans. (Steaks marinated in soy sauce, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, white wine and pepper)
Cook streaks in oven till soft, then brush on marinade and fry in shallow oil on a bay leaf.

Next will try a marinade with vegan fish sauce, seaweed, soy sauce, white wine, balsamic vinegar, grated garlic, smoked paprika and pepper.... and Voila! ...a plant based Tuna steak!

08/11/2023

Mushroom season!...
This Parasol mushroom is super tasty when fried crispy with just a small amount of oil.

26/10/2023

Look what I found!..
Doing some renovations in Ireland... had forgotten that in 2007 I covered over this fireplace that I had installed in 1989. Originally from the 1800's, I had bought it in a salvage yard.
Enjoying stopping for a few months and building before heading south for the next adventure!

19/10/2023

MOTHER

Courageous Mother.
A century of life.
Raise your arms in resounding victory.
And if you can't do that.
I'll do it for you.

Goff Lalor - 19th October 2023

01/10/2023

Gnocchi!
There's a bit of a knack in getting these potato dumplings just right!.. but seriously good vanlife slow food and a lot better than shop bought.

05/09/2023

Guinness Brewery Dublin...

A spur canal from the Grand Canal leads to the Brewery that historically provided fresh water...or did it?!🤔

01/09/2023

Its Friday morning and another hard, grinding, vanlife week coming to a close...!!

29/08/2023

Some of the Lalor tribe checking out my van at a family get-together in Tipperary, Ireland...

26/08/2023

Back in my hometown of Fethard, Co Tipperary, Ireland.
It's been four years since I said goodbye to my family in Tipperary and drove to Cork and a ferry to Santander for the beginning of a crazy adventure!
Parked up last night by the medieval walls of this ancient town, built in 1292.
A 24 hour visit and the next adventure begins...!!

#

30/07/2023

Back in the UK... van folk and boat people are similar and often crossover... visiting friends who have a barge and a camper that they live in.. depending on the mood... or seasons.

20/07/2023

Peaceful Park Up outside Bruges, Belgium.... flat landscapes similar to The Netherlands or the Norfolk Fens in the UK.
Happy to have kept north of the heatwave in Southern Europe

10/07/2023

The Netherlands....

It's not the easiest place to find park ups... although bicycle heaven!
Nice to see bikes have priority over cars in many areas.

07/07/2023

Bavarian beer is too good to leave behind...2 crates should last a while and have been safely stashed behind the driver's seat and sofa on the journey to Ireland!!

27/06/2023

"A VANLIFE MONDAY MORNING"...

Feel like this dreamy parkup in Switzerland is straight out of the Sound of Music... or maybe a chocolate box.

19/06/2023

"A VANLIFE MONDAY MORNING"...

Lake Como, Italy

12/06/2023

"A VANLIFE MONDAY MORNING!"

Corsica!... Crossed the narrow straight between Sardinia and Corsica to be greeted by this sunset just up the coast from Bonifacio....
Into the mountains for great walks through the wild natural landscape.

05/06/2023

"A VANLIFE MONDAY MORNING!"

Sardinia keeps on giving!...
After 6 weeks on this magical island, travelling down the west coast to Cagliari, parked up in Capo Carbonara beside Vilasimius, the south east corner of the island.

22/05/2023

"A VANLIFE MONDAY MORNING!"

The legacy of greed and stupidity through silver and lead mining scars the otherwise pristine coastal area of South West Sardinia.
Without consideration for human beings or the environment, mining companies treatment of the workers ended up in a bloody and violent battle in 1904 in which the mining company called upon the military and killed numerous miners in the town of Buggerru, Sardinia.
The moving sculpture in the final pic remembers the local miners killed in the atrocity.

16/05/2023

Met this old dude while walking in Capo Mannu, Sardinia. .. Captions please!

15/05/2023

Sunset at Capo Frasca, Sardinia... surfers and a stunning parkup.

11/05/2023

WATER!💧💧💧
Water is always a concern in vanlife when you don't stay in campsites.

A great surprise to find plenty of roadside public water taps in Sardinia!

More and more are listed on the Park4Night App so thanks to all those contributors. 🙂

04/05/2023

Stintino, Sardinia, definitely has the most incredible beaches, and mostly empty in April. Parking the van is so easy at this time of year.
Has anyone been to Sardinia in April?

24/04/2023

"A VANLIFE MONDAY MORNING"...

SARDINIA!...
A ferry from Barcelona and across the Med for 18 hours (it took longer due to a Force 9 storm in the NE Mediterranean!) landed on the stunning island of Sardinia. I have visited many times and its nice to be back.
Locals say this water near Asinara Island Natural Reserve is the bluest in the Mediterranean...I think they might be right!

21/04/2023

Thinking of ways to get from Spain to Sardinia...

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"A VANLIFE MONDAY MORNING!" Sunrise today in Castelo Branco, Portugal. . . . . . #vanlife #vanlifeeurope #vanlifespain #vanlifeportugal #vanlifeireland #vanlifeireland #slowfoodfrance #foragingireland #slowfoodireland #tinyhomesportugal #tinyhomesireland #vanlifeuk #slowtraveluk #slowtravelcanaries #slowtravelireland #surfinglapalma #livingthedream #avanlifemondaymorning #selfbuildcampervan #selfbuildvan #vanadventures #vanconversion #slowfoodlapalma #veganreceipes #offgridportugal #sgiireland #environmentaldestruction #veganwildfood #plantbasedreceipes #nammyohorengekyo #nmrk

Dancing in Tazacorte this evening... This Island keeps on giving! . . . . . #vanlife #vanlifeeurope #vanlifespain #vanlifefrance #vanlifeireland #vanlifeireland #slowfoodfrance #foragingireland #slowfoodireland #tinyhomesportugal #tinyhomesireland #vanlifeuk #slowtraveluk #slowtravelcanaries #slowtravelireland #surfinglapalma #livingthedream #avanlifemondaymorning #selfbuildcampervan #selfbuildvan #vanadventures #vanconversion #slowfoodlapalma #veganreceipes #offgridportugal #sgiireland #environmentaldestruction #veganwildfood #plantbasedreceipes #nammyohorengekyo #nmrk

The respect and love of our Musicians, our Poets and our Artists in Ireland is unique and the death of another great Bard, Shane McGowan of The Pogues brought people from all over the country and from around the world. Parked up here yesterday to pay respects and celebrate the life of this great man who's fusion of Punk and Traditional Irish music reached the world. Being Shane, it was quite a party in Nenagh, Co Tipperary last night... . . . . . . #vanlife #vanlifeeurope #vanlifespain #vanlifefrance #vanlifeireland #vanlifeireland #slowfoodfrance #foragingireland #slowfoodireland #tinyhomesportugal #tinyhomesireland #vanlifeuk #slowtraveluk #slowtravelcanaries #slowtravelireland #surfinglapalma #livingthedream #avanlifemondaymorning #selfbuildcampervan #selfbuildvan #vanadventures #vanconversion #slowfooditaly #shanemcgowanfuneral #slowfoodfrance #environmentaldestruction #veganwildfood #renovation #nammyohorengekyo #nmrk

In Ireland, we respect our Poets, our Artists, our Musicians and our Bards. If not always in life, certainly in death. A moving tribute from Gerry Adams. . . . . . #vanlife #vanlifeeurope #vanlifespain #vanlifefrance #vanlifeireland #vanlifeireland #slowfoodfrance #foragingireland #slowfoodireland #tinyhomesportugal #tinyhomesireland #vanlifeuk #slowtraveluk #slowtravelcanaries #slowtravelireland #surfinglapalma #livingthedream #avanlifemondaymorning #selfbuildcampervan #selfbuildvan #vanadventures #vanconversion #slowfooditaly #vanlifefrance #slowfoodfrance #environmentaldestruction #veganwildfood #renovation #nammyohorengekyo #nmrk #shanemcgowan