Portfolio

Sea Walk

Taken: January 2011, Praia de Garrão

Camera: Olympus, OM-D, E-M10II

“My favourite local beach, only ten minutes’ drive from home, where I take my dog for long walks on the sand while enjoying the sound and smell of the sea. It’s wonderfully empty in the winter, such a contrast to the summer months”.

Keyword: Open spaces

Bon Appetit

Taken: Summer 2019, Vale

Formoso, Loulé

Camera: Olympus, OM-D, E-M10II

“I can’t think of anything better than a Porco a Portuguesa cooked at home, with love, by my wonderful neighbour Alderinda, who was born and raised in the Alentejo. In my eyes, she is the Queen of Portuguese cooking!”

Keyword: Flavour

Traditional Windmill

Taken: March 2015, near Silves

Camera: Powershot G16

“A traditional Portuguese windmill, Moinho de Encherim, still standing and off the beaten track, beautiful with the colours of spring – the green of the countryside, the vivid blue of the sky, the wild Algarvian flowers blooming”.

Keyword: Viewpoint

Wall Art

Taken: October 2021, Castro Verde

Camera: Mobile phone Samsung A32

“In my view some great art work, a ‘free for all’ in the most unexpected places. A car park in the centre of Castro Verde, 90km north of Loulé in the Alentejo (spot the windmill in the background)”.

Keyword: Surprises

One of the highlights of my year is when big boxes arrive full of jumpers, cardigans and shawls in sunny colours and made of the softest alpaca wool you can imagine.

The boxes are sealed with tape bearing the word INTI, and inside, you’ll find not just exquisite knitwear but also the culmination of a two-person adventure.

Here is the story of INTI.

In 1993, Anna Cales and Leon van der Brock flew to Ecuador. They were looking forward to adventures and discovering the world. They chose their destinations by poking around in an atlas in the library at random, and without a word of Spanish and very little money, they arrived in Otavalo, a market town in Northern Ecuador.

In their quest to build a knitting company, the steps they made were small and considered. Today, almost 30 years later, INTI knitwear is a very successful company which sells an annual limited edition of jumpers, vests and cardigans. All items are hand knitted from ‘baby’ alpaca wool, this refers to the softness of the wool and is taken from the chest of an adult alpaca.

The community is tightly connected, from Anna, the collection’s designer, to the wool producers and knitting team. Some of the women regularly meet up to knit, chat and laugh together. Each of their jumpers, cardigans or shawls is limited in number and is often named after the person who has knitted it.

This year my collection of Inti’s is exceptional and I am delighted to introduce a variety of options. With great joy I have unpacked the cardigan Maria in light coral, Analuz in ecru, Naomi in a blue shade, Sol in many stripes, Elsina, Helma, Abrazo and.... I am spoilt for choice.