Olga Brouwer

Heb je wel eens te veel hooi op je vork genomen? Het was lente 2024, en we waren druk bezig met het opknappen van een oud huisje op het eiland. We hadden lokale timmerlieden ingehuurd om de vervallen keukenkasten te vervangen. Maar het huis schilderen, binnen en buiten? Dat konden we vast wel aan onze lijstje met activiteiten toevoegen. Vol enthousiasme begonnen we met de binnenmuren van de woonkamer en keuken. We morsten royaal op de vloer—we hadden vreselijk veel haast. Dit wordt een...

Trusting Strangers Do you ever put too much on your plate? It was spring 2024, and we were busy trying to revive an old little house on the island. We'd hired local carpenters to replace the deteriorating kitchen cabinets. But painting the house, inside and outside? We could surely add that to our list of activities. We enthusiastically started with the interior walls of the living room and kitchen. We speckled the floor generously—we were in a terrible rush. This was going to be an...

Living on a quiet, remote island brings peace and calm to my life. Walking in nature with my Dalmatian, enjoying the beach, snorkeling in pristine ocean waters, gazing at rolling hills while cows graze in green pastures. Are you falling asleep already? One sunny Sunday morning, my dog and I set out for a quick walk into a quiet valley nearby. To my amazement, I could see the island of São Miguel in the distance—clearly visible and appearing much larger than usual despite being 95 kilometers...