Category Archives: Uncategorized

Cycling the Atlantic Coast

Hello and welcome to the latest blog from The Olivia Rose Diaries on March 8th 2025. This blog follows our recent cycle trip along a stretch of the Atlantic coastline, beginning at Hendaye and ending at the Bassin d’Arcachon. We covered a distance of just under 350 kilometres over 7 days, parts of it quiteContinue reading “Cycling the Atlantic Coast”

Guest blog post – a day in the life of Lily

Hello and welcome to the latest blog from The Olivia Rose Diaries on February 12th 2025. Mary-Jane has invited me to write a blog for you this week. She says looking after me for ten days has been a roller-coaster ride (obviously this is a good thing) and that we should share the experience onContinue reading “Guest blog post – a day in the life of Lily”

Never underestimate the power of small changes

Hello and welcome to the latest blog from The Olivia Rose Diaries on January 29th 2025. We celebrated our wedding anniversary this week, although perhaps celebrated isn’t quite the right word. In fact we both forgot about it entirely and only remembered when we got a card from Michael’s parents. Eighteen years of married bliss,Continue reading “Never underestimate the power of small changes”

House-sitting in the vineyards

Hello and welcome to the latest blog from The Olivia Rose Diaries on 16th January 2025. We’re house-sitting again, looking after two dogs, a springer and a Labrador, both full of affection, to the point that they follow us everywhere we go, including the loo unless you are very quick to close the door. ThisContinue reading “House-sitting in the vineyards”

Four years living off-grid  – how do we feel about it?

Hello and welcome to the latest blog from The Olivia Rose Diaries on January 5th 2025. We bought Le Shack just over four years ago, in September 2020. It was nothing more than a shell, a wooden cabin with one room: no shower, no kitchen, no bedroom, no electricity and the loo was a bucketContinue reading “Four years living off-grid  – how do we feel about it?”

Looking back, looking forwards

Hello and welcome to the last blog of the year from The Olivia Rose Diaries on December 29th 2024. Christmas has gone, New Year’s Eve awaits and we are in that slightly odd space between these two big events on the calendar. Looking back is not normally something I spend much time doing, but theseContinue reading “Looking back, looking forwards”

Up the creek – Devon Part 2

Hello and welcome to the latest blog from the Olivia Rose Diaries on November 23rd 2024 with the second installment from our trip to Devon. Our holiday cottage was situated in a village called Newton Ferrers, nestling precariously on the steep hills that rise up from the River Yealm. The rivers and creeks in thisContinue reading “Up the creek – Devon Part 2”

Devon Part 1 – Miniatures

Hello and welcome to the latest blog from The Olivia Rose Diaries on November the 15th 2024. We’re back in the UK visiting family and have taken a holiday cottage in Devon for a week. This first blog begins at the end of our holiday, not because I want to confuse you, but because weContinue reading “Devon Part 1 – Miniatures”