And if like us you reckon that Ronan Keating says it best when he says nothing at all, you’ll join us on the truck for Rainy Days and Songdays… five Notting Hill bangers.
Because you don’t have to go out to the West Indies for the full Caribbean experience.
It’s just that London doesn’t have the natural beaches and palm trees, that’s all.
Because they were involved in a riot as part of the 1976 carnival.
Memorable line: And all the crowd come in, day by day/No one stop it in any way/All the peacemaker turn war officer/Hear what I say.
Jumpin’
Strident Trident: Rupee
Jump:And what would a carnival be without the jumpin’ and the chippin’?
This classic beat from Bajan soca star Rupee (real name Rupert Antonio Clarke) from the turn of the Millennium had us all, well jumpin’.
Memorable line: And the men, selling their craft/And don’t talk about the girls in the costume, yeah It just does something to me and it makes me wanna/jump around the place.
Take note
And take it as Red: Mick Hucknall
If you don’t know me by now: And another which is as well known for its cover as its original.
In the fiesta that is the Hemingway lookalike competition the young also rises in Florida Keys.
Because as the much lamented Dolly Parton, who was overlooked even in her own competition, reminds us you need to stick out.
And so white beardie Hemingways have become just too difficult to separate.
Kudos then to Chris Dutton, who made history by becoming the first Young Hemingway to win Sloppy Joe’s 45th Annual Hemingway Look-Alike Contest.
The Tampa native channeling Ernest’s earlier moustachioed days.
With, of course, the hairy top lip into the full bush face being a natural progression.
For all of us budding writers.
Importance of being Ernest
Now for those who wish to put their Hemingway credentials to the test and be judged by other Ernests.
Then pencil in July 21-26 at Hemingway’s hang-out Sloppy Joe’s in Key West.
The 39-year-old lawyer emerged from a field of 134 registered contestants, in two preliminary rounds.
Before defeating 23 other finalists to claim the title on his seventh attempt.
The tache Ernest wore: In his younger days
By making a pitch to the judges, or Papas.
All of whom evaluate resemblance to Hemingway, stage presence and character.
And the ability to represent a society devoted to preserving the celebrated author’s legacy.
A chunky white jumper
Sloppy drinkers: The hard-drinking Ernest
Now a good Hemingway chunky white jumper is sure to help.
And Chris had the very thing, a gift from an old Papa.
‘Papa David Douglas gave me this sweater,’ said Chris. ‘I’ve had it for a few years and I never told anybody.’
Now like the Great Man himself the Papas are famous for their generosity.
And after his first appearance at the lookalike contest, a past Papa invited him to Cuba.
Because a Papa is not just for Christmas, as somebody just said.
Papa’s brand new bag
The bell tolls: Skylar Massella of Delray Beach, Fla., Mari Portal of Miami, and Allison Plumadore of Key West.Picture: Carol Tedesco/Florida Keys News Bureau.
Chris now moves from contestant to judge, helping select future winners.
And supporting the Hemingway Look-Alike Society’s scholarship program, which has awarded more than $350,000 to Florida Keys students.
He also becomes one of the tradition’s ambassadors, helping ensure Hemingway’s enduring influence.
Hemingway lived and wrote some of his most famous works in Key West through much of the 1930s.
And he was a regular at Sloppy Joe’s Bar, where the contest was held.
The annual contest remains the signature event of the six-day Hemingway Days celebration honouring the 127th anniversary of his July 21 birth.
It’s a step change all right putting off a summer getaway for a Portustroll in shoulder-season.
But shoulder season, or autumn travel away from the burning summer heat, is this year’s travel trend.
And because we’re always ahead of the curve we’re lacing up our walking boots next month on the Portuguese Way for our Camino.
But more of that later we’ve got to get a shift on here to tell you of the walks you can enjoy this shoulder season.
The shoulder season in Portugal, the geographical shoulder of Europe.
Shoulder to shoulder with its Iberian neighbour Spain.
Bordering on the meticulous
Water way to go: Take in the surroundings
The charms of Alcoutim: The longest continuous border in Europe, dating back to 1297, gives the gentle stroller the chance to straddle two ancient nations.
You’ll start and finish your 4.6km walk in the Praça da República (Square of Republic).
The trail takes walkers through the border city of Alcoutim.
And reveals iconic landmarks, the Castle of Alcoutim, the ruins of the Old Castle, the Praia Fluvial, and the River Guadiana landscapes.
There is also the chance to cross over to the other side of the river and visit the Spanish town of Sanlúcar del Guadiana.
Stroll to the beach
Beloved: Amado Beach
Rota Vicentina Circular routes Amado (Rated: Moderate): OK, you start and finish at the Amado beach on this moderate 7.75km walk but you get the picture.
And you get to wash your feet in the Atlantic swell at the end on the beach which incidentally is Portuguese for beloved.
This coastal trail offers a blend of wildlife, rare flora and fascinating geology.
Hikers can spot native birds and wildlife, admire globally rare cliff-top plants, and explore landscapes shaped over 300 million years ago.
