Back again

23 August 2016

A final flight back from Corfu and we were home.  Everything as we'd left it, thankfully.  We arrived to find our friend Lin cleaning the fridge -which was as good a home-coming as you could imagine.  Lin was having the guilts for not having picked up some food we'd left for her on the last trip, which had resulted in a rather smelly fridge.  It's a very clean smelling fridge now!

Some days to reset our internal clocks and get the washing done.  A weekend at Nisos, and then on with the building.  After the enforced rest period of this long hot summer, we are itching to get going again. 

First task will be finishing three coats of limewash on the new plaster, the final west wall.  Some window frames need sanding and painting, and the stem wall needs to be cleaned up.  Then we wait for our Albanian friend, Beso, to paint the eaves all round, before we do a final, pigmented, linseed oil coat of limewash and the externals will be complete!  Wow.  Not sure how long all that will take.

Then we start on the inside .......

Our flight from Corfu, on the little plane.  We were the only passengers, and were outnumbered by the staff.  A very personal service.

Into Hiding

19 August 2016

After our intense days of relative-visiting, we scheduled in a couple of quiet days in an airbnb called 'Maggie's Hide' in the Peak District.  The rain that had held off for the wedding set in for a persistent drizzle.  So we holed up in our little shed-with-benefits, and ventured out for a few walks between showers.  The local area was wonderful, with a tiny river full of wildlife at the bottom of the footpath by our hide.

 Outside the hide, the too-damp-to-use terrace (but we did put some of the nasturtiums in a salad)

 The top of the precipitous footpath to the river

 Braving the weather - a six mile hike across to another river valley which joined up with ours

 Adolescent ducks posing for a photo

 A brown trout in crystal waters

 Limestone crag dwarfing Dave

 The stone circle at Arbor Low, with sheep council in session

Little bridge where our footpath met the river

Rob's Wedding

17 - 19 August 2016

Dave and I were reunited in Tutbury the day before the wedding, and moved into our impressive, half-timbered hotel room - just like we're used to! 

 The bride and groom to be

 Fathers-in-law

The groomsmen bracing themselves for the ordeal ahead ...

 ... and me

 A very lovely setting, in the grounds of Tutbury castle, and perfect weather

 Dave makes an impromptu speech, when Rob drops him in it without notice, and brings tears to every eye

Visiting Family

August 2016

In the UK, Dave went for a week of wedding preparations at Rob and Tanya's, while I visited my Mum and redecorated one end of the kitchen. 

 I painted a heron as a birthday present for Mum

 Bookcase built and painted blue, noticeboard installed, and walls painted jade white.  Interesting to visit builders' merchants in the UK and check out all the stuff we can't get in Greece!

Richie managed to come over for an evening and stay the night before an early start for work

Absent in August

11 August 2016

We started our two week trip to the UK with a flight to Corfu.  We don't trust our trusty Fiat Punto to make it to Igoumenitsa for the ferry, so we took the flight and the extra hotel nights instead.  Lovely to have a little time in Corfu, but money we can't easily afford, so close to the start of the building season.

 We've sat and watched swimmers at this little town quay so often, we determined to have a go ourselves this time. Very civilized to have a dip between sipping wine and snacking on olives

 The promenade along the seafront - the route between Corfu town and our hotel ...

 ... where we stopped for an excellent fish dish ...

 ... and another glass of wine

Slothful in August

1 - 10 August 2016

Nothing to report for the early days of August.  Very high temperatures, work at the weekends, preparations for going away - otherwise mostly slothfulness, eating lots of moringa salads and profuse sweating.  And an outing to Dmitri's restaurant up the hill from us, with Naomi and Pete