In Pursuit of Pondlife

5 June 2020

The next day took us over the mountains and down to the Aegean coast.  We were visiting our pond plant supplier at his nursery near Marathon: Ioannis Gryllis.  We arrived after lunching in Marathon, and Ioannis was fantastic about showing us all around his nursery.  Lots of water gardens, and also developments in progress for Japanese and Mexican gardens, as well as a permaculture veg garden and green roofs and walls.  A wonderful tour.

 Just a little of the waterlily gardens at Gryllis Nursery.

 We stayed the night at a hotel in Nea Makri, as there were no local campsites open, and experienced our first post-covid 'sealed' breakfast.  No more buffets!

 The route back took us over the Corinth canal, somewhere I have only ever glimpsed from the bus, so we agreed to stop to charge at a slow-but-free charger right by the canal.  We had lunch and a bit of sight-seeing, and then decided we would press on for another 30 km to a fast charger.  Unfortunately, it turned out the fast charger was not yet operational (despite advertising that it was), and we had a nail-biting 100 km drive to the next charger.  The car was showing 120 km range - which was a little too close for comfort.

 We had ordered a lot of plants for the garden and pond, to be sent on, as there was little room in the car with the camping gear, but we did bring one bucket of fish and aerating plants back.  Several of the fish didn't survive, but most did, and now our one mosquito fish: 'Big Mo' has a school of little followers.

 Dave introducing more pond weed to the pond.

 Some floating weed, as our most pressing need is cover for the water to slow down evaporation.

 Big Mo with a friend.

 And we spotted a (spotted) toad.  We should've been suspicious ...

... next day we found a new string of toad eggs.  There is no more room for animal life in the pond - the plants are struggling to cope with balancing the intake of nutrients.  We are starting to get blanketweed algae.  But would she listen ...!