Wrapping up June

19 - 30 June 2021

So, we started making plans to drive our electric car across Europe to the UK.  Our car is a 2018 Nissan Leaf, which has a range of about 250 km between charges, however, to be on the safe side, we tend to look for a charger every 150-200 km (especially if there are mountains).  In miles, that means stopping about every 100 miles to charge.  This is not a problem for us, we don't have to rush, and we will be traveling through parts of the world we don't know and want to see.  And at our age, our bladders don't last as long as the car battery!

Initial plans involve taking the ferry to Ancona and then driving through Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Holland to sail from Rotterdam to Hull.  There are lots of Covid hoops to jump through, but currently the word is that travel is mostly okay.  It may be worse coming back, though.  We will camp our way along this route, taking about seven days.  What an adventure!

Today I had my second jab in Vasiliki, the most amazing element of which was seeing loads of these virulent green frogs in one of the streams that comes down to the beach.  

Bad news at the pond - one of the original gang of four goldfish was floating belly-up.  No sign what killed it, but it may just have grown too large for the overstuffed pond to sustain.  The only one remaining now is the one with long flowing tail and fins, which I am in the process of putting in a painting of the pond - so I hope it continues to survive.

 

Detail of 'By the Pond', work in progress.

Boaty Jaunt

 15 - 18 June 2021

Another mini-trip with the boat.  Liana was coming back to Lefkada, so we asked her to look after the house, cats and chickens once again, and off we went, Tuesday to Friday.  We didn't want to cover a lot of ground, just take it easy, so we headed for Kastos and Kalamos, and pottered around gently under sail, sometimes only making one knot, but loving the silence.

 The solar panel has finally arrived and been fitted, so we can run the fridge while sailing, hurrah!

 Kalamos off the starboard bow ...

 

Arrival in one-yacht bay, just in time for the evening goat parade along the coast.

 

 

 

Dave at the mast, tying up halyards so they don't clatter.

Next morning, in the water early, with the underwater camera, fun for me ...

 

While Dave does some proper jobs, like cleaning the propeller 

Kalamos Town selfie, back in familiar haunts

Last night 'at sea', on the beach in Porto Spilia.

Mid June

 8 - 14 June 2021

The pond has gone very clear, which is a good sign, it means the plants are able to process all the nutrients the fish are dumping in the water.  It will get harder as it gets hotter, however, but it’s nice to see a good start to the summer.

Three lily blooms at once, that’s a first!

Meanwhile, in the UK, where I can’t reach her, my Mum turned 90.  My brother took her out for a fancy lunch to celebrate.  After Dave and I are both fully jabbed and 14 days post-second shot, we will make our way over to the UK, hoping that the way will be open for us.

Dave and the Lefkas Shantymen performed for Brian’s memorial, and ended up in his brother’s pub, singing their hearts out all afternoon.

How lovely

The apricot harvest in its entirety.  This was a terribly poor year, just a few windfalls and a couple off the tree, but all needing bits cut out of them.  Last year we were overwhelmed with fruit and I had to make chutney with the excess.  Maybe it was too dry earlier in the spring.

Mixed Bag - Early June

 1 - 8 June 2021

The garden is terribly dry, usually we have had a deluge or two from thunderstorms in April and May, but this year there has been very little rain.  Garden chores are a pain, the grass is rough and dry underfoot, with sharp thistles ready to stab you in the ankle at every step.

But I made an effort to try to tidy up the beds, and collected in the dry broad bean pods for shelling, to keep the beans as seed stock for next year.  The internet said wait till they go dry and black on the stalks before picking.  That worked, as they were easier to crack out of the pods (with good gloves on) than they were to pod when fresh.

One evening we went to a recently reopened beachside restaurant, Pinewood in Nydri, and admired the view - very peaceful and quiet.

On another evening, in our garden, I looked up from turning on the watering hose and saw an unexpected aspect, including the cat gazing at the golden light spilling over the far end of the paving.  It looked just a little magical.

Friends of friends had organised a two hour yoga and meditation at a hotel over in Geni, so, despite being very out of practice I went along.  A beautiful session, but the yoga was a little strenuous for me.

Dave got his second jab, and was issued with a European Digital Covid Certificate.  One of us done, mine is at the end of the month.

Evidence that our precious ladybirds have migrated around the garden and are getting stuck into the aphids on the cabbages.  I hadn’t seen one since the hatching and was worried they might all have flown away

Talking of bugs, I saw this one on the apricot tree.  Large and unusual.

More podding, me doing more broad beans, while Dave stripped the popcorn cobs.  We then tried the popcorn and it was very good.  Who knew you could grow it!