Cobbing Along

Rob’s Birthday

Sunday 8 April 2012

Sunday morning, went for a walk by the beach north of Perigiali, and showed Mum this fresh water spring, which used to be used by villagers for their laundry.

Later on, went for a drink with Rob.

With Rob focused on the bar, Bobstock didn’t happen this year, and anyway, we’ve got a huge step in the ground, and a steep sided deep hole, so it didn’t seem too practical. Richie left on the evening bus to spend the night at Athens airport and catch an early flight.

Orchid heaven

Saturday 7 April 2012

Wandering around the land, we find we have a great collection of orchids, this year, notwithstanding the huge hole in the ground. Two types of bee orchid, purple and yellow-edged, the first signs of tongue orchids and our favourite (we only ever seem to have one each year, but always in a different place) the wavy-leaved monkey orchid:

Oh, and this is our one apricot on the new tree – could be a great harvest!

Richie and Mum in a rare moment of sunshine, visiting Goat Bottom, and looking a bit sheepish about it

And sneaked in from a bit later in the month: a fine clump of tongue orchids:

Cleaning blues

Tuesday 3 April 2012

Down the yard again, four boats to wash, scrub, polish and antifoul. Saw this great still life of distressed rubber gloves which about sums it up.

April Fooling

Sunday 1 April 2012

Our first anniversary of living at Goat Bottom, it doesn’t seem like a year. Random thoughts: We’ve survived a very wet and cold winter. Since doubling our photovoltaic system we’ve relied a lot less on the generator. The compost toilet has been a continual worry without mains electricity. The chickens didn’t survive, the first potato crop didn’t survive, so we haven’t won any prizes for husbandry. The camper truck doesn’t do well in the wet – all a bit damp and mouldy in corners. But we’ve enjoyed ourselves immensely and wouldn’t have done it any differently – except perhaps fixing the awning up a bit more securely, and getting some shade over the truck early in the year. So these are jobs to be done now, for the coming season.

We arrived back in Greece around lunchtime, not only with my mother who was coming to see how we were getting on, but also with Richie, who brought a load of revision with him. As a result, five of us including Dave and Rob, three of whom were over 6ft, crammed ourselves and our luggage into Sue’s little Renault Clio, and had a nightmare ride back to Lefkas, not helped by Richie’s hangover.

Round the UK

23 March to 1 April

Dave went to the NE, I headed for Liverpool, Shropshire, Wells and London before returning the Manchester airport for the return flight. Dave's friends and relations are neatly filed in one place, while mine are spread out like an untidy desk (no surprise there!).