Geckos behind every picture

The 18 hours of rain we had on Friday certainly perked up the plants. We enjoyed our first globe artichokes from the garden on Sunday, and very good they were too, simmered Greek style with fresh broad beans, lemon juice, spring onions and dill - all home grown of course. And a dish of those tiny pearly new potatoes that only those of us who grow our own are able to enjoy... (Ah the smugness of the allotment gardener, I hear you cry, but this is, after all, one of the reasons why we live here!) It looks as though we will also have a fantastic almond crop this year, if our furry friends don't find them first. It is not just the vegetation that is erupting with enthusiasm. The mosquitoes and flies are out in swarms, as are their natural predators. There are lizards on every stone wall, geckos behind every picture and spiders stringing amazing webs through the trees. I haven't seen any snakes yet this year but that is only a matter of time.


Almond blossom


It is quite hazy today with a lot of dust in the air, making the sky quite pink. The breeze is from the west and is just enough to ripple the water but not enough to fill the sails of the yachts, most of which seem to be favouring their engines as a means of propulsion. There is certainly quite a lot of yachting movement at the moment, mainly charter fleets heading to their starting points for the season and yachts that have overwintered in Turkey and have to leave after 6 months as their papers have expired.

On the Greek Easter front I have noticed this year for the first time that ready-dyed hard-boiled eggs are now for sale in the shops. There is a choice between two kinds - the traditional plain red ones and some rather alarming looking multicoloured green and orange pearly ones.

Have a good week.

Regards,
Adriana
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