It’s another bright and clear day here and again I’ve still not been out of the house all week – a very sober and relaxing week catching up on sleep and other chores.

I just went out to the terrace to get a photo of the new look olive tree – not the café but the actual tree outside the house – and then realised that all my memory cards are at the shop, so you will have to wait to see how it has been pruned back. There’s its old trunk, wide and sturdy, and then what looks like a twig sticking out from the top. Everything else has gone, so I guess that’s the way you cut back an olive tree. This lack of branches does mean that there is room on the wasteland for another washing line… but it’s empty today. Which reminds me, I must go and hang ours out. (And, in the absence of olive tree and washing line photos, here are some more from my UK visit.)

Exeter

Maybe I should prune our fruit trees too? I’d have to ask someone like Adriana what’s the best time and way to do them. We did cut back one of the lemon trees earlier this year and that survived, the vine gets done every year, and the apricot tree was done over a year ago and is now as huge as ever; but still not sure about the orange tree which has always been an odd shape. Will look into it.

As seen in Sandford, Devon

I was watching TV last night and on came an advert for Saturday night’s entertainment. A couple of weeks ago I was in a house up on the Cornish moors with the wind howling, the rain lashing and the TV on… It struck me, last night, that a Greek TV night on a Saturday, is both different and similar to the British TV. For example; on several Greek sides you will find parties going on, ‘The party of your life’ or ‘To our health’ for example. Here the folk in the studio audience sit at tables, eat and drink, dance and generally join in the fun; people get up and sing traditional Greek songs, and songs in other styles of Greek music, they play traditional instruments and generally celebrate the ‘Greekness’ of it all, life, heritage and festivity, in a lively and enthusiastic way. What was I watching two weeks ago? ‘Strictly come dancing.’ Hardly the same. Mind you, following it on the other side was The X-Factor and tomorrow night on one of our channels here we have X-Factor II – Greek style, but I don’t think I will be watching that. In fact I think we are visiting the godchildren tomorrow evening, so I will get out of the house at last.

Signpost Corner

Neil reports from the big outside world which is the village that there is much building and renovation work going on – making good use of the clear weather no doubt. But there are not that many people around when he makes his way home from work around two in the afternoon. I guess it’s time to save for Christmas and New Year and also, though it’s sunny, it’s a little on the cool side – though that doesn’t usually stop folk from putting on jackets and moving around the tables outside Lefteris’ kafeneion, following the sun as it moves across the square.

And I can’t go without sending a happy 50 to big brother Simon, in case he’s reading this.

Sunset at Penzance