Rain, Routines and Rates
As you can see, Sunday brought us rain and cloud that was still around on Clean Monday morning. (A couple of these photos are from January, but the view was the same.) I took a stroll along our lane, greeted the sheep down from the hills to finish off whatever grasses there are to be harvested, and a mule that was parked up by the house, and set off up into the village.
It was only a short walk, as I am operating on the principle that half an hour a day (when not raining) is better than ten miles in one go once per week, and my route took me up to the top and Agia Triada. From there, I walked along the newly concreted road where the old wire fence has been replaced with something more sturdy. The edge of the hill, which as crumbling onto the road, is now retained by some excellent stonework. Our onto the main road (very quiet), and down the hill towards the village, I came to Campos and took the slope up to Taverna Zoi. From there, it’s an easy walk home through the main village lane, across the square, and back to the gate. Simple, head-clearing, and set me up nicely for another chapter on the next story.
Later, when the rain started, it was a case of staying in by the fire (electric heater on low as it’s not too cold right now) and watching a few series on streaming TV. Mainly MasterChef, The Amazing Race and Survivor, all from Australia who make reality TV in a more appealing way than the Americans, and certainly better than anything ‘reality’ I’ve seen on British TV. We also watch films and are working our way through a series of biographical ones or those based on real events. On top of that, we are doing things other than sitting on the sofa and watching the box. Apart from the walks, I’ve been tinkering with models and plumbing – that’s plastic models, not catwalk – and Neil has been baking and creating amazing meals in the kitchen. All this, I should add, is after spending six or seven hours at the desk on writing work and books, so we’re not lazy.
We are, though, looking forward to the summer and, hopefully, returning visitors. Not that we’re fed up with our own company, but it would be good to see cafes and restaurants open again and visitors returning. Whether that will happen or not, and when, depends on ‘numbers’ as infection rates are being called. There are parts of the country where people are blatantly flouting the laws and meeting in large groups because either they don’t think this virus is real, or they are so fed up with being at home, they now believe they are being controlled by superior forces. Either way, if numbers rise, tourism won’t happen, more businesses will fail, and we’ll have to stay home longer. Whether you think the virus is a worldwide conspiracy magically organised by over 200 competing countries at some invisible council of control meeting that happened between the Free Masons and aliens, or whether you know it to be real, that’s up to you. Either way, we’re not going to have visitors, and islands and economies will not be saved if we don’t get numbers down.
And here endeth todays’ ramble/lesson, and here I beginneth chapter 15 of The Clearwater Inheritance… once I’ve had breakfast.
