Photographs, videos and reports of snow back home make me wish I’d waited a few more weeks before coming out to Lefkas. The vision of England under a blanket of white snow conjures up those childhood feelings of excitement. Snowball fights, building snowmen, sledging and the crisp newness of it all. Of course Christmas with snow just adds to the seasonal joy i feel at this time of year.
I think I’ll try and time my visit back next year to coincide with an encounter with the white stuff.
We do have snow here but it’s high up on the mountains and as it’s warmed up over the last few days so that’s receding. Apparently January and February are the coldest months here.
I’ve been slowly getting back into the live aboard life, meeting the gang and joining in a few social events. My cold held me back the first week but with just a cough left I’ve started my 'getting fit regime' albeit slowly.
My day starts with a breakfast fit for a bear, porrige topped with a banana, cup of hot arange and a vitimin c tablet. Lunch is usually homemade soup or fish and the evening meal is again healthy. Chicken here is expencive, about 7 euros each however, beef is cheap, a rib of beef being about 8 euros a kilo. Vegatables are whatever is in season but reasonably priced. So we are not starving ourselves just being sensible.
Yesterday we went for a seven mile bike ride, a few hills on the way meant I did the odd bit of pushing but the downhill bits gave me time to get my breath back.
Carol had seen a weedy bush that she wanted to use as a Christmas tree and we went in search of it. Cycling around the countryside past Villas and farms gave me the opportunity to see the real Lefkas.
Jasmine is in flower here and giving off a delicate scent as you ride by. Along with bright red flowering bushes I don’t know the name of it's all quite colourfull.
Delicate irises in small clumps along the edge of the lanes and dirt tracks along with tiny cyclamen have me wobbling about as i try and peer at them as i speed past.
Large dogs tied, thankfully bark aggressively as we pass them, those who were fenced in ran alongside us, only the high fences stopped them from chewing at our heels.
Sheep with their lambs grazed on small holdings and chickens scratched around looking for a morsel or two, it's so relaxed here.
I'm not too good on a bike, not being able to take my hand off the handle bars to indicate to traffic my intentions, I stay close to Carol and hope for the best.
As we cycled along one track we came across olive groves and orange orchards with flocks of Turkey’s. This was a photo opportunity not to miss. As we draw up I gave a cough and all in unison they lowered their heads and gave a choir like gobble. Carol and I broke into laughter and they echoed our laughs, of course this became a game and like kids we kept saying “hello” and they would reply “goooooobble” . Yes I know it’s childish but it was just one of those things you have to do.
All dressed up and knowhere to go, well....that's untill a few days before Christmas.
Good job they don't know they're in for a good stuffing.....
We were making our way towards the lagoon and Carol wanted to show me a little well kept church near the beach. Hidden down a steep slope it overlooked the lagoon. It was a real pilgrimage for those who visited it and it looked like it had a regular flock who frequented it's little chapel.
I’d given myself a carrot to keep me focused on not falling off my bike and collapsing in a heap, my carrot was a cup of hot chocolate in a cafe close to the marina. When we reached my goal I sat in the window clutching my hot mug of sweet thick chocolate and looked out over the boats across the lagoon at the mountains in the distance.
A flock of flamingos huddled together a long way out, we weren’t sure they were flamingos until we zoomed in at Carols pics later but you could see a pinkness as they huddled together.
Friends Pam and Keith have returned to the UK today and we are dog sitting Ellie. Ellie was a stray and in her short six months of life has been pushed from pillar to post however she’s hit the jackpot with Pan and Keith who have become doting owners.
Today I'm slobbing it, yesterdays bike ride done I feel like I deserve a day of reading, writing and just naval contemplation. Tomorrow I’ll go for another bike ride, bottom willing; I'm a tad saddle sore.
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