Kefalonia Bound - Yet Another Greek Oddity

Passports check, euros check, sea sick tablets check, air sickness tablets check, mosquito bands, check, snuggly fitting budgie smuggles check, barley sugar check, teabags and marmite check .........

 ........

When you see Darrell and I next we'll be on the romantic and beautiful Greek island of Kefalonia, without a care in the world, except for whose turn is it to walk up the the local bakery to get a tiropita, paroramatos or spanokopita (or all three) for a small beach side snack!

We're leaving the ever fragrant Alice and Eric up to their own devices to look after The Towers and school run, with a full and varied selection of ready meals in the freezer as prepared by Darrell and enough money to cover emergencies.  If they're not sure of anything, they're to knock on our beloved neighbour Kata's door, although I think they'll be perfectly fine!

This has been a long time in the making, last year we veered off to Spain when the prices in Greece seemed a little high, but this year, we've adjusted our budget, given up the Maltesers and chocolate digestives as our hearts, as always and ever, truly belong to the many, many islands of Greece ....... see you on the other side!!!

And don't worry about Alice and Eric, they won't be left wanting, as, trust us, they are off on a wonderful adventure of their own, later on in the year!!!

Further Developments Up The Track

Not that we are in any way susceptible to the listening of idle gossip ........

.... but we've tried to do a bit of delving, and although it's very much hearsay at the moment, it could also very well be true  ......

..... as there's been mench on a local Facebook page, that the tenants of the allotments at the top of our short cut up to the train station and the 24 hour Tesco, have been told that they may have forgo their horticultural pursuits and pleasures, as plans are under discussion for said allotments to become, of all things, a cemetery?

At the moment the ground is very much alive with growth and the anticipation of great things to come of a comestible and flowery type nature but, playing devils advocaat  advocate,  we will be the first to admit that we very much like visiting the odd old graveyard or two, with fond memories of doing the same with our beloved No. 1 Fan Jan the Fan in Oxford, when we had our glorious meet up.  However, to be honest, a new cemetery, might not have quite the same allure as old faded inscriptions, moss covered headstones, statues of mournful beckoning angels and other such glorious memorial monuments of yore.   

There is a meeting at the Town Hall in a couple of days time, where there will be an update on "new cemetery land", we are tempted to go along to have a listen and also to see what biscuits are proffered!!

Naturally, as and when we know more .........

........ you will, of course, be the very first to know.

Yet More Questions To Be Asked In Parliament?

Our estate's Facebook page is abuzz with the news that planning permission is being sought for the erection of between five and nine houses, to be built at the top of "our" road.

Let's just say "strong" objections are being submitted left, right and centre by a number of residents and after Darrell and Eric went up to inspect the area themselves, in order to make sense of things, we too have had our say.  

Not that we are against the thought of new neighbours ........

........ in fact where the proposed houses are designated to be, is Eric's least favourite part of the school run, especially in the dark, where he always says he feels a just a little vulnerable, as it's just "empty" just hedge, allotments to the other side, lighting that leaves a lot to be desired and where the space in front of the bridge gives him the ebbie jeebies!

But, with all the huge lorries that go in and out of the scrapyard all day, especially when they have to queue to get in, then often have difficulty negotiating their way out, often nudging their way into the shrubbery, it's not the most glorious or peaceful of vistas to live.

The land is has a deep dip, with what was once known as the cress beds below, possibly fed by a natural spring, now just filled with water and a natural habitat for all manner of nature, including, to some in the know, great crested newts? 

And don't get Darrell started on where well pick our blackberries if it all goes through!

Anyway, we've done our bit and had our say ........

 ........ but there's more ..........  and of that, tomorrow! 

Charity Shop Inflation .......

Oh my goodness, yesterday, the ever fragrant Alice did an abrupt turn and double take, outside one of the local charity shops we have been known to peruse and donate to. Something, stood standing on the pavement looked very familiar, very familiar indeed .....

.... to wit, a small drawered side table that Darrell had originally bought for just £4 from the Salvation Army shop as a project, a project that in the end he knew he'd never actually get round to, so we dropped it off at Relate, quite a while ago now.

But it was the price that made poor Alice's eyes water! The origin price they were asking for it was £42, but with no takers it's now been reduced to £25. 

From £4 to £42 and then £25, flipping heck .......

..... it comes to something when inflation is so sky high that we couldn't afford (if we actually wanted to) to buy back our own donation!  Questions, perhaps need, on a quiet day, to be asked in Parliament!!

Lazy Sunday Afternoons ........

Yesterday, we had one of those lazy Sunday afternoons where we didn't quite know what to do with ourselves .....

... until, that is, while Darrell was idly scrolling through his phone with Eric and they happened across "Your Name in Landsat" ...... where you type in your name and it spells it out in land features found in NASA Landsat images ...... 

...... needless to say, their interest was piqued ............

...... and well, since they'd got nothing betterer to do ......

....... it would have been rude not to!  

Let's just say, it kept them amused for a while, but once their source of names ran out, their input got a little boyish and lavatorial, shall we say! 

What on earth are they like? 

Your Name in Landsat - NASA Science

A Potential Rival For Bake Off Chez Towers

Oh my goodness, with a hall cupboard crammed with foam soap cans, leftover from numerous sleepover bath times, our beloved niece and nephew pleaded with us to let them play their own version of "Bake Off", and well, as we didn't have anything really concrete planned, it seemed rude not too, so move over Nigella!

However, admittedly, at first, Darrell did go a whiter shade of pale at the thought of his freshly steam cleaned floor being compromised .........

..... but in the end he managed to persuade himself that should any rouge foam miss the table and hit the floor, said foam soap might perhaps help to intensify (??) the professional, polished sheen he prides himself on. Life is too short, he reasoned not to indulge the little ones now and again, just for the sake of an extra bit of mopping.

Needless to say, total chaos and mayhem ensued, however Alice, bless her, kept a watchful eye on the proceedings, but she didn't even have to show the slightest hint of one of her "special looks", which trust us, despite her ever fragrant, demure demeanour, could easily turn the strongest man into a pillow pillar of salt!  

What followed was a joyous afternoon, where The Towers was filled with so much unbridled and unfettered foamy fun and too many uncontrolled fits of the giggles to count.

As for Darrell's floor .........

....... well, it absolutely shone afterwards, following a quick flick with a multi purpose wipe, so it was win, win all round, in fact, from now on, Darrell's going to positively encourage such activities!  What is he like? 

The School Run Just Got More Interesting (And Trecherous)!!!!

Oh my giddy aunt, it would seem, much to Eric's humungous excitement, that one of the roads he has to regularly traverse in order to get his beloved niece and nephew home is undergoing a substantial reworking, of a gas pipeline type nature .......  

..... and currently resembles something of an obstacle course, with a whole line of large, yellow hurdles disappearing right into the distance. 

However, said hurdles, should you be so stupid to accept the challenge, are not quite as innocent as they would first appear ......

..... as they hide deep, pipe worked holes ......

All very foolhardy and obviously an extremely ill advised folly to even contemplate.

It also goes without saying, that, as always, in such situations, Eric now says he's feeling the irresistible beckoning to don his faithful old hard hat and hi-viz vest for this stage of his journey .....

..... however, I've advised him that despite the immense allure, he might be best keeping away from all the as yet unfilled holes, for fear of an unexpected gust of wind toppling him into oblivion .......

..... and perhaps turn his mind to trying to decipher all the colourful, weird and wonderful, but meaningful chalk patterns on the pavement instead.

The ever fragrant Alice, bless her, to help quell my fears as to Eric's possible distraction, has kindly offered to accompany Eric on the school run, under the premise of wanting to "get a few extra steps in", until the work is completed, just as a precaution .........  what is he like?