under another sun

Last three days, after Saturday's excitements were spent close to our hotel on Skala Potamia. The resort seemed less busy in the last week.  Annoyingly I developed a summer cold, which became a chest infection.  However as our days were spent underneath beach umbrellas reading and going for the occasional snorkel it didn't spoil anything and we were winding down very well by now, dreaming on our sunbeds and with the wooded arms of the land stretching out either side of the bay, and the mountains behind. Reprehensibly, we managed to put on several kilos. Not a great place for keeping to a diet. We also got to know some of the new guests, a likeable couple called Dave and Jeanette knew my old school friend Mike Longman. Dave and Mike had been in the police together. Another was a recently-widowed woman in her 40s who worked in education called Penny. Fell in with these a bit and sat in the hotel bar with them from time to time, being served by a pleasant Englishwoman called Su...

Matt said the results of the pitch would not now be in till next week, but I had rather a productive and businesslike day nevertheless, and also found time to take myself for a long mooching walk around lunchtime to Withdean Park, a place I'd never visited before, a park on the side of a hill, with quite a few trees. Listening to my audiobook of Fingersmith by Sarah Waters while doing so, and really enjoying it. In the evening, feeling tired and end of weekish, Lorraine and I went to the Preston Park Tavern for a bite and a cold beer and met Betty there.

Up after a good night's sleep in Edgware. Downstairs for coffee and toast with Mum and Mas, discussing with Mas what he might do about his news that he is now borderline diabetic. A bit more exercise seems the thing. Not that Mum hasn't been telling him that for the last decade. Mum and I took a quick stroll around her garden, seeing as gardens are the new thing. Snuffly, but feeling far brighter than yesterday morning, and keen to get on with stuff. Mum drove me off to Mill Hill, and I began a ghastly three hour journey home, due to all kinds of cancellations and other stuff to dreary to go into. I was uncharacteristically philosophical as I knew there would be problems, and used the time to catch up on podcasts and listen to a bit of the audiobook of Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. Walked home from Brighton Station and found Lorraine and Betty at home. Beth just off to do some drama teaching to children, and Lorraine working from home writing her reports. I worked for some tim...