under another sun

Instead of sprawling in bed drinking tea and reading the newspapers on our screens, Lorraine and I got up and drove to the sea this morning for a walk and a bite of breakfast by the sea in Hove. Spent quite a lot of time congratulating ourselves on how well we had done and strolled about looking at thin channel of cloud that passed overhead and lead out over the sea. Beth back this afternoon for a couple of days, which was an excuse for cooking a roast pork supper. And generally hanging out. She is looking well and had a nice haircut. She and Lorraine had a vast sorting out of Beth's bedroom session. I worked instead for most of the afternoon on various parts of the Cloud of Things That Must Be Done, but these were relating to my upcoming The Nightwork pamphlet launch  readings - and following up with Melody at Kogan Page about my book proposal and astonishingly got a reply back from her on Sunday afternoon. Spoke to Catherine who said that she and Tanya were going for an 'up

Off today to Ashford to see Maureen and Pat. Our visit was the day after Pat's birthday and the day before their 57th wedding anniversary. A pleasant day. Went off to Dobbies, which is a garden centre where they bought a two stemmed pink orchid to celebrate, and where we had a bite to eat. They have recently been given a reconditioned iPad, Lorraine spent some hours showing Maureen how you can order your groceries online from Tescos and have them delivered. I wandered out into the back garden with Pat and picked beans from his bean row. I am newly interested in this as if we have a garden soon it would be good for Lorraine and I to have vegetable patch. Pat said beans are easy to grow, and that stringless ones are best. I love the idea of eating something I have grown. They are pretty too with their orange flowers and as Lorraine is constantly wanting green beans it seems mad not to. We went home with a bag of beans and some excellent cake that Maureen had made. Lorraine also g

Started some freelance work, working for Germans on stuff for a new product launch all day.  More lined up for next week, which is good as there are some bare boards showing at the bottom of the Kenny coffers after the trips to Guernsey and Paxos. Lorraine working companionably next to me. Spoke to Pat Norrie, for whom I was doing this work, who called me from the airport on his way to Malaysia, and Hong Kong for a large holiday. Sounds exciting. While I was waiting for final feedback on the copy watching bits of Stewart Lee, who is currently my favourite comedian. See this for example. A plumber came to fix the boiler problem, which took him some hours. Otherwise little excitement till Lorraine started cooking and sent me out to find some turmeric. Weirdly this proved impossible to find but led me into several shops I don't normally go into, including one staffed by a slightly wild eyed man who after I asked him about turmeric, which he had none of, he came up to me and said,

Woke up and Lorraine told me that the fuses had all gone downstairs. We got up and isolated the problem to the boiler, which is tripping the fuses. Another item added to The Cloud of Things That Must Be Done. Otherwise and unbelievably, doing more house related solicitor stuff, including more pleasantly taking a lunchtime stroll with Lorraine down to the solicitor's office at lunchtime to drop things off. Lorraine trying to get roofers to sort out the roof too, though nobody returns the phone calls. Spoke to Mum. Her tooth had been pulled, but Mason's surgeon at the hospital said he just needed a filling instead -- which was lucky. Poor Janet and Ken have been going through an incredibly stressful time, with Ken's 16 granddaughter who is staying with them in Brighton, running away for days on end and being spotted with unsavoury characters about town. In the evening off to see Matt, and have a quick drink in the Basketmakers, which we had not been to for months it seems

His and hers mindmaps this morning to pin down The Cloud of Things That Must Be Done. Spent much of the day writing to solicitors, talking about stuff to neigbours. Felt disoriented and enervated this afternoon. Lorraine and I walked into town to upgrade my phone which was on its last iLegs, done by a charming man who told us that he had a photographic memory and Aspergers. Home and fiddling with new phone, and trying to sort out a more general mail forwarding problem from one of my accounts, which ended with me deleting the account completely by mistake and having to have it reinstated. This made me somewhat sweary and proved a miserable way to spend Lorraine's last night of freedom.

Despite the comfy temperature and our own bed, back to our English grey skied rainy reality. Calliope woke me at a hideously early 4:20 and spent the day shadowing me, and occasionally nipping me in an unprovoked way for my absence.  Brian ghosts in from time to time seeming weirdly paranoid. Lorraine with a bad griping stomach, and me with a touch of a sore throat and still-deaf ear howling with tinnitus. Both under The Cloud of Things That Must Be Done. Some legal stuff on the house weighing heavily. Some of this involves all denizens of the Old Church Hall, and luckily progress has been made while we were away. Nevertheless we were comparatively gentle with ourselves. A quick drive into town for Sainsbury's and picking up a frame. Someone had broken the wing mirror off the car, so we had to hold it in place with a bungee rope. Later, I flirted for a few hours with the 400 emails that have accumulated in my absence -- mostly rubbish of course, but my computer also kept free

To Paxos then. A reasonable trip on a Germania plane, a small but reassuringly German airline. The familiar sensation of stepping from the plane into the Greek sun, walking across the concrete of Corfu airport like walking into an oven. Then a short coach ride to Benitses harbour where we were put aboard the Vicky B, a small charter ferry. Sat on the top deck drinking a can or two of cold mythos beer as we travelled south down the channel between Corfu and the mountainous Greek mainland. The islands and headlands like watercolour washes of blue.  Eventually we neared Paxos, looking mysterious in its heat haze. August is of course the time of year when Italians also take their break, and Corfu being a short sail from Southern Italy. When we arrived at Gaios Harbour in Paxos, a huge Italian motor yacht was harboured where the ferry was to moor. The Captain of the ferry employed his loudspeaker and addressed the Italian as malaka (wanker). The affronted Italian (an arrogant cazzo of

Below Odysseus's boat turned to stone, the rocky caves of the west coast of Paxos, and Voutoumi beach on Antipaxos.

More views from Paxos, the final three taken from our patio.