What’s A Boy To Do?

No sooner are we back from one holiday ………

…… than Nigel is off on another, well to turn down a very kind invitation to a few days in Bude would just look plain rude wouldn’t it …..

……… even when your original suntan hadn’t had the good grace to fade just a little.

However, he says in contrast to our balmy and calm Hanioti beach  ……

…….. Bude is erm ……..bracing ………

……. and keeping his two feet planted firmly on the ground has been slightly problematic with handrails being his saviour!

So with the beach huts all locked up and unavailable for hire, but wanting to stay close to the sea to watch the romantically crashing waves ………

……. Nigel decided it might be safer to seek sanctuary in Rosie’s Kitchen on the beach ……..

….. who served up the best dirty fries (grilled rump steak, cheesy fries, peppercorn sauce and crispy onions), that he has ever, ever, ever tasted ……. in his whole life!

…… with condiments served in a real life, sandcastle bucket!

A meal to remember ………

……… and affording him, once chowed down, enough energy and weight, to tackle those bracing winds again.  Happy days!

Vitamin C In Free Abundance!

It’s that time of year ……….

…… when we find ourselves surrounded by free, super vitamin C on tap in blackberry form ………

….. so it goes without saying that Nigel has been assigned the task of collecting enough of said fruits for puddings and snacks over the next few weeks.

Yesterday, he took his beloved niece and nephew with him, which proved to be slightly problematic as the little scamps ate them faster than poor Nigel could pick them ……..

……. but then again, isn’t that part of the joy of blackberrying?

Uncle Nigel just had to pick a bit quicker!

Despite this, they still managed to bring home a very respectable pound or so of the glistening ripe fruit …….  with still enough room left to share in one of Darrell’s triumphant strawberry and blackberry Pavlova’s. It was too wonderful for words! 

Darrell Cooks Like A Ninja?!?!

Darrell has a brand new aide culinaire ………

….. to wit a Ninja air fryer!

However, despite his initial excitement and bravado after being persuaded by Hugh, his best friend and mentor of all things of an air fried type nature, to avail himself of one, when it eventually arrived he was nervous, very, nervous, Richter Scale nervous in fact.

So, his decided, after reading the instructions and starter recipe leaflet at least one hundred times, that he’d best start simple, i.e with a humble Tesco thick pork and caramelised onion sausage.  What is he like?

Let’s just say the tension that rendered The Towers in the 10 minutes it took for them to cook, waiting for the ping, was robustly tangible and palpable, before Darrell was able to plate them up for Nigel’s and my experimental delectation.

They tasted “alright”, perhaps a little dryer and less greaser than if he’d put them in the oven, but then I think that was the whole point of the fryer, plus I think they were quite posh sausages, and perhaps needed a cheeky spray of oil to help them along, but what do I know?  We also thought that the skins might have been  a bit crisper, but for his first time, Darrell dun pretty good.

He now says, he thinks, that with our next Greek Odyssey looming, there’s a recipe for Greek potatoes in the aforementioned recipe leaflet, so perhaps he will give it a whirl to get our juices flowing for the real thing ……… once he gets his culinary nerve back!

An Very Emotional Return H0me …….

It goes without saying that Nigel missed the end of term celebrations with his beloved readers due to our rather extended Greek sojourn ……..

……. but when we got home, we found that Tom the Scientist had popped in to drop off some cards and presents for Nigel from the little ones.

This was totally unexpected and naturally the little fella was overwhelmed.

There were heartfelt gifts of sweets, chocolate, two beautiful note books, a “you are a star” candle ………..

……… and a wallet with his name on, full of brand new stickers, because everyone knows they get to choose at least two stickers from Nigel’s sticker box after they have read to him, one for their reading record book and the other to stick on their sweatshirt or cardigan.

It goes without saying that it was quite an emotional homecoming ……

……. and I have to admit that both Darrell and I were a little overcome too, Nigel has really put his heart and soul into his reading, he is a shining example to us, so perhaps, with a little spare time on our hands, we should join him, ….. while in no way wishing to steal any of his thunder, perhaps we could share one or two of the Cook Lady’s wonderous “Roast Thursdays” that he has told us so much about ……..

We’re Leaving On A Jet Plane ……..

Our final few hours, with breakfast of course, in Hanioti

Our last bowlful of the most wonderful Greek yoghurt and honey, the likes of which is impossible to find back home, even in Waitrose when we “do” the occasional posh shop.

Our last helping of spinach pie, scrambled egg Greek style and exotic sausage …….

……. there was even a huge bowl of our beloved Loukoumades, let’s just say, it was ……. emotional!

Then it was time for Nigel to bid a fond goodbye to “our” beach, where undoubtedly our little enclave of sun loungers would soon find a new group of patrons ……..

……. and then …… it started to rain, something after all these years visiting the Greek shores, we have never, ever experienced before.

Nigel mused it was Grecian teardrops falling from the sky, heartbroken that we had to, once again, leave it’s loving embrace!  What on earth is he like?

And then …….  with one last farewell to the Naias, our taxi finally whisked us away to the airport.

…….. where our plane was waiting …….. nuff said, I think!