It's a (Ch)ill wind that blows.

We are just (I hope) coming out of a cold spell spell here on the island there has been talk of frost but I've not seen it, however, Sandra went up to Assos on Tuesday and several roads were white over with frost.  She took Mantha and Effie up to IKEA and said there was snow higher up in the mountains but not on the roads at all although the country road from Assos to Ioaninna had collapsed in several places maybe due to the weather but Jorgos had said that there had been several small earthquakes in that are over the last few weeks.  While Sandra was up in Assos she saw our old landlord and his wife (Spiros and Yorta) they are currently living in our old house but have realised how cold it was and installed a wood burning boiler and several more mod cons to make their stay there more pleasant.  They were delighted to see her and reinforced their offer of accommodation when, not if, we go down to Olympia and Kalamata.

A drive full of tree

Over the last weekend we didn't seem to spend much time at home, on Friday night we had a meal out in Lefkas town at Festino's restaurant.  We both had steak as they always seem to do a really good one there and you can depend on getting a rare steak when you ask for one not medium as most places seem to do.  Saturday we went to a 70th birthday party for Janet in the De Vine bar in Nidri.  Janet being a fantastic cook provided the bulk of the food but Sandra and several others added salads etc. to the buffet.  Janet provides many home comforts to the ex-pat community here like sausage rolls and pork pies etc which cannot be bought for love nor money at the shops.  Sunday we went for lunch at special friends Debbie and Jez's.  They live in a very unusual hexagonal house in the village of Ponti near Vasiliki.  It's a lovely house without being OTT as many are here on the island an ideal house for a couple to live in with a couple of extra small bedrooms for guests, and a view over Vasiliki bay second to none, I fell in love with it.  Jeremy cooked a very good meal for the four of us and we spent the rest of the day just talking endlessly.  Thanks you two we had a great time!

Last branch waiting to be dissected! 

While Sandra was at Assos on Tuesday I took the opportunity to finally cut down the huge branch which grow half way across our drive.  I'm sure this will be to the delight of Tony who always asks if I've got rid of it when he sees me.   The branch started at almost ground level like a tree with two trunks and finished higher than the house so it was a tricky little operation.  With car being miles away I thought that at least I wouldn't damage that if nothing else.  About ten feet above the main trunk the tree divided again into four large branches fortunately the canopy of other tree held the whole thing up while I detached the trunk and then each branch one at a time.  It'll all add to the overall stockpile of next winters fuel supply.

Not a bit of sawdust left (nag avoidance scheme)

Last night we went to Porto bar on Lefkas marina to see the regular film viewing which Maureen and Mark put on.  Last night it was "The King's Speech", this is the best film we have seen for some time and is thoroughly deserving of all the plaudits and awards which are being levelled at it.  Excellent acting and performance by all the cast including the bit parts, in particular I really liked Timothy Spall's Churchill, very much like I remember him.