On why we will never be self-sufficient

French beans.

Courgettes.

Red cabbage.

Runner beans.

Happy snails.

Perhaps this would be a match for them.

Crambe maritima or sea kale.

Leaves as tough as neoprene, but the stems are delicious blanched and

eaten like asparagus apparently.

All I've got today

Snappy snaps

I'd relied upon Tuscany to provide me with much blog worthy material

but, as the prevalent exclamatory writing style has it.

Rain.

There was a cat. Monroe.

On a nice mat.

And a couple of shadow opportunities

when a fitful sun appeared.

But mostly it was about dodging the torrents.

This one at the top of the Torre Grossa in San Gimignano.

And lamenting the presence of chainsaws

in the valley below our house.

Yes down there in the fog.

8.30 until 5.00 unless it rained.

Hmm.

On the plus side, the food is not affected by rain.

And the chainsaws cannot follow one into restaurants.

Also it was very green and the wildflowers were abundant.

And I wasn't once bitten by a mosquito.

For the boys

We made a nostalgia laden trip back to 

a farm in Tuscany.

The roses are still there - just.

The long cedar walks still

criss cross the estate

The bocce ball where we played in the cool shade

of the holm oaks,

 has fallen into disuse.

The river where we swam

and sunbathed on the rocks,

was in full spate after torrential rains.

The olive trees recovered well

after the devastating frost of 1985.

The picnic table at the belvedere 

 looks just the same.

 The views over your shoulder to Siena are timeless.

But it wasn't all about looking back.

We found new things

and went to new places

and maybe one day we could take everyone

and make new memories.

Through new eyes

Admiring the alliums.

Loving the warm sand.

Watching the tide roll in.

Wearing grandad's hat.

Joining in with the Morris Men! 

The perfect end to a Bank Holiday holiday.

Since when it has been unremittingly cold and grey.

We have the heating back on.

Where must I go to find some summer sun?