Peeling Portals and Kew Petition

After relaxing break in Elounda, work is currently taking all my creative energy - planning experiments after finding my funding applications for bryophyte conservation were successful  in   tough times - 40 other projects didn't get funding. Not a huge amount of money and only for a year but everything helps.
Very worrying  times at Kew at the moment,  125 jobs to go, until the  new science strategy is in place I don't know whether my job is secure and whatever happens , things will be very different. I worry that in chasing other funding sources we'll no longer be able to do the conservation work  we're known for.
So sign the petition,  ( overseas supporters can do so too, ) and if you're in the UK, ask your MP  to support the Early Day Motion

Meanwhile, inspired by some of the wonderful peeling Cretan doors, I've returned to finishing off some WIPs ( Works-in-Progress) completing quilting and cutting back through the  laminated organza of 'Peeling Portals', companion piece to ' Every Wall is a Door'. I missed the deadline for  Sandown Quilt show - at 24 inches square  it's  too small for entry in other  competitions.  Maybe next year!  Just needs binding and sleeve putting on now.

Across the foot of Mount Oxa

 On May day there were indeed people collecting flowers and making wreaths and having picnics involving serious barbecues involving constructions of rocks. Got chatting to a lady with her family who had travelled to Elounda from Iraklion. That was later in the day near the saltpans. Earlier we'd set off on a walk around the foot of Mounta Oxa which dominates the town.

 Walls, insects and birds along with lots of sage and even some more orchids (stopped taking photos after a while just enjoyed spotting the odd splash of pink )

 Amazing views down to Elounda and even a crumbly door,

 Looking up to Mount oxa there ws a circling large bird of prey, looking the other way there  were views of Spinalonga and the saltpans

 Back in Elounda hungry and thirsty we went to 'Theo' where Ian finally had his snails cooked with rosemaryt ( and a lesson involving various instuments of extraction)

In the evening a final visit to Lotus Eaters where they'd saved some smoked aubergine and chocolate and rosemary tart for us . A day of memories to bank . 

Peeling doors in Ag Nik

Today we ventured a bit further afield than Elounda, getting the local bus to Aghios Nikolaos ("Ag Nik") , rather hillier  than expected, both museums closed but we found the market and a delightful local Taverna 'Aouas' where the  whole family including 2 small girls were sorting through a huge pile of snails . Lots of crumbly peeling doors too, although I'd already amassed a collection from other locations around Elounda. 

Tomorrow is May day, a a public holiday when most people go into the countryside to gather 'horta' and have picnics. It's our last day and we're intending to go for a walk in the hills with a taverna lunch and returning to the Lotus Eaters hoping they'll have some of that chocolate and rosemary tart left....

The Island , monoprinting and Minotaurus Blood

Started sketching before breakfast, who could resist trying to capture the amazing sunrise! Then a boat trip to Spinalonga Island ( as featured in the the novel 'The island' ) -impressive Venetian fortifications and poignant reminders of the leper colony. 

After a fishy lunch of  sea bream, an afternoon of monprinting on paper,fabric and colourcatchers, making good use of the laundry facilities for an improvised print rack! I'm intending to put together a little book like I did in Puglia and Rydal

Dinner at home this evening, using the fairly basic cooking facilities to produce pasta and ratatoiulle with gorgeous local ingredients accompanied by a bottle of 'Minotaurus blood'wine -couldn't resist the label !Tho we're just as happy with the local 'wine from the  barrel' at 3.50 Euros for 1.5L ! 

'Ag Nik' by bus tomorrow. 

Birthday in Elounda

 A memorable birthday meal in Elounda at the Lotus Eaters restaurant with chocolate and rosemary tart followed by homemade limoncello preceded by a specially ordered leg of Cretan mountain lamb that had been cooking all afternoon -we managed to demolish it all bar the bleat

Selfie with restaurant cat 

The day itself was spent blissfully doing not a lot, a late start, a bit of shopping, a leisurely lunch on our terrace and a walk around the saltpans accompanied by lark song (skylark or crested lark, not quite sure )  with a few watercolour sketches of the mountains watching fishing boats negotiate  the narrow canal beneath the causeway to Spinalonga peninsula. 

Morning skies in Elounda

 Up early, trying to capture the sunrise and amazing skies over Spinalonga peninsula in watercolour from the huge terrace of our apartment before bread and honey for breakfast.

 Then a 5k walk to Plaka on backroads, even spotting some late orchids along the way.The last 3k was on roads along the coast seeing all the superposh new developments.

 Seeing octopuses pegged out reminded us of Gerolimni and Gythion and we had a delicious lunch at the Taverna Spinalonga overlooking Spinalonga Island ( as in book 'The Island".)

 Heading back with clouds looming , a couple of kilometres down the road, we sheltered in a metal(!) bus shelter opposite this colourful shrine while the gods threw around copious lightening and thunderbolts which then cleared to sunshine in time for us to be rescued by a taxi driver!

Indigo Evening in Elounda

Last night, at the Lotus Eaters in Elounda, Crete, a wonderful meal of aubergine dip, followed by lamb and a chocolate and rosemary tart rounded off with a metaxa and Greek coffee watching Spinalonga peninsula turn through various shades of indigo to an absolute pitch black ( not used to that after brown london skies). We enjoyed our meal so much we're going back tomorrow for my birthday having ordered a special lamb leg that will be cooking all afternoon. 

Earlier in the day we'd head over to the peninsula , after a lesiurely lunch of leftovers from  dinner the night before at Mam's( my portion was ginormous and also very tired from an early start tho staying at Gatwick the night before is definately the way to go ) . Lovely evening light as we walked by the old salt pans with remnants of the old windmills.