The constant chattering of the cicadas sounds like the rhythmic “click, click” of a garden sprinkler  as it rotates. Each morning I awoke in time to watch the sun rise over the hills across the bay. Glorious! Up on the roof a small group were practising yoga. What a great way to start the day! As I stood on the balcony I might hear the happy chatter of the youngest member of our Group. Baby J is a determined young lady all of 20 months who bustled around the grounds trailing a watchful adult behind her. She never walked anywhere, but moved at speed, swinging her little arms. 

Time to dress and join the others for breakfast. The joy of self-catering is that meal times were completely flexible with people drifting in and out of the kitchen for a bite before going for a dip in the pool or to lie on a lounger in the sun. I found a chair and settled in the shade of the olive trees. As more people went into the pool, an informal water-volleyball game started. Such fun! So many shrieks! So much laughter. Rules? Well, they were made up on the spot and there may have been a certain element of sabotage . . .

In the relative cool of the afternoon some people went off down to the beach to snorkel or swim. On Day 3 I, too, went down to the beach. Paddling in the sea felt fantastic BUT the sea bed was a mass of large pebbles so I needed to keep my sandals on. Why hadn’t I packed my swimming shoes – the ones that I bought for Hawaii? When the water reached the top of my legs I gave up. The combination of the chill and the movement of the waves made me anxious – I am out of practise. So I retired to the beach to perch on a seat watching the swimmers snorkelling. When we returned to the villa I went for a dip in the pool, helped in by my son and his brother-in-law. There was no way that I had the strength in my arms to pull up on the handrails to climb the steps in the wall to get out. So the two men levered me out again. But I did it! I went in. . . .

On both days supper was very informal. We gathered around the long table to share “take-aways ” and salad from the kitchen while we chatted about the day’s activities. Then we wiled the evening away relaxing and chatting under the olive trees around the pool.

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