Harvest

The minute my back is turned the courgettes turn themselves into thumping big marrows.

I've been dealing with plums all week, making jam and filling containers of cooked fruit for the freezer. I love Victoria plums and can't resist eating far too many of them as I cut out the stones.

The swiss chard looks beautiful in the garden glistening in the rain. It has cropped fantastically well.

It's just a pity that Himself has decided that he doesn't like the taste, "too earthy."  I've got rows of the stuff!

The squash have been harvested and put in the greenhouse for the skins to toughen.

The 'red cherry' tomatoes are still cropping. Their flavour is far superior to the other varieties that I've grown this year, I shall definitely grow them again next year.

'Roma' had a bit of blossom end rot

and 'Shirley' was tasteless.

But there's plenty of basil to brighten things up a bit.

And I'm nurturing a few cuttings brought home from our holiday.

There are still flowers to pick in the garden

for Jane's flowers in the house.

La Maddalena Archipelago

A boat trip on a sunny day is my idea of a perfect holiday outing.
We caught a tourist boat in Cannigione

and headed out of the Gulf of Arzachena to explore the the islands of the Maddalena Archipelago.

Our first stop was at the outlying island of Santa Maria. I struggle to keep my plumbago plant alive throughout the winter months but here it was growing all over the place in gay abandon!

We walked up towards the lighthouse to enjoy a view of the route that we had sailed.

There was time for a swim and then it was back on board and a short sail to a mooring and lunch on board - pasta for everyone. (There was a bit of a kerfuffle attaching to the buoy.)

After lunch we set sail for Spargi, landing by the beautiful beach of Cala Corsara. The Italian tourists went into the water no deeper than their waists and stood in groups to chat. The water was crystal clear,  the bay was empty of swimmers and not too wide - I would swim across it.

I was half way across the bay when a voice behind me called out, "Signora - Medusa!" A small boy in snorkelling gear, some way behind me, was waving and pointing into the water.

I thought for a moment, visualised Medusa's head with her writhing snake hair, did a straightforward translation into 'jellyfish' and headed for the shore!

White flowers were growing where the sandy beach merged into the dunes.

The rocks were beautiful and the plants growing in the crevices made the landscape resemble a Japanese garden.

We clambered up to explore the look-out

and found the remains of an old gun emplacement. 

The sea looked wonderful, and no signs of jellyfish!

Then it was a short sail to the main island and a mooch about the city of La Maddalena, where it seemed that almost every other shop was selling ice-cream. (So, what's a girl to do but eat one. And so many flavours, so hard to choose, better make it a double!)

Lovely flowers hung from the balconies.

Our last stop was offshore in deep, clear water, for those who wanted to dive in and swim around the boat.

Then it was back to Cannigione.

The end of a perfect outing. 

Apart from the medusa!

Porto Cervo

In the 1960's I read with interest of the creation of Porto Cervo by Prince Karim Aba Khan as a luxury tourist development on the north eastern coast of Sardinia. The area was given the title, 'Costa Smeralda' and last week, half a century or so after its creation, I at last had the opportunity to explore the area. I couldn't find any written information about the architectural stipulations but it was evident that low-rise buildings, sitting unobtrusively in the rocky landscape, were one aspect of the brief.

It was a comfortable place to walk around even in the heat of the day due to the construction of shady arcades, here giving glimpses through the narrow streets of apartments of the harbour beyond.

The church of Stella Maris overlooks the town. It was also built in the 1960's but gives the impression of a much earlier structure. It is very simple in style, dazzlingly white, the walls with rounded corners and a rough surface texture.

Natural materials are used in the interior, a granite floor and solid dark roof beams, with the altar pierced by a stream of natural light from a high window. There are some very modern touches, such as this unusual lectern.

 And for a touch of Italian style, in front of a reticent madonna, an elegant spray of orchids.

But the main action in town is sailing and shopping, with luxury yachts in the marina and along the  'piazzetta' any number of  boutiques displaying goods from the most famous international designers.  The buildings here are very attractive, with colour-washed walls and foliage used to great effect.

Everywhere that I looked seemed worthy of a photograph.

There were some eye-wateringly expensive boats in the marina

but it was very quiet as we strolled about because most of the yachting crowd were out sailing. There were many lovely-looking restaurants along the harbour front, their menus read well but the prices were terrifying. 

What did we buy? All that we could afford were coffees and ice-creams!