contrasts

Tourists down at the resort today. One splendid- German probably - 70ish - in bright pink pudding basin hat with flowers over pink hair, pink stole, pink and white shorts above freckled legs, bright pink socks and boots below them. Sitting, writing in a large notebook, in an Italian cafe, to which Granny had also retired with Mrs Handsome. All the other tourists were Brits shivering in shorts and strappy tops. Less spendid - even the young ones. Granny and Mrs H neither looked nor felt very spendid either, especially having just been told price of Spanish course next January - prohibitive. Granny, tired of struggling in pidgen Spanish, signed up anyway. She is now feeling poorer - still more so after doing some Christmas shopping. And also fatter as result of cheesecake eaten to counter the shock of it.

Back up here on the way home. An elderly man ploughing black earth with a black donkey and single plough share like something out of a mediaeval manuscript. What an island.