8th February, 2015
We were woken by birdsong before 7.00 am this morning and the day is certainly Spring-like.
Actually, there are six weeks until the Spring Equinox. At 10.00 pm, we have all the windows open upstairs and down to the freshen up the flat. The forecast for this week ahead is settled with high pressure and mild temperatures. Pauline is ironing with the sun streaming in. I don’t know if that makes it any easier. She did win the Lottery last night but hasn’t decided how to spend the £25.00/€34.00 yet. These things have to be carefully thought through.
9th February, 2015
We reached 10C/50F today in the sunshine but it still felt cold outside, particularly as we walked back to the car after exercise at the Health Club. There’s nothing worse than sweat drying cold on one’s back – not to put too fine a point on it.
Britain is awash with horror about the elite getting away with secret, Swiss Bank accounts and huge amounts of tax evasion. I remember Pauline being chased three years running for £4000.00, £80.00 and even £0.42 although she was under PAYE throughout. Here, we learn of individuals owing hundreds of thousands of pounds who are failing to be prosecuted for deliberately evading tax and the head of a bank who appears to have colluded in that crime and then been rewarded with a peerage and a government job. Are we still in Greece?
10th February, 2015
A grey morning but dry and a relatively mild 7C/45F. Friends on Sifnos, this morning, say it is cold and wet there. I am re-working one of my websites this morning and hope to upload it by the end of the week. When we were selling the Greek house, I created, proof-read and uploaded a sales site in 24hrs – I was so keen to sell – and all the mood music coming out of the country confirm our decision. I still believe it could go either way but I am slightly inclining towards Grexit now.
Pauline is making vegetable soup and vegetable spaghetti for our meal but first we must earn it by working hard at the Health Club. It is nice to see further signs of Spring on its way as crocuses force their heads into the world beneath the trees around our house.
11th February, 2015
Out at 9.00 am under leaden skies and cold, though a bit warmer than Greece. We are topping out at 8C/47F but it feels colder. Ruth and Kevan are out walking in the North of England to celebrate a birthday. Rather them than me!
We have been to the Peacock Centre for Pauline to have her haircut at Headmasters while I read my iPad newspaper in Patisserie Valerie and drank the best Latte I’ve had for a long time.
We went for a cursory walk around Debenhams which is obviously waiting new stock, bought a Europe 2015 Road Atlas to supplement our Sat. Nav. and bought a couple of jars of Genovese pesto from Carluccio’s.
We’ve done a really hard session at the Health Club this afternoon that has left me shattered. I certainly won’t be able to keep pace with Ruth and especially not Jane B.G.. I may even need a lie down before my meal – Roast Salmon steak with pesto crust accompanied by grilled onions, peppers and garlic button mushrooms – and another lie down after it.
12th February, 2015
Enjoyable day out driving down to Sussex to view properties. Hailsham, Hellingly, Lewes, Horsham, Haywards Heath. We left at 9.30 am and got home by 3.00 pm. We were looking more at areas than specific properties. Rather liked Haywards Heath. Never been there before but it had a good feel and appeared to have lots of the services we want to find in reasonably close proximity.
13th February, 2015
Friday 13th – Name Day of The Poison Dwarf. Have a wonderful time!
We’ve been doing correspondence and Management business for our Development. Not really enjoying doing that. Hopefully, we’ll be in a house by the end of the year. For the past 40 years – in fact, all of our married life – we’ve lived in detached properties. The last time I lived in a flat was as a student in a flat above an Estate Agent and below a brothel. I had not foreseen the amount of communal activity required to manage ownership of a shared property and grounds. We really don’t need it and it is urging us to move on.