Coronavirus situation

Hilary · « **Reply #60 on:** March 28, 2020, 02:29:55 PM »

Easter cheese sounds interesting

Charithea · « **Reply #61 on:** March 28, 2020, 05:59:32 PM »

Hilary, I had forgotten that in Greece you don't make 'flaounes'. During the Lent period
The milk from sheep/goats was not made into halloumi but instead into 'diri=cheese' a cylindrical shape much like Metzovo cheese. It would be allowed to dry and mature and during the Holy Week it would be grated by hand. It was an arduous job. Now of course there are electric graters. The eggs were also saved so the grated cheese , the eggs, salt, baking powder and fresh chopped mint were mixed in a big bowl and left overnight. The dough was made the next day then rolled out into squares and filled with the cheese mixture. Left to rise and when deemed ok put in the oven to cook. My sister and my cousins still do this every Easter but can not try their handy work because they are still fasting. I get to judge the flaounes as I am a lapsed G ,Ortodox.

Hilary · « **Reply #62 on:** March 28, 2020, 06:29:08 PM »

Interesting but a bit beyond my cooking possibilities !

Hilary · « **Reply #63 on:** March 28, 2020, 06:31:34 PM »

A few years ago, the town council had a wide path made, next to the beach, with flower beds in the middle and places for a few benches. The beds were planted with Tamarix trees at each end and grassed over. At a later date some of the grassy beds had small rock gardens created in them. After a few years the beds were left to their own devices except for the annual autumn pruning of the Tamarix trees and what remains of the grass watered in the heat of the summer.
Today the horrible weather we have been having recently cleared for a few hours and we took the opportunity to walk along by the sea, keeping our distance from the others out for the same purpose. Not so difficult as everyone else was doing the same and there weren't exactly crowds out.
Always on the look out for flowers to snap I took a few photos of Mattiola which grows at the edge of the beach in some places but had managed to settle in some of the beds. While concentrating on taking the photo I noticed next to the Mattiola it a tiny flower which I have never seen before.
Because this path and the Tamarix trees are favoured by dogs both stray and pets I did not pick a piece of the plant to try to identify it.
If anyone has any ideas, I would be grateful to put a name to this pretty little flower

Umbrian · « **Reply #64 on:** March 29, 2020, 09:30:34 AM »

Sad end to the story of my little fledging Blackbird - found it dead this morning with injuries to its head. I wish now I had tried to move it to a less exposed position but we are told not to interfere for fear of the parents abandoning. I feel this father would not have done- he is still going down with food for it in his beak......

Hilary · « **Reply #65 on:** March 29, 2020, 05:36:57 PM »

Yesterday I wrote about the flower beds in the middle of the beach- side walk, here in Corinth. I also mentioned that the beds had been improved/ altered several years ago by the addition of small rock gardens which were later abandoned
Here are today's photos of the most tenacious plants which have survived the icy cold winter winds blowing off snow topped mountains and large quantities of sea spray.
You will note that some of the rock gardens have mysteriously lost some of their rocks.
The last photo is of a pigeon party on the beach attended by a few sparrows. There was also a seagull and a crow in attendance but they took off when they saw me about to snap them

Umbrian · « **Reply #66 on:** March 30, 2020, 07:32:10 AM »

Thanks for sharing those photos Hilary - could almost feel the refreshing sea air.

Hilary · « **Reply #67 on:** March 30, 2020, 06:13:30 PM »

The wind was off the land today hence the calm and inviting sea. I concentrated on looking for wild flowers. There is a stretch of the beach-side walk which is parallel to a road and across the road are several pieces of empty plots full of greenery, wild flowers and a lot of, blown in by the wind, rubbish.
Mother Nature ignores the rubbish and produces her flowers in plenty
Here are a few of them enjoying the sunshine today

Umbrian · « **Reply #68 on:** March 31, 2020, 07:05:46 AM »

The daughter of a friend has turned her hand to making these willow wigwams whilst Italy is in total shutdown - have placed my order in hopes of happier times to come.

Hilary · « **Reply #69 on:** March 31, 2020, 05:38:58 PM »

Another walk along by the sea today with the intention of picking some of the yellow flowers I had seen yesterday and to play with them at home snapping them
First the statue of Alexander the Great and Diogenes with his pithos. This group is very popular as a meeting place and where people take selfies. However, it is by far the most popular with small children who sit on Diogenes’ knees swing on his arm and climb on top of his pithos. They also crawl between Alexander’s legs,

Now to be serious

Here are two photo of the tiny flower I saw a couple of days ago. It looks like some kind of sedum
Two photos of an Orobanche which I came across by accident.
It is amazing how many flowers you can see if you bend down
Lastly two photos of a clover like plant with yellow flowers.

Umbrian · « **Reply #70 on:** April 01, 2020, 07:54:16 AM »

A small self set Coriander plant that I mistook for parsley when it first appeared has provided us with some delicious curries and tagines whilst in lock down and deciding on each day's supper has become something to enjoy. I don't have much luck with it normally as high temperatures soon see it bolt into flower and seed at the expense of the leaves.

John J · « **Reply #71 on:** April 01, 2020, 10:16:23 AM »

Our Osteospermums seem to have benefited from the amount of rain and the cooler weather we've had this winter and spring.

Hilary · « **Reply #72 on:** April 01, 2020, 12:43:18 PM »

I like that dark pink osteospermum. I wonder what colour artists would call it

Hilary · « **Reply #73 on:** April 01, 2020, 06:17:27 PM »

Today's walk took us to the mouth of the dry river here in Corinth. The river has been known to fill and overflow causing damage to the town so it was decided to enclose it in parts and where it meets the sea to leave a wide area open but bordered by cement walls and floor. Before this huge work was undertaken it was always possible to walk on a stony bar across the mouth of the river, Now the sea has created a crescent shaped bar and what looks like a very deep lagoon. Someone told us that the area was becoming a haven for birds. We saw a few swallows zooming around and one bird too far away to recognize hopping on the edge of the lagoon.
On the way there and back we saw many wild flowers and one poppy growing in a pot outside of the most popular souvlaki shop in Corinth, now closed for the winter.
The bright sun drained the colours from the flowers