Grecotel Imperial

The neighbours are always rather pleased when we travel abroad as it seems to coincide with a period of excellent weather in Blighty. Our recent holiday was no exception, a couple of storms over Corfu while England enjoyed a heatwave. (It did, of course, mean that the neighbours had rather a lot of watering of my pots and more tender things that were still stuffed in the greenhouse. Now that we're back home it's pouring with rain and blowing a gale!) We had previously stayed at the Imperial in the autumn of 2015 and enjoyed it very much, but we've visited Corfu many times in the spring and know that while there is always the chance of rain so early in the season there is also a countryside awash with wild flowers and that it is a comfortable temperature to be out and about.
We were given the same lovely room as before,

 

with a good view from the veranda

whatever the time of day.

Every day I swam from one or other of the small, sandy beaches out to the diving platform.

The beaches are linked by a wooden walkway.

and there are plenty of places to lounge.

One of pleasures of returning to this hotel is to have morning yoga with Barbara, she is such a lovely and encouraging tutor.

The classes are held in the most idyllic spot with sea on either side and the sound of gently lapping water. Barbara performs every move with ease 

and the rest of us do the best we can!

The walk through the hotel grounds to the yoga circle is lovely.

On a cloudy morning Barbara took us for a walk to the nearby church of Ipapanti

We passed this climbing plant on our walk, it looks like some form of fly catcher.

It had masses of seeds!

Even in poor weather Corfu is beautiful

and the sun soon returns!

St Ives

Shortly after returning home from our friend's funeral we were contacted by his solicitor to say that David had left us some gifts. His house was being cleared, would we collect our items from the auction house. We booked an overnight stay at the hotel, staying in one of the rooms of the original house with this lovely tiled fireplace.

We often enjoy sunshine on our trips to Cornwall but on this occasion StIves was enveloped in a sea mist - what we Northerners call a 'haar'. Whatever the weather, St Ives is a lovely place to be. We walked into town along the coastal path where arum lilies were flowering.

More lilies in the churchyard

and interesting old gravestones.

The tide was out

and people were walking across the harbour sand.

We had a mooch around Tate Modern.

I like the staircase decorations best!

Not too convinced by the use of semi-precious stones,

this one looks like a pimple!

Then into town

to poke about the narrow streets.

We peered in the window of Armstrong and Wing at paintings 'in the style of' the artist Alfred Wallis.

Then to our favourite eating place

tucked up in a booth

for tapas

as the tide rolled in

and the surfers were engulfed by the mist.

Tuesday Intros: Mothering Sunday

I love getting a surprise parcel in the post, especially when it's book-shaped!  I recognised the First Born's handwriting on our address. Good, we enjoy the same sort of reading material.

 

It is a short story, beautifully structured, told with a female voice. Like Graham Swift's other books it is suffused with a sense of loss. I was hooked from the first page.

I started the book and didn't put it down until I got to the end.

Joining Barbara, the hostess of Tuesday Intros.

Tuesday Intros: The Golden Bowl.

At the weekend the book group met to discuss, 'The Golden Bowl' by Henry James. Whew, what a difficult read! The language was so complex. I had read it before, many years ago, but don't remember finding it so difficult. Perhaps I was used, then, to reading long, Victorian novels whereas now I'm a 21st century reader.

But it was worth the trouble because once I got into the story I was hooked! It made for a great discussion, although, because of the complexity of the writing not everyone managed to finish the book. There are just six main characters, in the form of three couples. The opening sentence introduces us to the handsome Italian prince.

Have you read this book? Did you find it a struggle? What a devious piece of work Charlotte is, not someone I would describe as a friend!  What a lot of questions this story raises.

With thanks to Barbara who hosts Tuesday Intros.

Synchronicity!

Because we had just returned from St Ives a friend lent me this book about Virginia Woolf and her sister, Vanessa Bell, who spent long summers throughout their childhood on the town.

I was surprised to find a photo in the book of Henry James visiting Talland House, the place that the Stevens family rented each summer. (It wasn't comfortable enough for Henry James, however, he stayed at the more luxurious Tregenna castle Hotel.)

Virginia's mother and younger brother with Henry James.