Hornton Stone is a sedimentary rock formed in the Jurassic period approximately 160 million years ago. It is made up of a blue/grey limestone or calcium carbonate, however the stone has some iron ore content. This oxidises with the stone creating a brown/orange colour.Horton stone was quarried by Hornton Quarries Ltd, latterly known as, […] Read more

I lived the beloved name In the shade of the aged olive tree In the roaring of the lifelong sea….. (Odysseus Elytis, 1911-1996,  Nobel prize for Literature 1979) The olive trees with the wrinkles of our fathers The rocks with the wisdom of our fathers and our brother’s blood alive on the earth were a […] Read more

Is there any experience more pleasurable than a whole week by oneself in a sunny climate, the sea at one’s front door, books to read, videos to watch, simple fresh food and company when one wants? My second trip to Kardimyli in late October was a near perfect holiday, just slightly marred by the presence […] Read more

On a peerless day in November we walked coatless alongside the River Till, near the estates of Ford and Etal and close by  Flodden where James IV’s Scottish army was defeated in a decisive battle. The sun was warm, almost hot, and we watched the play of light on the water and through the gold […] Read more

Summer to Autumn, Autumn to Winter the period before things stabilize into predictable patterns, or what they are going to be like for a while- at least until the next seasonal change starts to shake the air- people like me become restless and questioning. Who am I, where do I fit in, where do I […] Read more

Am I the only one who finds the phrase ‘loved ones’   grates like chalk on a blackboard?  It’s now the standard platitude wheeled out by insensate reporters and politicians to denote the bereaved with a mixture of croc tears and feigned empathy  . How do they know that mother, father, siblings, aunties, uncles and cousins […] Read more

Close to the ancient city of Civedale in the Friuli region and on the border of Slovenia is a ancient stone house, re-built and lovingly restored by Toni and Paola (with the help of many friends) when they were young and full of hopeful energy and enthusiasm. The sturdy walnut tree provided small walnuts for […] Read more

  I imagine that no one who stays at La Luna di Quarazzana is especially deprived, but everyone who comes here surely leaves a few  notches more uplifted. Ilaria Baccherini is blessed with a gift of making her guests feel truly looked after and listened to. There is nothing elaborate or fancy about the house […] Read more

  When I lived in France I became an  addict of  gospel singing. The  choir  consisted of between twenty to twenty five  persons and even when I wasn’t actually living in the Pyrenees I went at least   twice every year to  be instructed by Emmanuel and Jean-Paul, two powerful gospel musicians originally from West […] Read more