A change of plan

SUNDAY 11^th JANUAY

We have had a mixture of weather over the last few days so haven’t ventured very far. Today was again rain and sunshine, the rain hanging around the mountains but with the wind it has brought the spray down to the coast. It seems strange sitting  on the balcony with the sun beating down on us and yet there is 'rain' either side of us. The power went off around 11am so I suggested we take a run somewhere. 

Keith thought Trio Petra would be good but with the strong wind walking along this long stretch of beach may not be such a good idea.  Still we headed off through the Gorge  and along the Frati/Mixarouma road where the cloud was low over the mountains and the sky very black.  At the junction we changed our minds and instead of heading east turned to the west and Rodakino.  It was just as windy down by the sea and getting out of the car we got sandblasted.  However walking along the tarmac road we soon had the shelter of the hillside and on our return took our picnic down onto the deserted beach.  

Sitting on the rolls of wooden planking

that forms paths from the road down to the sea in the summer we watched a couple of men working outside the buildings at the end of this stretch of road.  One man appeared to be beating the hell out of the side of an old pickup truck whilst the other watched on, and keeping a watchful eye on us as well.  Before long thick black smoke began to rise up in the air and as the wind caught it blew it onto the beach by the caves, which is where we were originally going to sit.  We couldn’t decide what they were burning next to the vehicle, although Keith did think it was old oil, but it was certainly smelly as well. 

Returning to the car we were lucky to catch sight of a rainbow over Rodakino.  Lunch finished as it doesn't take that long to eat bread and cheese we decided to go home to the shelter of our balcony whilst the sun shone. Stopping briefly so I could identify some large purple flowering plants growing in a small cluster on the roadside, they turned out to be wild lupins, another first for me.