Thursday 1st May 2025

We are back from India. And yet still on holiday, as we have retired.

Jools woke at half five, fed the cats, and I thought it would be nice to lay in bed listening to the latest Parallel Universe podcast.

So I did.

I did get up at ten past seven, made coffee, then prepared breakfast of fruit and yogurt.

The stretched out in front of us like a stretchy thing, just wanting to be filled.

With stuff.

Orchid season had just begun when we left for India, and nearly four weeks later, it is all systems go.

But now, rather than trying to squeeze all orchding into a weekend, we have every day.

So, no hurry.

Easiest thing to do for the first day was go to Samphire Hoe, where I new the rare variant had flowered.

At twenty to ten we set off, and down on the Hoe it was quiet as kids were in school. We parked, and I set off along the track, finding several spikes, all in good fettle.

The ground is now dry, the mud and chalk set like concrete, so where its the hardest, there are no plants. A few hardy spikes raise themselves from the poor soil and make tiny flowers.

I walk three quarters to Abbottscliffe, find the rare spike, and about forty other, more normal ones.

And that was that.

The Hoe is the perfect sun trap, protected from the wind, and wonderfully warm.

I walk back, note the leaves of Coltsfoot now the flowers have faded, meeting Jools at the wardens centre.

We get into the car and drive home, now being close to lunchtime.

Jools went swimming, then once back and showered, we drove to Deal for fish and chips for lunch.

Traffic was light, despite the roadworks in Ringwould, we park behind the Just Reproach and walk up the street to Sea View.

Sadly, there was no skate available, so I made do with a large cod and a Coke, we ordered then waited for the food to be cooked.

The food was fresh, golden and crispy, and we both ate every morsel. Though gone are the days when such a meal would cost less than a tenner, instead being over thirty of your English pounds.

I make a batch of saffron bus during the afternoon, soon the house was filled with the heady mix of fermenting yeast and warmed saffron.

I eft rise for two hours, then after beating down, prove for an hour, so the buns were light and fluffy.

Then back at GM6, and in forty minutes all buns are golden and delicious.

After cooling we have one and a half each, along with a huge brew.

Happy Easter.

The evening has beer and football.