La Tufara

I never tire of this view, out over the coastal plain at the little hamlet of La Tufara, ten minutes down the road from our house.  I come here to run and sometimes just to take the air and to think.  There have been so many dramatic changes in the world these last few months, Brexit, the attempted coup and crackdown in Turkey, the siege of Aleppo and now the prospect of President Donald Trump.  I like to look down there and think this view hasn't changed much in a thousand years or so - the same Roman road, the same villas, towns and olive groves.  Sure, it's also seen a lot of change, Hannibal came this way terrorising the locals, then the Normans, followed by Arab raiding parties, then the Germans who were chased up and out of the peninsula by the British and Americans.  Even just a few years ago US fighter jets screamed over this ridge to bomb Serbia not far away cross the Adriatic and yet still the olives get picked each year and milled into oil.

Objectively life is good right now, we have sufficient income not to worry about money and to do what we want within reason and my celebrancy work is going well.  In fact, I've just got a wedding to do in one of those grand houses down there in May for a lovely English couple.  But international events cast their shadow and Sue's mood is being dragged down by the dental work she's having, which leaves her in constant pain and me feeling helpless.

Anyway, life goes on and Sue's teeth will get better and things will start to look up.  Our little cat friend is already seeing better days.  In August I mentioned that she was pining for the death of her two kittens and now here she is looking fat glossy and very pregnant.

And when the sun come out our land is alive with colour, even as winter starts to bite.