GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL

I have just come back from Lanzarote, having spent a week there with Adam. It was lovely to get away from all the snow and ice but not without first falling the day before I flew out and twisting my knee!

Lanzarote is a really unusual place. The island is volcanic having had 2 large eruptions in the 1870's, although the islanders manage to grow vines in the middle of the lava fields! Thanks to a man called Cesar Manrique the island is one big artistic backdrop. Only two storey buildings (with one exception) are allowed on the island and no billboards are allowed which gives the island a lovely unclutted clean look. Cesar Manrique's house itself is amazing having been built within two volcanic tunnels - see the two pictures below.

The week went so fast but I was able to catch up with both my sisters (who live there lucky things!) and it was a nice winter treat with Adam.

THE WALL SCULPTURE

The Courtyard of Cesar Manrique's house

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD BULLY!

You know how people say Robins are the bullies of the garden scene well......

We have a large shrub growing on our back wall which this year was full of berries but as the winter has been so severe all the berries have gone so we have started to feed the birds. I put down fruit, a fat ball and water, I also scattered bird feed in several places as we are visited by quite a few birds. Guess who is trying to hog the lot - yes you guessed it - Mr. Robin! When he is not stuffing his face he sits in the ivy on another wall and creates such a racket, obviously to frighten off the other birds. The amazing thing is that birds eight times his size sit there cold and hungry and let him take over.