Things never used to be like this

A dozen Greenshanks have joined the sixty or so Curlews feeding in the long grass by the shore. The farmers wife is very excited. She and the two Jack Russells rush up the farm track to tell us.

The students are into their third week of classes, the skies are brighter and the days are getting noticeably longer. After a month of solid rain people are getting out and about again.  Life in these northerly climes is showing signs of mellowing into something that approximates to being habitable.

The storms of the last month have stripped away another couple of yards of sand from the large dunes that protect the golf course from the sea. A small fleet of diggers and dumper trucks are busy shifting loads of sand from one end of the beach to the other heavily eroded end.

The gull population are still busily feasting on whatever goodies the high tides have deposited on the sand. They are not best pleased with all this activity. Every time a truck trundles by they rise into the air in an irritated, squawking mass.

One of the coffee chains in town has some wonderfully delicate stone carving around its front door. It 's a hangover  from the towns  architectural glory days.

More than a hint of blue sky this morning. It's a welcoming  60% cloud, 40% sky split.

Old friends have gone off to Milan to watch the Winter Olympics. They phone to tell us that the Hyatt is full of folks with a heightened sense of their own entitlement. One couple finding their town car isn't waiting for them barge to the front of the taxi queue and announce ' We're staying in the hotel'. When that fails to impress they then announce that they're going to ' a very important dinner '. In case anyone's in doubt heavy emphasis is placed on the word 'very'. The locals have been surprised to find that the American VP and Secretary of State have each brought over a large fleet of Chevy Suburbans. A dozen of these leviathans in convoy are enough to bring the narrow streets in the centre of the city to a complete halt . Things never used to be this imperial - or did they ? :https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/seduced-by-the-louis-xiv-treatment  The Italian newspapers are  incensed to discover that JD Vances delegation have also flown in their own food. Guess they think the local offering in Milan is too 'risky'.  Our friends ate at this restaurant brashly unpretentious restaurant and laughed with delight at the freshness of the food on offer :https://risoelatte.com/duomo/risoelatte-duomo/  Milan has better food than Rome, Venice or Naples although Mantua and Bologna might better it.

A visitor goes to Shenandoah . The last paragraph is the best :https://www.commonreader.co.uk/p/confederate-flags-and-shenandoahs

War Horse was based on a true story :

https://x.com/nettermike/status/2020350498151493782

For sale - Range Rover owned by one very careful lady owner :https://www.iconicauctioneers.com/2007-land-rover-range-rover-vouge-se-rec16065-1-nec-1125

Deep Maniots :https://www.science.org/content/article/remote-greek-culture-has-been-genetic-island-4500-years