Clematis or Passion Flower?

Today I think it was probably hotter in Glos than Kefalonia! I carried on with the washing and drying project, and planned some meals for the week ahead, because we are going to try and save money so we can go in holiday again....

I felt very languid, but we had agreed to go out in "Poshtershire" to see some open gardens as part of the National Gardens Scheme. The first one did nothing for me, being formal with uninspired planting. The second, at Hooks House Pottery, was more romantic, and I particularly appreciated finding a cool summerhouse full of books of poetry by women. There were also glass sculptures dotted around the garden. The glass poppies were £75 each! I quite fancied some, but Steve wasn't keen...

We had some tea in pottery mugs on the lawn, and chatted with the same couple we'd bumped into at Open Studios a couple of weekends ago. They had been to Kefalonia in recent years (it seems that nearly everyone has) so we shared reminiscences before wending our separate ways.

Then I carried on with the drying, and made some leek soup from Nigel Slater s kitchen diaries. Nigel, and Rick Stein, are my go-to chefs. Their passion for food is real, and they feel like old friends now, we've been hanging out so long. Must look up some Greek recipes in Rick's Venice to Istanbul.