After a prolonged period of rainy days, grey days and cold days, this morning broke sunny and gorgeous. While the kettle was on for morning tea and coffee I saw through the window that the first poppy had just opened so I went out in dressing gown and slippers to photograph its brand new crumpledness.

A little later my friend phoned. Her son had fallen badly and his leg was swollen, could I possibly run him to the medical centre in Skop Town to have X-rays taken. Of course I could!

Dimitris had been loath to ask but his mother assured him that we had always said “Whatever, any time, call us, we're happy to help” Dimitris has friends who could have taken him there, but none who had the time to wait with him and bring him back again. I was happy to do it.

For the past several years he has spent his winters working in America, which pays the bills but he hates it. He loves it here. And so as we drove the length of this beautiful island in Spring sunshine we talked about the pace of island life, the beauty everywhere, the warmth of the people. It really is heavenly.

Before we had gone any distance he insisted in calling in at the petrol station and paying for some fuel for the car. He also said that we are welcome to borrow his pick-up truck any time it would be useful. Each month he takes his parents into town to collect their pensions but he has to take his mum one day and his dad another day because there are only two seats in the truck. He's thinking of getting a little car like ours just so he can take his parents into town and I have told him that I am always happy to give them a lift in.

So by the time his X-rays had confirmed a broken bone, he had had a plaster cast put on and we had driven back home, his mum had made a huge horta pie, a large batch of her special cookies sweetened with orange juice fresh from the tree and was starting on a bucket of bean soup. One of us must return tomorrow to collect the bean soup.