I have been so busy I am behind with my blog. yesterday I got this all prepared but Vodaphone was playing up and there wasn't sufficient band width to connect to the internet.  This morning it's fine, must be less demand.  First of all an update on the weekend.

The lion at the entrance to the ex-convent.

The young violinist.

Saturday afternoon I went over to Sant Elena to the ex-convent there to a young peoples concert.  It was actually a music schools concert & I was the only one there who wasn’t a parent or grandparent.  I only stayed 45 minutes, it was enough, but there was a young boy playing the piano and one, photographed on the violin who were excellent.

My basket of tulips for Mothering Sunday.

Sunday I had a really busy day.  I was in charge of the flowers, tulips for Mothering Sunday.  I had collected them the previous day & taken them down to church, I had also cut up squares of tinfoil and cut & curled 50 pieces of ribbon.  That morning I left home at 09.15 to allow myself time to wrap each flower and tied the ribbon on to it.  Then I used the net that the flowers Jane brought me on Friday to cover the basket before laying in the flowers.  Unfortunately we had no children in church but Fr Howard led a lovely service and everyone left with two flowers.

A E Amison  & Vivian & myself at the lunch.

Then I had to get up to the Ghetto to the launch of an ebook about Byron and a lunch.  Because nothing begins on time in Venice I made it.  Caroline & Philip had saved me a seat & we were joined by Vivian a colleague of Caroline’s who hailed from St Helen’s.  Amazingly Vivian has an apartment in Mira where Byron lived and one of the poems read was written whilst he lived there.

The book is entitles City of the heart: Byron & Venice by A. E. Amison available on Kindle.

Anne told us why she had written the book & read a few extracts from it.  Then we had our starter, a delicious leek quiche.  After this Chris Wayman from the Circolo asked Anne questions about Byron then it was time for the primmi platter - spinach lasagne.  More questions & answers fore the secondo of two types of pork (yes I ate it) and potatoes.  Following this Anne’s husband read Byron poems and another gentleman read a piece by Shelley.  Wine and water was included and I had a wonderful time.  The food appeared to come in via the back door & when I went to the toilet there was a small kitchen next door & one in a shed.  But I couldn’t fault any of it.

The starter

Secondo

The weather was warm and sunny so I took a long, slow walk to Jeremy’s soiree & returned home at 8.30pm.  A long but wonderful day.  Early to bed as I knew I would have another long day to follow.