For the second year running we have (hopefully) slipped between Covid clutches to make it abroad.

(I would quite understand if that sentence was enough to make you want to stop reading instantly and indeed there is nothing much to this piece, so feel free.)

Last year it was a last minute trip to Florence and Tuscany after lying in bed one night and hearing on the radio that Forence was ‘deserted’.

It was marvellous but when we arrived at our agri-tourism place in gorgeous sunshine, we listened to the other guests saying how much they were looking forward to a break in the sweltering weather – due the next day. It did.

And, no spoiler alert necessary given our track record, the lovely taxi driver who took us from the airport to our exceptionally lovely hotel, said,’ Well it has been very, very hot and there is a drought – but thankfully the weather changes tomorrow.’

And there is rain and thunder popping up in the forecast all over the show.

Now though it is cloudy and sunny, with a nice breeze and no rain (as yet) and warm enough to be sitting on ‘our’ terrace in a t shirt and shorts ‘talking’ to you.

We are staying in a converted orange farm. (A lot of Majorca has been given over to tourism as you might have expected.) 

We have one of the converted outbuildings which gives us a bedroom, sitting room, bathroom, terrace and our ‘own’ bit of the extensive grounds.

I hear your exasperated sigh at this litany of privilege and luck and the feeling of how unnecessary it is to gloat – and I know.

But with all that, we have more delight. We have chickens and they along with the long-eared rabbit have free rein.

Whilst we have only seen the rabbit on the main terrace (during dinner and breakfast), the chickens and cockerel have been over to make their introductions. 

The hens have a quiet, rather high pitched burble and they burble very pleasantly, pottering around and mentioning they are just a tiny bit peckish (sorry) and the cock decides pragmatically that a ear-splitting cock-a-doodle-do right this minute might be a little tactless.

They get some crumbs from our terrace-picnic and then they wander off, wander back in case another picnic crumb feast is available, and repeat.

Not sure they will bother in the rain……