The Pig Yard

May 10 - Having missed our New York holiday because of volcanic ash in April there was a distinct possibility that our Greek sailing holiday was also under threat. What a topsy turvy world we live in and it's interesting how we are affected by such uncertainty. The month was focussed around our sailing holiday in Greece with preparation before hand and then the settling back into our normal routine once we arrived home. When we weren't holidaying Jane was working, we spent time in the garden and managed to fit in a couple of short cycle rides.

This month saw the end of an era. After not flying for over eighteen months we decided to sell the balloon so Steve put it onto the Zebedee list and after several enquiries and some time wasters we found a buyer who had checked out as a private pilot In September 2009 and was very keen to get his own balloon.

We inflated it for him to see it in all its glory and before the deal could be finalised we had to take it down to Wendover in Buckinghamshire for it to be tested and given a certificate of airworthiness.

After over 20 years of being involved in ballooning it was a very sad moment when the new buyer drove away with our trailer and balloon, but times change. The costs and conditions of flying have become more and more difficult over the past five years to the point where each flight was costing us over 120 pounds; farmers were less happy about us landing on their fields and the weather has definitely changed with it being windier and/or wetter than when we first began flying.

The garden has really picked up during the month with some beautiful flowers coming out and making a beautiful setting. Steve has been working hard on preparing the soil of the vegetable plot and Jane has been busy in the greenhouse sowing runner beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. Whilst we were away on holiday the very hot spell managed to scorch many of the early plants in the greenhouse and this has set back the hardening off to the vegetable plot.

Steve has been cutting the lawn once a week for the past two months and the grass is looking better and better setting off the flower borders really well.

Gardening is a slow progress so we don't expect the garden to suddenly become something worthy of the Chelsea Flower Show however with Steve spending more time on it we hope that next year will appreciate the fruits of our labours.

Our sailing holiday in Greece was touch and go right up to the last minute because of the continued volcanic activity in Iceland. Early on the Sunday morning Steve called the travel agents and we were told that our lunchtime flight should be ok to fly. We set out early for Gatwick on the Sunday morning and our journey was uneventful so we were in plenty of time for our flight to Preveza with Thomson airways.

On arrival at Preveza we realised the airport was in the middle of nowhere and were informed that it was still a military airport so no photographs were allowed. Having been met by our Sunsail couriers we were taken by coach to the hotel complex overlooking the sea. We arrived just in time to unpack and sit down for dinner which was served outside overlooking the Ionian sea. It was a beautiful location and we had a good feeling about it.

The following morning we were facing the prospect of our first dinghy sailing lesson so we were full of trepidation as our heads hit the pillow.

The weather was not good. There was a distinct chill in the air and the wind was blowing more than we liked. After breakfast we were dressed in what we thought was appropriate for going out on boats in the Mediterranean in mid May. Our assessment was not correct. Within the first few hours our sailing instructor had managed to capsize the boat and put us all into the cold water. This was not a good experience particularly as Jane had to be rescued by the safety boat because despite her strong swimming capabilities the dinghy was being blown away faster than she could keep up with it. It was quite scary for everyone. We then spent the rest of the lesson in the boat and on land soaking wet and getting thoroughly chilled - not in a good way.

That same night there was a barbecue and needless to say it was accompanied by a thunderstorm and strong winds. We were watching the UK forecasts on Sky News in our bedroom and it was frequently mentioned that Britain was experiencing warmer weather than the Mediterranean. The weather on the second training day was even worse than the first and although we did get some hands on in the morning we were instructed to keep within the shelter of the marina so that the wind wouldn't be too strong. In the afternoon the instructor took  over again and demonstrated gybing and although she claimed we had done some gybing in the morning none of us felt confident.

So after the training days we had complete freedom to sail or not to sail. We did get some decent weather when the sea was relatively calm and there was enough wind to get us around the bay. What we had learned was what to wear. We should have realised that the Mediterranean in May hasn't had a chance to warm up and is going to feel cold. We should have purchased wet suits because sitting around in wet swimming costumes and T shirts is never going to feel comfortable.

One of our better days was when we both went out in a Laser Pico which was a lot of fun. You can just see one being prepared for us in the background.

Later in the week we went out in a Laser Bahia which was also fun although we only used the mainsail and kept the jib wrapped up at the front. We considered it difficult enough to work with one sail let alone two and we certainly were going fast enough for us. If it hadn't been for the quick thinking and responses of Jane we came very close to a second capsize with Steve at the helm of the Bahia but a ducking was avoided thank goodness. After two hours out on the water we decided we needed to get warmed up and so came in for a hot drink.

On two afternoons we grabbed some bikes and took to the local roads. We stayed on the coastal track which generally was quite flat. As soon as we took tracks that went inland the hills became very steep and we were not prepared to test these strange bikes to the full. As it turned out Jane's bike only had 7 gears out of a possible 21 and Steve's seat kept moving about in a very uncomfortable way.

On our cycles around the bay we did see a number of interesting butterflies, birds and lizards. We even were adopted by a dog who decided he wanted a walk and we could be his pacemakers, he followed us for at least 2 miles before stopping at a beach for a general sniff around.

Steve says: