Peter Hemming's Diary 2008

France on Canvas

Pam flicked a switch and the website, 'France on Canvas' came into being. She'd been working on it for some time, and she's been rewarded with words of praise from a number of people who've seen it. But even with a new website we're getting a lot of enquiries for paintings of Kefalonia, I might have to do a 'Project Kefalonia' to stock up and meet demand.

We keep on about Herisson, but this week it's for a different reason, it was difficult to see just what a beautiful place it is because it was closed to traffic. It was the town's annual Brocante and the streets were teeming with people browsing at, and buying the wide variety of goods that were for sale; Pam bought a teapot and sugar bowl. She was also looking for champagne flutes, but on that occasion she was unlucky. The only downside to the morning was that our friend Liliane got stung by a wasp.

At the bottom of our road lives a man named Joseph who I've nicknamed 'The Eccentric'. He's a great guy and we get on famously, and although he doesn't speak a word of English we communicate. Like outside the Bell Tower in Argostoli the A board advertises my exhibition, and it's very close to Joseph's house (the A board not the exhibition). To save me walking backwards and forwards with it from home he now allows me to keep it in his garage overnight.

On the strength of the exhibition I'm picking up work in the shape of commissions. I had to go to the house of one of my customers and was immediately showered with kisses by his children; it's all to do with etiquette. Just like Greece, or to be more specific Kefalonia, the handshake is the greeting for adults, male and female, that is until you become more acquainted, and then the greeting to the adult female is the kiss to both cheeks. With children it's slightly different, the handshake is dispensed with and the kiss becomes the norm; even on the first meeting.

A bookswap: Unless we buy new from Amazon, or whoever, getting 'English' books is quite difficult, not impossible; but almost. Some people that we know, Dee and Tony, held a bookshop in the garden of their house, (it's the same place where Pam went swimming the other week). I took some paintings, a table and some easels and held a mini exhibition; fortunately the rain held off, and we came away with some books.

Aston Villa news: Our Premier League season started on Sunday where we beat Man. City 4-2, and then bugger me we conceded an injury time goal to lose 3-2 at Stoke. The air went blue and I got a good bollocking from Pam.

Bookcase: I finished Cherry by Mary Karr, and I'm now into The Constant Gardener by John le Carré.

Weather Word: Mixed again but at least it's warm, even when it rains.

And that's it, have a great week, all the best, Peter and Pam.

Contact us - including GuestBook.

Back to Top