I have retrieved the car.

After I wrote to you, I walked up and down Scotland Street again just to make sure it wasn't there. Then I phoned the police who were very brisk and helpful. It was soon established that it was not in the pound, where you have to pay £180 to get your car back; you can argue about it afterwards if you like.

So it was decided that it had been stolen, and I was awaiting a visit from a policeman when someone rang back to say that the City of Edinburgh had acknowledged that they had moved it (perhaps needing the space for a removal van). It was now parked outside No. 15 Drummond Street. He explained to me how to get there. It is a mile or so away, opposite the university.

I went, and walked up and down Drummond Street (which is mercifully short). The car was not there, nor is there a No. 15 on Drummond Street. As I was sitting on the homeward bus, tired and despondent, the Answer Came To Me. Many of you will have guessed it already. The car was parked in front of No. 15 Drummond Place, a due passi from our front door but in a part of the square where it could have stayed for months before we found it.

So full marks to the police, but I feel the City of Edinburgh owes me one. The potatoes had gone a bit green.

Knitting

We'd probably better get caught up on this subject.

While I was away, I worked on the Craftsy course on continental knitting. I made a bit of progress. But on the last day I decided to revert at least temporarily to my old ways. I'm slow and clumsy, but the tension is pretty even and I'm happy.  I cast on a pocket square so that I will know, on Hellie and Matt's wedding day, that one of them was knit in Athens. I finished it on the plane home.

I also made a bit of progress on the current Pakokku sock. It doesn't swirl, on 56 stitches, but is not entirely uninteresting.

Here, I resumed the Sous Sous and have finished the fourth repeat on the back (of ten). Time to return to the Tokyo shawl, but last night I was too weary to switch mental gears so in fact I am quite well advanced with the fifth repeat.

Greece

We might as well take it day by day. So far, you are seeing the pictures Helen sent back during the week. C. and I have still to upload ours.

On Monday we went in to central Athens. All the museums were closed because it was Monday, so we walked in the ancient Keramikos cemetery in the pleasant spring sunshine. From there, C. had her first view of the Parthenon.

The tortoises were out. I like the way their skirts resemble those of an ancient warrior or the Evzones. We saw a pair of them Behaving Inappropriatly.

Then we had the first of our delicious cafe lunches. For an extra euro, we had a Greek salad served as an American-type chopped salad, perhaps with an extra ingredient or two. Capers? Very tasty, anyway. Here, C. nd I are talking to a cat.

And having coffee after lunch, near the Roman forum: