On a day with a glimmer of sunshine (at last),

I glimpsed a flash of lapis blue as last year's hyacinths begin to open (and felt glad they'd been reprieved from the bin).

I squeezed lemons into a bowl of pasta

And tore a bunch of green, peppery basil.

Poured a glass of cold wine

And settled down to a book

That evokes the colours and scents of Corfu.

A high-quality beach read is exactly right for grey days

Spent on the sofa

Instead of a deckchair.