She was once one of Britain's first woman barrister! Now retired, she is a volunteer in social services work in England.
Her hobbies are walking (on Skopelos), sun bathing, parties and cooking. A vegetarian, Jenny makes the most marvelous cakes and her lemon mousse made with fresh Skopelitan lemons from her own garden is out of this world!
photo from original watercolor of Skopelos Harbour by Jenny Nelson
These "kickers"were made for walking (with apologies to Nancy!!)
So. I've been back on the island for two days, the house is unpacked, friends greeted, and the fridge re-stocked. Now it's time to put on the walking boots - the "kickers" - and get out of town.
The "kickers" were once my daughter's - treasured evidence of having "arrived" as an accepted member of the teenage group. I inherited them when she moved on to the essential trainers and since
then they have carried me over numerous stony ways and scratchy dense undergrowth, still retaining their coloured symbols for left and right - useful even more now as I reach the first signs of senility !!
I climb steadily through the top of the town, across the ring road and onto the first kaldorimi - footpath - its stones polished to mirror images over centuries and at this time of year lined with dense rich weedy foliage; startlingly yellow daisies, acid green euphorbia and shy purple vetch. Ever so slowly - taking lots of breathers as it's six months since I did any serious walking.
I leave the town, society, bustle, stress, behind me and turn onto the old high road - ring road? Within the first half mile I'm chuckling as the same dogs start their ferocious chorus as I round that one particular bend, and then exclaim in disappointment to discover yet another stretch of the old causeway has been ripped apart, making the crooked straight and another swathe of land fenced off, so that I will no longer be able to sit under the shade of the trees after an afternoon's walk and enjoy seeing the sun drop down over the far side of the bay.
I remind myself that in England these signs of "modern" life happened many years ago so I shouldn't resent it here.
Another short stretch of the path and I watch a hoopoo with his spectacular crest trying to distract me from passing too near to its nesting tree - somewhat too obviously!! And I exclaim at the year's crop of wood anemones - their spectacular size no doubt as a result of the past winter's heavy rainfall. Depressing for the human population but working miracles for the natural world.
Round another bend in the little side track and I am deep in an army of wild white iris marching up the shallow cleft in the hillside. Guiltily I pick just a few to take home and paint this evening - possibly another postcard in the making? - and then immediately feel better as I note with amazement that a large swathe has been crashed through by a mule and his owner leaving a tragic trail of snapped heads and trampled leaves. Now I almost feel noble at saving a few!
Exhausted I reach today's target - a small dilapidated kalivi - not much more than three low stone walls and I sit on the crumbling door step to gaze out across the town bay - over the cadmium blue sea to (the island of ) Alonyssos, crisply outlined against the chill blue sky which is strung with delicate slivers of cloud.
Skopelos has done it again - all the irritations of my time spent back in England - the hustle, the pressures of modern society, and the all pervading pollution of our surroundings made to seem inconsequential in the face of such peace and clarity. The urge to get the paints out and the "kickers" on and walking will be irresistible.
No wonder I keep coming back !!