Where I live...

So that you don't think I am acting like a deputy minister of tourism, here are some pictures of the surrounding area of the building I live. I know there is no archaeological interest there (well, it is not THAT old) but you might like them....



This is the front part of the building I live. The apartment is situated at the ground floor, but there is no way to see the balcony. The reason: That tree that stands in front! Now, question: what kind of tree do you think this is? Answer to follow...

This is the part of the street as you turn your head to the west. The sky is cloudy. After the heat wave, the weather cooled off and half of the country now faces storms, hail and temperature drop (that is actually a good thing, today we had around 31 °C, and yes... that is considered a significant drop).

This is what you see when you turn your face to the east. I guess most people in my neighborhood have not gone for vacation since their cars are still here. But there are no cars moving on the street (and that is a busy street), so I guess people are leaving...

A closer look on that tree. Still guessing? O.K., This is actually a lemon tree! And, before any misunderstandings, lemon trees are not that common. The city generally plants sour orange trees (like the rest of the trees you see in the pictures), but a previous manager of the building decided to have a lemon tree instead. And since the city did not plant it, the tree and its fruits are ours to enjoy. Of course, we must also prune it and generally take care of it, but who cares? Cool, isn't it?

A closer look to that lemon tree. This picture was taken from my balcony (the one you cannot see from across the street).I am afraid these lemons will not turn yellow in time (before I leave!). In fact, the tree produced so many lemons this year, it actually started leaning down from its own weight. My father raised the branches with some ropes, a task I gladly helped him with. (I was holding the ladder!)

In other news, on Monday I am leaving for the wonderful island of Samos. Details about the trip and the island to follow....

And of course I am renewing my proposal for postcards. So, send e-mails with addresses (but do not use my student account because there is a problem with it!)