In the summer of 2006 Síle planted a vine, a Chassalas ; a Table Grape in our garden here. The -rather ambitious- intention- was that it would rise up to the terrace- a whole floor away- and then be trained to provide shelter from the hot summer sun of the Midi. This was its size in 2007 , it nearly died during the winter of 06/07 but Sile brought it back to life and it was healthy, if tiny, in May.

Oner the next four years it crept sinuously up the wall towards the terrace and by the summer of 2011 it was reaching towards the canopy.

Today it now is providing shade for about a third of the terrace, we reckon we will have to put a much reduced canvas cover up this year for our guests.