Tales of Europe #1

As someone who has to plan even the shortest outing around the ease of access to a toilet, I can quite safely say that I have no qualms about a short trip into the bushes at the roadside and the call of nature can be answered by a brief scan of the environment for snakes, scorpions or ants' nests. However, the densely crowded cities of Europe provide sparse access to suitable vegetation and you are forced to use public facilities.  Being used to the freely available toilets at every garage, shopping mall and restaurant in South Africa, it was surprising to find that you had to pay for using public conveniences in Europe. How can they be convenient if you don't have 1 euro on you?
    Suddenly there is nothing more important to you than getting into that toilet. As you dig frantically in every pocket for coins, you break out in a light sweat. Perhaps you can get rid of it that way?  No. The deepest recesses of that huge tote bag you thought would be so useful could hold the kitchen sink, but no small change. Suddenly the rose bushes outside the toilets seem quite enticing. But no again. Too many people around.
    The lady taking the money seems unmoved by your agitation or attempts to ask for change as you hand over 2 euros. A R25 piddle. It costs more to get rid of it than to drink the water in the first place.
    So if you see people lurking in rose bushes and behind tree trunks in Europe, don't be alarmed.  They aren't about to mug you. They're tourists carrying Cash Passports and credit cards, not loose change.

Sssnake ssstory

 Mom and Dad saw the cobra for the first time this summer.  It lives a little way up in the garden and has a hole that he goes into when he doesn't want us to see him.  He is about 6 feet long and we don't know which generation he belongs to.  We have always had snakes in our garden in Clovelly.  There is no fence between us and the mountain and a variety of wildlife roams freely through the garden, eating Mom's cherished plants and leaving only their droppings for identification.  But the snakes have always been the exciting part.  As children we would play on the mountain and often come across snakes, particularly puffadders which never bothered to get out of our way.  They are not at all frightened of people. Many a time we would rush back down to tell Mom about the snake that was lying in a crevice of the rock we were climbing. But most of the excitement has occurred in the garden itself. 

 The cobra has been around for about 20 years as a permanent resident, coming to feed on frogs at the fish pond near the back door. From time to time he is taken away and released on the mountain far from houses.  He either comes back or there are many more than we think.  Sometimes he ventures to other parts of the garden and we are startled as we go around a corner and see him lying in the sun on the path, warming his golden body.  Another favourite spot is a large flat area at the top of the steps which go up to the house next door.  It's a source of some amusement to see unsuspecting visitors going up these stairs and then spotting the snake as they reach eye-level on the steps.  One step forward and three steps back!  The postman stopped delivering post up there many years ago.

 It's been a privilege to grow up in a place where we can learn to respect nature and in Clovelly we have been brought up to appreciate birds, snakes, porcupines, buck and even the odd baboon.  None of us have ever been harmed over the years, which proves that giving them their space and the necessary caution enables humans and animals to interact and not overreact, in comfortable co-existence.