Spring releases its blue ribbon... or sometimes it doesn't

Spring starts in Albania at the beginning of March - at least that's the theory - because then the nights get milder, the hours of sunshine longer and ideally we have a good balance of rainy and sunny days - and that's exactly how I've always experienced it when I've been here during the Easter holidays.

In mid-February, hundreds of the first anemones in all shades of white, pink and magenta were already besieging the meadows, accompanied by the small white and rather unspectacular sand crocus, scattered daisies and red deadnettle.

The first trees began to sprout hesitantly and I started to sweat from time to time while walking with the dogs.

But then came a cold snap, which brought us night-time temperatures of around 2 degrees, the chilly northerly wind caused the daytime temperature to climb to a maximum of 13 degrees and the distant mountains were once again covered with snow.

So this is it, we thought, the Albanian winter, which strikes again mercilessly at the end of February. And in the first week of March it became much warmer again during the day and hence sowing and planting time in Albania!

Bukuria built us a small plastic tunnel in which we sowed peppers and tomatoes and waited eagerly for them to drill their first cotyledons through the soil. After all, the seed potatoes, onions and the garlic had already developed visibly and splendidly, even though they had been planted two weeks earlier.

One week later: As you can see, you can't see anything! – Well, it's probably taking a little while here too...

Two weeks later: As you can see, you can't see anything! - Hmmm...

While Andrea still voted for patient waiting, I thought it might be more efficient to buy seedlings, which are offered in large numbers at the weekly markets.

So on Sunday I went to the weekly market in Kavaje, where, as in the other markets in our region, the beginning of spring, besides the early plants, is visible in many ways through what is sold.

Seeds of every kind of potato and onion, as well as bean varieties, parsley, lettuce, pumpkin, etc., and cardboard boxes full of adorable young animals for the poultry enclosure. I'd loved to buy dozens of them if I had known were to raise them.

But I only came back with sprouting seedlings of hot and mild peppers, aubergines, cucumbers and melons. However, since the nights continued to remain well below the 12° preferred by the plants, they were only allowed out during the day to play and had to be back home by the evening. The same happened to the bean and tomato seeds, which we now placed in small pots in the sun, in the hope that they would soon sprout.

Under the plastic tube, the same rule applied for week 3: As you can see, you can't see anything!

The rest of nature wasn't harmed by the low temperatures, everywhere it exploded!

Wild geraniums and harebells replaced the anemones,

the fruit trees started to bloom,

Even the Judas tree - mysterious and fascinating to me, with its racemes - which was savagely cut down a hundred metres from us on the side of the road in autumn, has sprouted again!

And the fig trees seemed to have almost magically produced fruit from invisible blossoms overnight.

At the beginning of the 4th week of March, the night temperatures finally climbed to a comfortable level for our seedlings and they were allowed to go into the ground. But then came the RAIN...

For more than 4 days now, a heavy downpour has been hanging over the south-east Mediterranean, turning our beds into mud once again.

The dogs are sooooooooo bored and happy that the softened ground always opens up new escape routes under the fence. Once again they have stolen a chicken from a neighbour during one of their raids... .

Also the cats are sooooo booooored, and when they're not dozing, they're full of nonsense.

And we...? I spend hours designing our website, which is making huge progress thanks to the rain. Andrea sews fantastic cushions for indoors and outdoors to decorate our guest rooms and the outdoor area. Elmar is drilling and working and cooking and baking...

And yes, sometimes also we are bored these days and wish the sun would come back.

But it is supposed to come in three days and then it will finally become real spring ;)!

Oh, as for the plastic tunnel - we've taken it down in the meantime in the hope that maybe all the rain and mild temperatures will allow some of the seeds to sprout.

Nevertheless, the same applies to week 4: As you can see, you can't see anything!