It would appear I owe Mister Pitt and Miss Jolie an apology. I am informed their children are adopted so sorry for the mistake you guys. You all have a good day now.

I am thinking of writing a letter to The Athens News. The Athens news is the only paper that has ever published my letters. The last couple were about vegetarianism versus carnivores like me. My second letter on the subject was written only in response to the veggie’s first onslaught but, after his second that had degenerated into a mainly personal attack I didn’t think the argument worth pursuing against someone so aerated. I think I have mentioned this little episode before but there you are, got to the point more than 550 Blogs on when I can’t help repeating myself. It makes me wonder how someone can write seventy novels and not repeat him/herself. And talking of novels, I have just reread Lynda La Plante’s “Above Suspicion” and, as Chris was complaining that he had nothing to read I thought he would enjoy it too and passed it on. And yes, he was enjoying it until he came to a big booboo which made him pause and gave food for thought. Was there any point reading further if no one, writer, ghost maybe, publisher, or editor let it through? Despite my many visits to The Royal opera House, Covent Garden I hadn’t picked up on it but Chris did immediately. In the book it is mentioned that they went to the ROH and sat in the dress circle, also that they walked up the aisle. There is no dress circle at the Royal Opera House. Presumably what was meant was the grand tier, and there is no aisle to walk up as the grand tier consists of only two rows of seats.

It shows you how careful you have to be. Someone somewhere will pick up your mistakes. For example in the last Thornton King book, “The Cinelli Vases” I use only two words of German and a German reader and correspondent has pointed out that (a) the first word is misspelt and (b) the second word is terribly old-fashioned and not used much anymore, if at all. Slap wrists! I could have checked but didn’t think to do so. They were German words I learnt fifty years ago or more.

But to the subject of the latest letter, at least the one I am considering sending to The Athens News and, more than likely, I have written about this before as well so you will just have to forgive me. It is something that really gets up my nose. Most graffiti is sheer vandalism and I really loathe it but what I loathe most of all is that along the ethnic highway from Heraklion passed Xania there is hardly a road sign large or small that hasn’t been disfigured, in some cases virtually obscured by mindless graffiti. What for example does the figure 13 represent? It appears over and over again and must means something to the pea brains that splash it everywhere in heavy black paint. But what does it represent? A football team? A criminal gang? An anarchist cell? Who rightly knows? I just know that it really is mindless vandalism of the worst kind. These signs to be cleaned up or replaced, especially the giant ones, would cost a fortune and would no doubt not last very long before receiving the same treatment. How come the perpetrators never seem to get caught? Do they go out at four in the morning just in order to do this? It shows a complete lack of respect and I often wonder what visitors to our beautiful island must think on seeing it. Not very highly I’m sure.