Saturday, June 24, 2006
Tortoises in the Garden
We had an unexpected guest turn up this week.
But no, it wasn't a long lost friend or relative looking to enjoy a week's holiday on the Costa Smeralda but a three-legged tortoise.
We'd left the gate ajar when we popped out to shops and when we came back, he was munching contently away on the weeds before lopsidely heaving his shell into the evening shade.
I'd wanted to put him in the grounds of a B&B I know where he could have munched as much as he wanted.
But tortoises are a protected species in Sardinia and you can be fined for even picking up one from the road and moving it out of harm's way.
So there was nothing for it but to leave the gate wide open so that he could hobble out of his own free will.
For two days he stayed in the same spot and then he was gone in search of his next holiay home.
Emma Bird is the co-director of www.howtoitaly.com
Our book 'Starting a Business in Italy: how to set up and run a successful business in the Bel Paese' is coming soon.
But no, it wasn't a long lost friend or relative looking to enjoy a week's holiday on the Costa Smeralda but a three-legged tortoise.
We'd left the gate ajar when we popped out to shops and when we came back, he was munching contently away on the weeds before lopsidely heaving his shell into the evening shade.
I'd wanted to put him in the grounds of a B&B I know where he could have munched as much as he wanted.
But tortoises are a protected species in Sardinia and you can be fined for even picking up one from the road and moving it out of harm's way.
So there was nothing for it but to leave the gate wide open so that he could hobble out of his own free will.
For two days he stayed in the same spot and then he was gone in search of his next holiay home.
Emma Bird is the co-director of www.howtoitaly.com
Our book 'Starting a Business in Italy: how to set up and run a successful business in the Bel Paese' is coming soon.
