Finn and Lucy

With Talavera behind us and the trip to Zagreb looming, it was nice to hear from Rick and Ann De Rooy and their dogs, Finn and Lucy. Finn, the youngster, is one of our dogs, the "gentle giant" in Rick's words. He is proving good company for Lucy, who is now fourteen and came to Portugal from the Ratpack kennel in England.

Lucy, of course, rules the roost, despite being just half Finn's size.

Rick writes: "Next month he will start an intensive course at Christie's in Lisbon “How to appreciate the value of Persian carpets” when I hope someone will teach him only to chew bits out of the cheap ones, unlike the full corner of an expensive one he dined on three weeks ago."

I myself once had to hand in a tattered passport at the British embassy and ask for a new one, with the excuse "the dog ate it".