I’ve had a passion for pantiles since childhood when they appeared in a storybook I was reading. The story was set in Spain, and I have absolutely no memory of what it was about. Only the pantiles stuck. Once I had discovered what they were, and that they were made of terracotta, and so were red like clay flower pots, and nothing like the boring, dun-coloured slates on my own house, they gave me my first magical sense of ‘the foreign’ – of lands and peoples beyond my island. But perhaps more than that, they suggested new horizons, and new possibilities; only in my imagination though. My family was not one that ‘went abroad’.
And so this pile of tiles simply had to be recorded on our walk to the supermarket in Harakopio. It is hard to say whether they are leftovers from a past project and thus spares for an existing roof, or if they are a roof in-waiting. Or being Greece, if they are simply there, stacked up under an olive tree.
Here’s an actual Harakopio village roof: interesting compilation of new and old.
And a roof with a very nice datura, the spitting image of the one I once planted in my front garden in Nairobi, bought from a roadside nurseryman.
For more of the walk in words and pix see On the path to Harakopio
Roof Squares #3 Now over to Becky
Tish Farrell 
I’m loving your roof before it is a roof shot 🙂 and I’m with you about the exciting sense of foreign.
Gosh, that’s a speedy response, Becky. Noticed over at Debbie’s that you said it was too hot already. Think it’s going to be hot in Shropshire today too. Look forward to see your tiles 🙂
Makes me inordinately happy when I find myself online at the moment someone posts and links 😊
My cat is already complaining it is too hot! Goodness what he’ll say this afternoon. Have a fabulous day and stay cool!
You are a lovely host 🙂
Oh thank you Tish. I just feel so honoured to have met so many wonderful people via blogging who also happen to be amazing photographers. I learn so much from hosting the challenge 😊
I completely see what you mean about the sense of foreign!
Ah. Like sensibilities 🙂
Believe so…
Definitely gives you the sense of somewhere ‘foreign’. I love terracotta tiles. And I love your take on the challenge. 🙂 Hot you say? No sign of heat here. Overcast again.
Definitely hot now – but with a haze. While I’m here just been making an anti slug spray. It’s been tested by Gardeners World. 2 bulbs of garlic crushed in 2 pints water. Cook for 4-5 mins. Strain. Then one tablespoon in 4 litres of water sprayed in the evening onto leaves. Repeat weekly. Very good on hostas apparently. It’s worth a go I thought 🙂
I did that last year. The S&S just licked their lips and said “love the garlic dressing Jude” Maybe you’ll have better success. My S&S probably pop over from France.
Oh botheration. I’m hoping for a better result than increasing consumption. Will give it whirl though.
HI TISH! I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THOSE ROOF TILES, & FIND A CREATIVE EXPRESSION TO USE THEM IN!! 🙂
Lovely to hear from you, Mitch 🙂
My parents’ house in Arizona has roof tiles of this sort as do most of the homes. I love them.
janet
Lucky parents 🙂
True. Many ofl the houses in the Southwest tend to be either Spanish style with this sort of roof or, maybe more in parts of New Mexico, those that are adobe. I like them both.
Love tiles…all sorts…terracotta and slate,but then I also love thatch. All are storybook roof material.
That is very true, Beverly.
Just visited Nanyuki and Ol Pejeta. I saw lots of datura (brugmansia) around the town. Corrugated iron roofing rather than pantiles however.
Ah, Kenya!
I also love these terracotta tiles and the shot of the new and old tiles together building the roof is wonderful, Tish. I sometimes make my own terracotta plant pots. 😊
Making own plant pots would be wonderful.
there is something almost timeless about clay roofing tiles.
Yes. I have some good memories of Kenyan ones, especially at Hunter’s Lodge, Kiboko. Though one day when I was there the entire side of the bedroom block did a ker-thumping landslide on to the lawn. No obvious rhyme or reason.
Love your terracotta tiles…..
The most original of all posts!
Grazie, Anna.
Great images, great words, Tish. That initial pile of tiles is a real beauty – I’m travelling with them right now from my kitchen table
A flight on the tiles????
Love the closeup, and the memory. One of the joys of blogging, these sudden little bits of mini-memoir