Coming out of his shell…..

As I turned down from Philippos supermarket yesterday, I couldn’t believe my eyes: a very large tortoise was walking across the main road and was narrowly missed by a car. Driving quickly across to the middle of the road on a very tricky bend, I stopped my car to stop anyone else driving near this creature and jumped out to pick him up…..but he was having none of it and quickly ran a little further down the hill.

Fearing for his safety, I ran after him and did manage to pick him up but then realised there was no safe garden in which to put him: I’d have to put him in the car and bring him to the hill near home….

“Tommy” had a different idea and got out of the car as quick as I put him in! Thankfully, Savvas the postman , who’d been watching the scene and was much amused, came to my rescue and showed me that the best way to life Tommy, was upside down (him, not me) . Luckily, a local family, who were laughing at me, came over and offered to take the tortoise to their garden – so I reluctantly handed him over……

Telling Tony about this later, he said he and Andy had seen this lovely little creature hours earlier, walking down our hill – so he’d travelled a huge distance and must really have hated me for stopping him!

I like to think he’d fallen in love and was heading to the home of his girlfriend – but that means I’ve broken his journey and his heart!