An embarrassing trip in the world of Pandas

DURING our recent holiday, Mrs H and I were privileged to be able to observe Pandas in their native habitat.

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The collective noun for Pandas is an 'embarrassment,' which seems harsh, given their generally benign nature. But there they were, hordes of them making their way to and fro between stands of rich, fresh bamboo.

Bamboo is everywhere on the lovely Greek island of Corfu, because it was historically used for construction and continues to be a versatile resource for building and providing shade. A hardy, fast-growing giant grass, bamboo sprouts everywhere, offering shade and shelter to a true embarrassment of Pandas.

We hired one for a few days while we were there, a two-door Panda with an engine that puttered away, unseen, under the bonnet. Changing its gears was like stirring a Christmas pudding with a long wooden spoon, a process of yanking and pushing in the general direction of various gears.

Our little Panda passed its 90,000km mark somewhere on the snaking pass up through the hills to the north of the island, and we felt like buying it a cake or something.