I know that I read this book as a kid, because there's a chapter in here that I remember more than any of Durrell's other stories. I don't remember much else about this book, enjoyable as it is, but the chapter where Gerry - promised an injured barn owl - goes for lunch with Countess Mavrodaki engraved itself upon my childhood memory. Partly because of the meal itself, which was this litany of deliciousness that very likely opened my eyes to the pleasure that could be derived from food writing, but partly because it was just so ridiculously funny.

"Owls and Aristocracy" it's called. The Countess and her butler are an elderly couple who live to good-naturedly squabble with each other, and the image of them stuffing and carping while Gerry sits there, dreaming of his owl and half stupefied with food and wine, covered in mud from falling off his donkey, and surreptitiously undoing the buttons on his shorts so as not to appear rude by gorging insufficiently, is an absolute delight. I was so glad to come across it again!