Tuesday - the Hottest Day...

Wheelie Cyprus Helen had text to ask if I could spare John and 'his lovely muscles' (is she blind, deluded or both??) today to help Alistair build a barbeque like ours.  She was asking Jane's husband Mark and he was bringing a worker with him as it was likely to be a four man job.  We had agreed to meet at theirs at 3.00pm this afternoon so this morning we were going to do some jobs ar ours.

First on the agenda was to tackle the termite door - well hopefully the termite-less door - it's amazing how an imminent visitor can concentrate the mind!!!  John managed to remove all the wildlife sometime ago and I stripped the surround and it has been sitting there waiting to be finished.  Today John managed to put in a replacement piece of wood on the bottom right hand side and I managed to prime the wood with the lovely pink primer that you get over here - not only is it pink but it stinks of every polymer known to man!  At 9.15pm this evening it is smelling just as strong as it did this morning!!

Hopefully tomorrow when I am at craft John can get another coat of primer and then we can do the gloss before Debra arrives on Sunday - I had got quite used to the distressed look of the stripped back paint but I do think a nice smooth gloss finish will look even better!  It was pretty hot work inside the toilet so it was brilliant to be able to jump into the pool afterwards for a cool down.

We shot off down to Polis for a few bits and pieces before dropping in at Helen and Alistair's.  Their house is beautiful - really beautiful and in the most wonderful spot with stunning views like the one above from the roof terrace - on a clear day you must be able to see the coast of Turkey and in the spring when it is all green and full of wild flowers absolutely out of this world.

Helen says that it is a full time job to keep it clean and tidy and I have to admit that John consoles me, when I say how little our place is, with the fact that it is more than enough for me/us to cope with particularly as I am no domestic goddess (sorry Mum).  My one wish would be to have a second shower room particularly when we have people staying with us. 

So back to the job in hand, on possibly what was the hottest day we have had this year and working in a location which is a massive suntrap.  Here is Mark and worker Shamoo looking at the jigsaw that was the barbeque which is made up of massive pieces of reinforced cast concrete that weighs a tonne - literally I should think.  This one is slightly bigger than ours and I can't believe that John erected ours more or less on his own with just a little help from Egyptian worker Sabah for the final pieces of the chimney and top.  This was certainly looking like a four man job but Alistair has bad shoulders and John bad knees and Mark probably some ailment or another!  Helen had thought it would 'only be about an hour' - wishful thinking!!

Here is a picture of the final piece of concrete being lowered into place.  John is somewhat miffed that he doesn't appear in the photographs although he worked his arctic socks off (yes he was wearing an old pair of white RN arctic socks throughout the whole exercise!!).  I was very conscious not to get in the way (which I normally do) so I only took a few quick snaps.  It was interesting to hear the guys work - it was all pretty harmonious as they all seemed to know what they should be doing unlike when I work with John and I wander off or I don't anticipate his requirements!  I think is was good for John to spend some time with guys who are more his age group and you know John he loves a project!  He is very excited to learn that Alistair has a cement mixer and so he is now contemplating jobs around ours that might require its use!  Anyway having got the barbeque erected we are all going along to christen it on Thursday and I have offered to take along some of Mum's world famous barbeque sauce which I thought we could make together tomorrow when she and Dad come up to stay over.

We returned home, John nursing aching muscles and me nursing fresh cherry tomatoes and cuttings from Helen's garden.  We cooled off by sitting in the garden accompanied by our little ginger bookends!  Chivers didn't stay still for long - he was quickly off and catching birds - the killer!

We were going to have a curry tonight but it all seemed too much effort and so we opted for a greek salad, dips and Cyprus roast potatoes and herby bread - wot no meat? I hear you cry - unbelievably yes there was no meat!!