At the Beach with Nicky and Mark...

Today photographer Nicky (Kirby) and her husband Mark (also Kirby - strangely enough), the couple who bought Mum and Dad's house in Emba, were coming up to Droushia to get some peace from their busy lives down in Paphos. We did the customary tidy round, ensuring the guest bedroom was clean and cat free before they arrived around lunchtime.  I blame Nicky for me constantly having a camera in my hand and many will say she has a lot to answer for!!!

We had decided to go to Pomos for the afternoon as the snorkeling there can just about be guaranteed to be spectacular and when we went a couple of weeks ago with Hazel there was a little drinks bar on the beach.  We still packed up a cool box but, OMG would you believe it, decided to leave the sunbeds at home and pay, yes pay, for beds and a brolly when we got there as there were plenty on the beach when we went with Haze and if we couldn't park nearby it would be a bit of a fag getting them to and from the car.

When we arrived at Pomos the beach bar had gone so thank god we had the coolbox - the bar had either been erected just for the Cypriot holiday period - or, more likely, had sprung up unofficially and been closed down.  Fortunately there were plenty of sunbeds and brollies and even better, particularly if you are married to a Yorkshireman, no-one around collecting the money - result!!!  Decision vindicated!!!  We set ourselves up on the beach - John looks like he is explaining the offside rule to an unseen Nicky and Mark looks like he is scratching his head trying to understand!!!  We quickly took to the water with our snorkel ling gear and were rewarded by quite a display of different fish quite close to the beach.  The water was clear, warm and reasonably still, so ideal - I really would have loved to have had my brother in law Richard's underwater camera to try and capture some of the beautiful fish we saw - particularly the parrot fish which are such beautiful colours.  On the subject of underwater shots Nicky was telling us that she is currently practicing for an underwater shot of a bride and groom at a forthcoming wedding - blimey the things they do nowadays!!

It was beautiful down at the beach - not too crowded and not too hot so we stayed until the sun disappeared down behind the cliff and made our way back home.  Mrs Kirby declared she was in the mood for cocktails so we had a brief visit to Paps for ingredients and having shit, showered and shaved (and that was just me) sat down under the gazebo for a little drinky before setting off to Fitos's and Kleftiko.  For me it was a little drinky as I was duty driver even though it is only down the road - you can never be too careful!!! 

At the beach Nicky had been reading up about doing head and shoulder portrait shots so this was my attempt before the demon cocktails took their toll!!!  How did it go?  Left shoulder pushed right back, elongated neck, chin out, look down your nose and fiddle with your clothing with your left hand? 

Both Nicky and John had a go at mixing cocktails - Tom Cruse need not worry!!

For the second night in a row we were treated to a spectacular display by the moon - you could be forgiven for thinking that it was the sun it was so big and bright!

Kleftiko at Fitos's was deemed to be a success as the Kirby's enjoyed a truly ethnic dining experience!!!  We were even treated to an impromptu demonstration of Cypriot dancing by two or three of the local children in the Kiosk!  We were the only non-Cypriots dining there and were even rubbing shoulders with our local Mukhtar (what was he doing outside of Droushia I wonder!!!). 

We were so glad that we had booked a table (and one that was indoors as the temperature began to drop) because within a short period of time the place was absolutely full and buzzing which is good to see.  Our good night out, full tummies, two bottles of good wine came to the grand sum of €15 a head which can't be bad!! 

Our return to Droushia gave John the opportunity to make us some wobbly coffees which I thoroughly enjoyed as I hadn't been drinking and I am used to RN issue wobbly coffees whereas the others found them rather strong I think!  This time we made sure that both Nicky and Mark knew where the remote control for the fan was - we didn't want a repeat of last time when poor Mark had to sleep outside to cool off!