I decided to chance it and managed to get a couple of loads out - it was blowing well so I was pretty confident that the sheets, pillow cases and duvet cover would dry but it was the jeans and the towels we had been using as flood defences which were a different matter and if the worst came to the worst I could have it out on the airer in the conservatory.
It may have been bright but out the front it was still cold as the remnants of the hail/snow/whatever were hanging about in the front garden.
How can you garden in an area that bakes to a biscuit in the summer and then is flooded or battered by hail or freezes in the winter - the poor plants don't know if they are coming or going.
I had a phonecall from Elaine today (she of the Christmas Santa Hat in the photograph from last Tuesday) as I had apologised for not being able to stay longer at the mulled wine/carols evening and had invited her and partner Paul to come over. She was saying how their house had been badly affected by the heavy rains and together we commiserated on internal damp - somehow it feels so much better to know that others suffer equally if not more so than we do - we know our house was a quickly erected holiday home with no insulation etc so we are prepared for it not to withstand the ravages of a Cypriot winter but when it happens to more modern and more substantially built properties you know that really there is not very much you can do but grin and bear it and then deal with it when the weather improves. Anyway as a result of the phonecall Elaine and Paul will be coming over for something to eat after Christmas.
With the imminent arrival of our visitors I set about making some soup so that we had something to fall back on lunchtimes and had plumped for a carrot, butternut squash and ginger concoction that I found on the internet. This involved roasting the carrots and the squash which I guess gives a sweeter flavour. At least I know that John and Dad will have something warm and nourishing tomorrow when Mum and I go off to listen to Carols at Faros Restaurant down in Latchi.
John had been in two minds as to whether or not to venture down to Ayia Marina to watch the football. I know he would have quite liked to have gone but with Running John unavailable it meant that he had no mate to go with so he opted to stay with me and to listen to the Sheffield United match on the radio.
It was a good result and he ended up singing - We are Top of the League - which is a good place to be over the Christmas break. Fingers crossed that the remainder of the season will be positive and that the Mighty Blades can climb their way back up to the Championship.
Also good to see that Yeovil are well away from the relegation zone - we still listen out for their score along with Leeds for Trev and Leicester for Bill.
All our chores done we decided to go out for a quiet meal together and plumped for Fitos' Kiosk which is just up the road. It is a simple place and as we had gone early we managed to bag the table right under the patio heater.
We were brought some wine cured lounza to try but John thought it looked like dried fish so left it for me to eat - it is ok - not my favourite but it is good to be polite and make a stab at eating it. We then had plates of hummous, tsatsiki, pickles and kohlrabi with pitta bread followed by a good old pork chop, chips and salad.
We are made to feel quite welcome by the locals although unfortunately a couple continue to ignore the smoking ban. One guy kept leaving the door open to which the man behind us exclaimed that he must have been born in a cave!! We were not allowed to leave without trying Joanna's fantastic homemade chocolates which were delicious.
It was a great start to our Christmas - lets hope all the other meals go down as well as this one did!
Finally Wheelie Helen's Mum has nothing broken which is good news.
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