Boxing Day Bimble...

My lovely lovely cat Chivers is very very poorly we are taking him back to the vets tomorrow

Our prayers were answered today as Boxing Day started out fine and bright.  We had organised a little stroll along the sea front at Latchi with Wheelie Helen and Al and Helen's mother Cynthia, Crafty Jane and Budgie Smuggler Mark and Jane's mother Margaret and John and I with Mum and Dad.  We assembled at La Plage car park.  We were not the only nutters spending time on the beach as there was already a little group of South African Cypriots preparing for a picnic. 

The Springate's were fashionably late and as we were waiting for them the clouds gathered but by the time they arrived the sun had appeared again so that they could claim they had timed it to perfection!

The members of the group had varying walking capabilities so Margaret dropped out first with Cynthia staying behind to keep her company.  Mum and Budgie Smuggler stormed ahead and would have made it all the way to Argaka had we not whistled them back when we got to Polis campsite.  By this time the temperature was really rising and the layers began to come off!

It really was a beautiful day and so much better than it had been last year.  I was pleased really because we have been doing some sort of walk on Boxing Day for years and we had been uncertain about what we would do this year so having met Jane and Helen this year and become friends it was nice that we could make it a Mum-fest as they were all here at the same time - and a Dad-fest too!

We strolled back along the 'boardwalk' with Arni and Rocky in tow - they were probably desperate to get onto the beach and into the sea but this is not one of the beaches in Cyprus which allows dogs.  They were on the whole very well behaved despite all the distractions put in front of them.

We spared a thought for the hardy souls who take part in the Boxing Day dip at Argaka - they had sunshine for it and plenty of it so it was probably quite a pleasant experience and at least the sea seemed to have rid itself of all the brown crap that had been washed down from the fields during the recent storms.  Apart from the hardy South African family we saw at the start there were no others on the beach - shame really.

With the help of Jane and Mark we had managed to secure a rather special venue for eating our pasties (made courtesy of Mum and Dad).  They have friends with a stunning house at Latchi and Jane and Mark had asked if we could have our picnic in their garden.  The owners were not themselves going to be home that day so they had agreed providing we did not make it look like a public park - as if!!!

Sod's law was that at the exact moment we all sat down to have our picnic the sun went behind a cloud and then only managed a few weak appearances!!!  It wasn't too much of a problem as the pasties were piping hot as was the mulled wine.  And you can see that neither Budgie Smuggler Mark nor I are wearing jumpers so it was still reasonably warm.

We think that this year's pasties were probably the best that Mum and Dad have made even though they get a little soggy sitting in the cool boxes (made into hot boxes with the addition of warmed sets in the bottom).  Everyone seemed to really really enjoy them and we sat enjoying our surroundings until it got just that little too cool by which time it was mid-afternoon anyway.

It had been great to get outside and continue our Boxing Day tradition!