New Year's Eve...

The cats are causing us concern - both are now being picky and Chivers has eaten next to nothing and has to be encouraged to drink water - the vets are closed but will be open again on Wednesday.  

John had decided to go down for a badminton session today - over the Christmas period the times have been changed so that they play from 12.00 - 2.00pm - Mum wanted to go and see the facility and watch him play but we explained it would be pretty cold sitting in the bowling alley for two whole hours so I said I would go as well and dropped John off then took Mum for a mooch around Festival Shoes - there were plenty of bargains to be had but we weren't really looking to buy.  Mum had picked up a couple of pairs of boots in the sales down in Paphos.  

I tried to sort out John's old mobile phone and the Sim card which has expired but the shop was full to the gunnels with people who had obviously been given CYTA vouchers for Christmas!!!  I queued for a while and then gave up.

We decided to go down into Polis Square to have a coffee.  It was warm and pleasant and we walked down and found a seat bumping into Curry Rival Chris and her husband.  We had thought about trying the Art Cafe but with the road works happening it is difficult to get to but Tina walked through the square anyway and stopped to have a chat.  

We called back via the bowling alley in time for Mum to watch John playing - they were short of numbers today so he got lots of games in and the players have sorted themselves out so the better ones seem to go to the afternoon sessions so they are all of a similar standard.

We got ourselves ready for our Big Night Out - with no idea what it would entail.  We dressed up warmly just in case but arrived to find we had a table set right by the log fire which was roaring.  There was another long table set in the middle of the room and Alkisti explained that this was for her family and that we would be sharing the meze she had prepared.

There was far too much food - salad, dips, chips, bread, halloumi, sheftalia, souvlakia, green eggs, grilled chicken and grilled pork.  We had to call a halt as we were barely making an indent in it but then we looked at the family table and realised that excess was the order of the day and that the family had left loads too.

Various of the family members settled down to play a game of cards similar to Rummy and we took out our cards and noms grid and played whilst Christos stoked the fire - we had no complaints about the temperature where we were but felt guilty that we had pushed the others to sit huddled round a gas fire!

Alkisti's sister introduced us to a custom to tell whether or not  your partner loves you.  You throw an olive leaf into a log fire and see whether it spins when it burns!!  I can't tell you what happened when I threw my leaf in the fire but let's just say it is being entered into Strictly next time round!!

It turned into a good night - they always are when you aren't expecting anything!  Mum and Dad retired early, John decided to stay up just till midnight and come and gone.  Chivers was poorly so I was keeping an eye on him.  He was on our bed looking very sorry for himself.  I fear that a visit to vets is inevitable.