Friday 25th January...

John knows how to show a girl a good time - he took me out for lunch today as far as the Bake and Take in Prodromi!!  This was because we had gone down to see if the bike was ready and had it been ready I could have left John to play badminton, done the shopping and then made my way back home but it wasn't going to be ready until about 4.00pm so we had time to kill.

The Bake and Take is a new bakery and is pristine inside but there wasn't much that inspired us for lunch so we stopped for a hot pie which is probably not the best thing to have before you run round chasing a shuttlecock but there wasn't much else to choose from.

John was meeting up with Akourdalia Paul (Coaches Dave) at badminton today as he expressed an interest the other evening when we went down for dinner.

I left him at the bowling alley and I went off to Paps to do the weekly shop and then thought I would have a mooch around Polis and then head off to sea to waste some more time before going back to pick John up.

It was a beautiful afternoon, still and warm.  At this rate Vix and Trev wont believe us when we moan that the winter here in Cyprus is cold!  Still as they are busy unpacking boxes and getting their house sorted they will appreciate the fact that it is not raining because that would make such a mess when you are walking in and out and then there are all the empty cardboard boxes that would be making papier mache on the patio - I know because although our furniture arrived in June it poured the day the men came with it and then we had soggy boxes hanging around for ages!

I did the shopping and drove around a couple of the side streets in Polis which seem to have a proliferation of clothes shops - none of which I have ventured into!  There isn't an awful lot in Polis I have to say - it would be so nice to have something interesting move into the old Orphanides building but under the current circumstances I doubt it.

Having exhausted Polis and with plenty of time to spare before John finished badminton I set off down to the coast to have a walk and take some photographs.  I drove out of Polis and turned off so that I came out by the Natura Beach Hotel and hung a left and eventually found a track which lead to the beach so parked up the car and took a walk down.  This bit of coastline is wild and rugged and there was not a sole around so I wandered down and took a walk - the tide was coming in so I didn't stay too long as I could imagine I might end up with wet feet if I wandered too far!!!

I carried on along the coast and parked up again by the Polis campsite.  I couldn't go in the first entrance as there is still a lot of water and mud and I didn't fancy getting the car stuck.  The campsite looks desolate this time of the year although it appears that some tidying has been done as a lot of the trees seemed to have been cut back - either that or people are short of firewood and have been helping themselves!!  Again I took a walk along the beach - there is quite a river which is flowing through the campsite and out to the sea.  I picked up a few pebbles and one or two pieces of driftwood and then slowly drove back to Prodromi.

When I got to the bowling alley John and Paul were playing against Upholstery Sandy and Scottish Irene and Paul seemed to be enjoying himself so that is good and means that Bryn will have another new member for the club.

Once badminton was over we went off to pick up the bike.  It had been serviced, the starter problem sorted and the foot rest welded back on all for €70 which John was very pleased about because hopefully he will be able to use it to go to badminton and we might go out on it a bit more if it is more reliable.  I followed him back home and it all seemed fine, the brake lights and indicators were working so that was a bonus!!  On getting home we decided to go for a spin together to see whether the Vasillikon winery had moved to its new premises and if so whether the winebar bit was open as John had suggested we try that for one of our ladies lunches.  Although it was a lovely evening it was bitter on the bike and my hands were FREEZING. 

We were out this evening at Crafty Jane and Budgie Smuggler Mark's.  We were having a Friday night curry and movie night - Wheelie Helen was doing all the fiddly condiments, Jane was cooking a curry meatball dish, John was cooking a cardamom creme brulee with lime caramelised bananas and I was providing the film.  Crafty Jane is off to the UK tomorrow on the same flight as Mum!

We had chosen Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy for the film which was a big mistake as Jane, Helen and I managed to sleep through most of it.  It was a dark film in all respects and could just as well have been filmed in black and white.  The boys thought it was good - I think we would have been better with a comedy or a chick flick personally!!!

The mood was lightened by Jane's new hat which neighbour Pauline knocked up for her from some wool she had at home.  This could well be going with Jane when she, Mark, Al and Helen go ski-ing - in fact I can see Pauline being commissioned to make another three!

It was a late night - in fact an early Saturday Morning when we came to leave!