March 6th - Ladies Lunch Day...

I thought I had a slightly better night's sleep last night in terms of my cough although John begged to differ, I did however have some scary old dreams which involved being back at work - now that is enough to give anyone a nightmare I can tell you!  

We woke with both cats asleep on the bed - Chivers' knitwear seems to be doing its job in protecting his back but he really doesn't like it and had spent a lot of the night biting at the neck and getting his teeth caught in the fibres so he is now on jumper Mark Three and this time the cuff is at the neck end so he looks like he is wearing a polo neck!  I was a bit enthusiastic with the leg cut outs so that he is sporting what I think they term a 'racing back' but if we put some iodine or the skin stuff that Wheelie Helen gave us on him now it stays in place and he cannot lick it off.  John is concerned that he might get caught up when he is out and about but we cannot run the risk of the wound not healing and tomorrow I shall see whether or not one of the vets in Paphos has some of the proper pet bandage stuff.

Sheila text early this morning to say that she was full of cold and would not be well enough to come to the ladies lunch.  I was worried that I had passed on some of my bugs to her when we met up on Monday - there certainly seems to be something nasty going around as even Trevor has been laid low.

Mum also phoned early to say that plans for this week will have to be changed as she is going into day surgery tomorrow to have her left hand carpal tunnels sorted.  I know it is never nice having a procedure done but we want her to get it sorted sooner rather than later as she is having real difficulties and the pain is keeping her awake at night.  She was still coming up for lunch today and Dad was coming to go our to lunch with John.

On arrival Mum and Dad came armed with a beautiful and sweet smelling rose which was for my birthday - they didn't wait to bring it on Saturday as by then the bloom would have faded and it just wouldn't have had the same impact.  It had the smell of one of those old fashioned cottage garden roses of our childhoods and having done a bit of investigation I believe that it is Grandiflora Rose Sweetness.  I want to place it somewhere where the fragrance can be appreciated and far enough away from the ailing rose I have that has suffered from mealy bug.

The venue for today's ladies lunch with the Karithea Taverna which is just on the outskirts of Droushia on the road which is considered to be a phenomenon (when you are going uphill it looks and feels like you are going downhill).  We used to go to this taverna quite a lot and then it closed and was closed for sometime.  Apparently it was hit by the downturn in the building industry as it used to get a lot of trade from the cement workers and passing truck drivers.

Vicki had kindly driven today and picked up Mum and I en route - John would have been picking up Trev to take him to Fitos 'with the boys' had he not been poorly.  In the carpark of the taverna were some children's swings and I thought they would make a good photo opportunity but hadn't taken into consideration just how low the seats were!

The inside of the Karithea is very traditional but with a modern twist and is very clean and bright.

We were the first to arrive and there was a long table set inside which was just as well because although the day was bright the wind still had a keen nip to it.  Having said that as the meal wore on we got warmer and warmer and warmer so were glad for the patio doors to be opened for some air!

The only trouble with this place is that there is no menu so basically you have what they are cooking and without a menu you cannot be entirely sure on the cost of a meal or drink even though Chris had tried to pin them down.

The majority of us went for a meze at a cost of €15 per head which is enough to pay for a meze around these parts.  Having said that you could not fault the amount of food or the quality of the food in the meze.  We had bread, salad, dips, olives, kalokasi, beetroot, lounza, halloumi, sheftalia, keftedes, chicken, lamb, pork, green eggs, brawn, chips, mushrooms in a sauce, bougouri, loukanakia, souvlakia and probably other things which I have forgotten.

Mum always likes to find some poor unsuspecting Cypriot to chat up and today was no exception as she ensnared 'Dimitri' who had been looking after our table - it doesn't look like Vix is complaining too much at having to share her seat with him either!  

It was a shame that some people felt that they had been overcharged for their food and drink even though when we pointed it out he adjusted the price - it would just have been better if he had put down the correct price at the outset.  I might well go back there but I have a feeling there are some that wont rush.  The only trouble when you organise these sorts of things is that you will never please everyone which leaves me with a dilemma for the next time.

Vicki called in for a cuppa before returning to poorly sick and dying Trevor.  She and I are on a shopping trip down in Paphos tomorrow - Mum won't now be joining us as she will be in the operating theatre!

We have lit the woodburner tonight as the cats voted with their feet last night and didn't stay in as we were in the conservatory with just the Super Ser on.  Minnie likes the woodburner so much more but you would never guess it!  At the moment both cats are stretched out to the max on the sofa and there is no room for John and I.  Chivers has given Minnie's acne a good licking and she has licked his jumper in return.

PS just so regular readers know our flowers arrived at the Allan's the next day and she was well chuffed.  Dill and Dom the goldfish have moved successfully with them so now it is Eight go Wild in Dorset (Tom, Sal, Fredster, Molls, Bruno (cat - so called because he has huge feet with double thumbs on each), Buddy (dog) and the two fish Dill and Dom.