Monday March 18th - Green Monday...

Today in Cyprus it was Green Monday or 'Clean' Monday.  The common term for this day 'Clean Monday' refers to the leaving behind of sinful attitudes and non-fasting foods and normally would see  Cypriots out in force having a picnic, partying and flying kites. Today however, is more like Black Monday as the fall-out from the deposit haircut announcement at the weekend rumbles on.  It is a Bank Holiday today normally but it is reported that the banks will remain closed tomorrow and Wednesday to avoid a run on them whilst the government tries to sort out what it is going to do.  On the one hand the economy is in the shit, on the other it seems rather unfair that the ordinary man or woman in the street is having their hard earned savings plundered in such a way.  We await a parliamentary vote tomorrow to ratify the haircut - one which looks unlikely to get approved and if it is not then the alternative could mean the island will go bankrupt - where that would leave us I have no idea.

I walked down to Sheila and Klaus's this morning.  They have been poorly again and last week Art was cancelled.  It was nice to leave behind the doom and gloom of the news and get on with my picture.  It is now more than half done which means that I am shortly going to have to find my next subject!  Sheila seems to have just about got over her bad chest but poor Klaus has put his back out from too much coughing.  We whiled away a companionable morning and topped it off with one of Klaus's wonderful lunches before I walked back home enjoying some very pleasant sunshine.

When I got home John had gone off to Badminton - the times have changed now and the club session is 12.00 - 2.00 so it means that I don't go down and do my shopping and hang around waiting for him to finish which is better for me as I can get on with something until he returns and we still get some of the afternoon together.

Chivers (Pullover Boy) was out fishing - he had caught a skink and let it go and the poor thing had run down into one of the holes where the pool steps are normally fitted.  The steps are out of the water at the moment it being too cold to swim - they only go green if they are left in there over the winter.

Chivers was determined to get the lizard who must have been terrified to see his big old boxing glove of a paw bearing down through the gap and so probably died of fright or exhaustion - I moved Chivs away but couldn't see it so maybe it had been lucky enough to find a way out and made its escape.

I busied myself in the kitchen waiting for John to return home.  We were having Crafty Jane and Mark around for a meal as we had not seen them for a while and wanted to hear about their ski-ing holiday.

John came home via Latchi as I had asked him to go and take some photographs of the 'celebrations' if there were any.  I had received a text message from Orexi Elena to say that there was music and dancing so it seemed like people were determined to enjoy their bank holiday whatever the circumstances.

We got the house tidy and cosy in readiness for our visitors.  We thought it might well be the last time we light the wood burner this winter as the days are getting considerably warmer although if we get clear skies in the evening the temperatures can still plummet to single figures.  Trevor the table has been put away in the shed and replaced with our Kenya Card table courtesy of Frank.  This gives us much more room to spread out.

It was good to see Jane and Mark - they certainly seemed to have had a good holiday even though Jane is wearing the bruises to prove it.  It is always a pleasure cooking for Mark because he enjoys his food - my tarragon and orange chicken seemed to go down well and Jane kindly brought fresh strawberries and some clotted cream - clotted cream - blimey that is like gold dust around here!

We are hopeful that Mark may well have some news regarding a holiday villa for John's sister Janice and family.  If we don't manage to find somewhere for them soon it is going to be very cosy at Villa 10B!