Sunday April 7th...

We were woken this morning by the sound of voices of people out on the road and in the nearby fields.  They are out foraging - probably for the wild asparagus and probably because if they are keeping true to their roots they will not be eating meat until Easter.  

Minnie Mou was finding it all very boring!  She had found herself a new hiding place to get her head down - she was on one of the chairs under the dining table under the gazebo minding her own business until we found her!  She is busy giving me a piece of her mind and telling me to leave her alone!

It was another glorious day and we had a number of things we wanted to get done before Mum and Dad came up for what was going to be our first barbeque of the year.

It was pool cleaning day - we have had a series of sand storms which had left a fine silt on the bottom of the pool which John wanted to get rid of although we have heard that there is still a sand storm due to come our way.

The temperature is slowly beginning to rise but I can't see me wanting to jump in any time soon!  We have decided that when we get a nice day now we will begin to put the cover on overnight to try and keep the temperature up.  

John did all the cleaning, backwashing and testing only to have a million and one little black flies decide to commit suicide and no sooner had we skimmed them off the surface when another lot came along to test the conditions and John's patience!  Pools look lovely but they take some looking after and up here in the hills and positioned in a Northerly direction ours remains decidedly chilly!

Mum and Dad were staying the night - always a good idea when we have eaten late and drunk a bevvy or two!  So we had to clear their room (which John uses as a changing room when they are not here and where I keep the ironing basket).  I have to admit that I really don't mind ironing when I have plenty of time, a decent view and warm rays and Trevor was only saying the same thing to me today - it becomes so much less of a chore and more of a pleasure.

John started to prep the barbeque.  For once we had been sensible and packed everything away clean when we had last used it.  As a precaution we had soaked the utensils and the cages/flippers overnight to make sure they were absolutely clean so it was just a question of laying up the coals and sorting out what we were cooking and in what order.

In the past we have been guilty of cooking too much so we were being sensible and had allocated a sausage, piece of chicken, piece of pork loin (or two) and piece of halloumi per person - and when we looked at it all we realised that this was going to be too much!

Mum was bringing her famous home made barbeque sauce and we were having salad and dips, jacket potatoes and pittas.  The weather was warm and clear but there was a bit of a wind - not enough to force us to eat indoors thank goodness so we were all ready and prepared when Mum and Dad arrived.

It was lovely to be able to sit outside and eat without feeling chilly and for our food to remain warm throughout.  Apart from the halloumi, which was just too creamy to barbeque and which was making a bid for freedom down the grill, everything was superb - neither the chicken nor the pork was in the least bit dry and the jacket potatoes were particularly good so well done John for being my master chef.

Today was a day when Droushia and its environs pulled together in support of those people who have been severely affected by the current economic crisis that Cyprus finds itself in.  Our friend Elena at Orexi was holding a charity Brunch with proceeds going to Aphrodite’s Angels/Solidarity/Paphos Against Poverty (and apparently they raised €550!).  They were joined by artist Kate Fensome and her husband Max who also donated proceeds from sales of their artwork.  We had been invited to go to the Brunch but our family barbeque took precedence.  There was also a charity music event being held down the road at the Karithea Taverna where attendees were asked to bring toiletries, dried foods etc rather than pay an entrance fee.  

Mum and I were keen to show our support and so after lunch made our way down the hill armed with our bags of toiletries.  Mum said that it reminded her of the war and the handouts that families had had to rely on at that time.

There was a steady stream of people bringing their donations and many local dignitaries including the Mayor of Polis and several of the local Mukhtars and an Arch Bishop in attendance along with television cameras from RIK and ANT.  Local bands and local dancers were putting on a show including Elena's own Orexettes. It was good to see people pulling together although when we were there not as many ex-pats as I would have hoped to have seen. Still we did our bit and I felt better for it - it took me back to my Soroptimist days.