June 2nd...

Today we were going to the first Farmers market to be held at the Herb Garden in Akourdaleia and we were taking our neighbours Gregoris and Theodora who had come up for the weekend and had attended the second lecture at the Droushia Heights Hotel on Friday.  

This corner of the island seems to be very fertile and there also seems to be quite a community of people who prefer a more natural, holistic, organic, artistic way of life!  It is also quite a small close knit community so you can see familiar faces wherever you go.  For example we met the guy pouring the olive oil at the last beach clean!

The guy in the hat is Clem, he is engaged to Caroline who runs the herb garden and is an osteopath in his own right.  

In the picture on the right you should by now recognise Orexi Elena, her husband Bassam, son Rabia and elder daughter Amora - somewhere lurking is little Lola! They seemed to be doing an absolutely roaring trade and rightly so as her goodies are 'nostimo' (delicious).

There was some lovely organic and local produce to buy and my neighbour Theodora purchased some local cherries and gave me half.  Although cherries are in season they are still relatively expensive but I LOVE THEM and these had the most fantastic flavour.  We bought some locally grown organic bananas and shall look forward to having them for breakfast with cereal.

Elaine had asked me to call in because she had brought me a present.  It is one of the Bengal Clock Vines that I have so admired in her garden.  It should, if cared for properly, be covered in beautiful lilac flowers.

I have read up about it and hope that if I can find it a sheltered spot it will over winter here in Droushia.  We have yet to decide exactly where that will be but I think it would be good to try and get it to go up and over the gazebo at the back of the house.

We didn't have time to stop and chat with them today as we needed to get back home.  Mum and Dad were coming up today - we have resumed our Sunday get togethers and we had managed to persuade Jackie and Costas to venture up this end of the island and come and see our house - we have, after all, only lived here for two years!  Still we know how busy they are and we are grateful for them coming as they live the other side of the airport in Timi.

Mum and Dad arrived - laden as always with bits and pieces, some for John and I and some for Irene to sell on her market stall to fund her cat programme - for which Irene is always grateful and Mum does like to give away things which someone else might be able to use rather than just throw them away.

We took Mum to see the kittens - Dad declined because I think there was a danger that he might have fallen in love with them!

The little one, the one which we rescued first, is a sweetie and is now more than happy to have a cuddle, the bigger one is much more wary and, if it had a voicebox, would hiss first and ask questions after!

Given time both will be lovely pets and we are hopeful that we might find them homes.

Just wanted to say at this point that Mum was looking lovely and she hadn't as yet changed into her gladrags for meeting up with Jackie who is always immaculately turned out!

Mum and Dad have now found themselves a bungalow that they will be moving into after Kaye and Richard have visited.  They both seem really thrilled at the prospect and are looking forward to the next chapter of their lives in Cyprus.  John and I have told them that we will do the move and for that we will rope in all our fit friends!  There are enough of us around who can make light work of something as simple as a house move.  We did our last one in the 'Hearse' (our old Peugeot 406 estate!!).

We had arranged to meet Jackie and Costas at the Droushia Heights Hotel.  This is just an easy landmark for people to find as it is in the centre of the village and much easier to find than our house if you have not been there before.

I know it is a bit of a luxury but you cannot deny that the view from the terrace is stunning and even more so this evening as there was a strange bank of cloud sitting in the valley between us and Lissos.  

We were well looked after by the barman Paniotis who even rustled up a special non-alcoholic smoothie for Mum which did not have any sugar syrup as she has to be careful with her sugar intake - whatever it was she said it was delicious!

It was lovely to meet up with Jackie and Costas - even though Costas took Jackie on a misery tour through Arodes and Inea before finally finding the hotel!

Jackie looks fantastic - but then she always does!  Costas just looks like Costas and doesn't seem to have changed much in the 20-odd years that we have known them!

We all enjoyed our cocktails before moving on back to our house so they could see where we lived.   

We couldn't stay too long as we had booked a table at Yiannis in Kathikas.  We realised that we haven't seen Jackie and Costas since before Christmas - blimey where on earth has that time gone?

We had a great meal - but then Yianni always does do a good meal and for some reason we seemed to get double puds - the regular apple cinnamon cake and then some sort of confectioners custard sweet which was absolutely delicious.