Larnaca

Today was a day for fiddling around with odd jobs before taking Sharon and Sean back to the airport after their extended holiday which may well be last 'holiday' if things go to plan.  I needed to get organised for Lou and H coming for supper tomorrow.

I thought I would make a curry as it could be cooking all day in the slow cooker and could be served whatever time we wanted to eat.  I chose a recipe I hadn't tried before so will have to report back after we have sampled but it was a lemon ginger curry and I was using my own home made lemon pickle for some va va voom.

As I was getting the ingredients together I found a bag of what looks like dead men's fingers but was in fact some home made shoushouko which we were given at Kaponas last night and which had been made by Eleni's mum.

I shall have to keep these well hidden as they are a particular favourite of my mum's!!!

I am currently prevented from doing any ironing as Charlie has commandeered my laundry basket during the day.  He has been a right little shit since George and Pam went home as he isn't getting the individual attention he is used to and I know that the weather is getting cooler but his capacity to eat is getting beyond a joke - I have wormed them all so know that isn't the issue - maybe I will need to satisfy his appetite with lounza which is what Pam used to give him - clearly Whiskers isn't cutting it!

Sean wanted to get prepared for their return which will hopefully be in just a few weeks' time so he was stocking up on the essentials - he had his crates of beer replenished and then his wood-store - glad he has got his priorities right!  It was all hands on deck when the load of almond was delivered.

I had time before the airport trip to complete the letters I have been decorating.  I must thank Lynne and Barry for the pretty tissues they brought out for me and although we laughed at the Darling Dad one's I managed to use them because the colour scheme was just right for what I wanted - I gave the verse printed on them a stiff ignoring and used the rest!

There has been some talk of bringing in a law to make it illegal to drive in flip-flops - this is a bit of a bugger as I live in flipflops for about ten months of the year and find shoes really difficult - I have small but very wide feet and getting wider as I have this enlarged knuckle on one foot.  I have been desperate to find some comfy flat shoes which don't pinch across the widest part of my toes and I managed to find some lovely ones in Chrysanthou Shoes when they had a sale on.  I had brought with me a similar pair that I picked up as a bargain one year in Tescos but they were suede and had become severely wrecked over here.  If I thought the one's from Tescos were a bargain then these were an absolute steal - LEATHER and only €3.00!!!

As we packed up Sean and Sharon we had to keep an eye on Chivers who was in full on hunting mode.  The yellow plants behind him which are some sort of weed which has sticky yellow/green leaves and which stink attract a very pale yellow delicate little bird, one of which has already met its maker thanks to Chivers.  These yellow plants must also attract a myriad of insects and the yellow birds seem oblivious to our stalking cat.

The drive to Larnaca was uneventful - it is a two hour door to door trip and rather boring as it is mainly motorway (dual-carriageway actually) and that road is only ever busy during rush-hour which we were avoiding.

We dropped Sean and Sharon off in good time and made our way back home.  Tonight there was the most amazing sunset with the sun seemingly super-sized and the whole of the sky turning colour as it slowly began to set.  It isn't easy taking photographs in a moving car nor trying to avoid the dirty windscreen!  Once set the clouds in the sky became the most amazing colour - the photograph doesn't do it justice.

Can't believe Sean and Sharon's month here is over...