Ride in Cyprus - what a beautiful place...

It was such a beautiful start to the morning and I was going off to see Caroline Penman at Ride in Cyprus to see the horses and the yurts and thereby escape the dust!!  The men were due with us at 8.00 but we got a phonecall at five to, to tell us that they were held up by an accident but wouldn't be long.  John had a list of things that needed to be tackled today.  We are waiting for the steps to dry out but this is going to be a long process now that there is so much more moisture in the air.  There appears to be a difference of opinion about whether or not we should be using some sort of dryer to try and speed up the process and we are sensing some friction between the Office and the workmen which is not good - we are currently stuck as piggies in the middle not knowing what is the best course of action - so I was glad to escape - poor John just gets on with it and tries his best to keep things on track and to our satisfaction but I think he is fighting a losing battle at times...

It really was a lovely morning and the drive up through Steni and Peristerona was absolutely stunning I cannot begin to describe how incredibly beautiful the area is where Caroline lives and has her yurts and her stables.  I have been meaning to get up to see her and take some photos for ages so I was glad I made time today.

Currently Caroline has two yurts, one of which she has decorated and will be using as Santa's grotto on Sunday - the yurts are amazing - each has a wood burning stove and Caroline says that when they are lit people often sleep with the door open as it is so hot.  It was incredibly peaceful there with just the sound of bird-song and stunning stunning views of the cedar forest and in the distance the coast.  I can so see why Caroline has found her sanctuary here.

At the stables she has a number of horses of all shapes and sizes, all of which look healthy and loved.  I am not a great horse lover but being in amongst them up close and personal it is a completely different matter - they seem to be both strong and gentle at the same time.  I think I would enjoy a horse ride out here and I know that John would so maybe either for our special wedding anniversary or his special birthday we might just stay in a yurt and go for a horse ride.  Today's trip enabled me to see exactly what was available.

Caroline has had some really really bad luck with her dogs as in the past they have been poisoned so she decided that she wouldn't have any more until she was adopted by Endaxi - I would say that this gentle giant has some Rottweiler in him looking at the shape of his head and his colouring.  He is amazing, he is gentle and obedient and loving.  Again I am not really a dog lover but I loved him immediately and I am now more sure than ever that at some point in the future - the distant future - we will have a dog.

There are other animal stars at the stables, Caroline introduced me to the two resident cats who are equally as beautiful as any of the horses or Endaxi the dog and then there is Socrates the 'cock' of the poultry with his magnificent plumage.  One of his harem kindly provided us with an ultra fresh egg which Caroline gave me to take home with me.

It was a lovely trip up into the hills and I thank Caroline for taking time out to show me round.  If you ever fancy getting away from it all in a Yurt or going for the most amazing ride on a beautifully looked after and loved horse then this is most definitely the place for you.   I hope John reads this because I would not ever have considered this would be for me but I want to do it!!!

I needed to drop something off to Orexi HQ for Caroline and knew that Elena was holding a cookery class so I thought I would call in with my camera to capture the class of December 2015.  The students seemed to be enjoying themselves and many were studiously writing notes and asking lots of questions.

The workmen were there when I got home - I had to laugh because the goats were about and one of the guys was in the field filling the skip.   I knew he would be freaked out by the goats and particularly so when both John and I told him he needed to watch out for the one with the bloody great horns!!!

They had in the main worked through the list of jobs John had and so they wrapped up in time for us to get changed and go down to Paphos for the afternoon.  They said they would be back tomorrow with the light for the pool as they had been struggling to get the wiring sorted and with a sample of the aqua carpet for us to check.  They said they had somewhere else to go but would try and make sure they got to us before we went out in the afternoon.

It was lovely to see Wendy and Bill back although Bill is still not fit enough to play pickleball - still nursing a poorly back and being sensible not to do it in again before Christmas.  Wendy played - she hadn't faced new John before and will certainly have had a good workout today!!!  We were all exhausted after our 90 minute run round.  Good to see Mum on top form - not bad for an 80 year old!!!  Unfortunately Dad is still rough with a bad chest and Mum is being careful to make sure it doesn't get any worse.

We left armed with a bloody great marrow and a carrier bag of passion fruit looking forward to a cosy night in with the fire lit and a glass of wine and the remains of the sausage shepherd's pie - we were at this stage completely oblivious of what the evening was to bring...

At around 8.30 we got a phone call from the workmen to say that they would not be coming tomorrow - which wasn't really a great surprise it being Saturday and the weather forecast being rubbish.  What was a surprise was to be told that they had parted company with the Office and so if we wanted to project finished we would have to deal with them direct.  Hang on a minute though - our contract is with the Office and that is where our money has gone and to be fair they are a bigger concern than the workmen and we had had doubts about the workmen in the first place - the only trouble is they are the ones who fit the finish we want and who are now holding the product ordered for us.  Between a rock and a hard place - you bet - pee'd off you bet - angry and frustrated you bet.  Par for the course when it comes to John and I spending money - sadly yes.

No sleep for either of us - worrying about how to move forward. FED UP.