Easter Sunday

First of all I have to say huge congratulations to my godson and nephew Matthew for announcing his engagement over the weekend to Loren.  They both live and work in Dubai so maybe they will be having an exotic location for their wedding or opt for something more traditional and return to the UK - no idea when it is going to be but either way if we are invited we will have to start saving up!  Maybe they will take a leaf out of John and my book and go for a small affair - we only had 7 guests at our wedding and originally we only intended to have two witnesses!!  Just call us Mr and Mrs Billy-no-Mates!!

So today being May 1st was quite a milestone for John and I as we start our sixth year on the island - we flew over on May 1st 2011 to start our retirement and the rest as they say is history.  A lot has happened in that time, some very sad things and some very happy things.

It is Easter Sunday here in Cyprus - last night will have seen the lighting of the bonfire and procession which was followed by fireworks and the awful home-made bangers that the kids like to throw.  We heard them but were tucked up safely in bed having done a head-count on the cats.

We were spending most of the day with Mum and Dad - Mum was cooking a three-course meal and wanted to spread it out like we do at Christmas so we were going to go down early for a walk and then have our starter, have a game of cards and then have our main course then a little rest before pudding.

Mum's birthday is in a couple of weeks and my sister asked what she could get or contribute towards and it just so happened that Mum wanted to put a second archway in their garden and then grow a couple of plants up and over it.  So this is what my sister will have funded.  Dad had managed to get the arch in before we arrived and John just made sure it was pushed down securely and then dug the holes for the two dipladenia's to be planted eitherside.  They are going to look lovely when they have settled in.

We decided that we would do the same walk that we had done on Boxing Day - parking up near the Rhodadaphni and walking along the coast path towards the King Evelthon and the gardens where Dad got his purple moonflower seeds.

It is a nice walk there or at least it was until someone decided to build something slap bang in front of some pretty luxurious and expensive houses which probably never expected their uninterrupted view of the sea to be, well, interrupted.  We couldn't tell quite what it was as it was all cordoned off but whatever it is there have been some very very deep footings dug!

Mum and Dad found the original moonflower plant - down here right on the coast where it is just a fraction warmer or more sheltered maybe the plant is in full flower - Mum and Dad have one plant which is sporting three buds ready to open - my plant appears to be in suspended animation having gone into shock at being transported up to the frozen North!!!  It will flower in due course but not for some time yet - I just hope it will be hardy enough to withstand one of our winters - the white ones do but this is slightly more exotic.

So it was a lovely morning for a walk although there was a bit of a breeze it was a warm Mum and I walked round a little further than John and Dad and met back up with them on the bench before returning to Emba for our lunch.

We had a lovely meal and Dad dug out the rather fine Zambartas Rose which we had given him after our wine tasting evening at O Vrakas in Pissouri with Wendy and Bill.  It was as good if not better than I had remembered it and I was very pleased that it was John's turn to drive so I got to sample it.

We had pate and salad to start, lamb tenderloin with veggies and potatoes, Bailey's bread and butter pudding and then a little easter egg in a cup with a spoon to finish.  It was lovely and I was too full afterwards!!!  We headed home where I enjoyed a leisurely snooze on the sofa and John watched Leicester salvage a point against Manchester United but in order to secure the premiership title they needed a win.

It being Easter Sunday there were activities going on at the Amphitheatre in the village.  We decided to have a wander down to show our faces - we had missed the tug of war and traditional dancing but were greeted by some rather scary looking oversized Minnie and Mickey Mouse characters which I struggle to recollect being part of the traditions for Orthodox Easter!!!

John decided to have a go at the lifting of the massive stone competition although he wasn't entirely sure what you had to do to win but he managed to pick it up off of the ground for about a second and declared it was very heavy indeed or words to that effect!  He should have removed his watch as it dug into his wrist quite badly and looking at the photo I am glad the stitching on his shorts was secure!!!

We made the fatal mistake of stopping outside O Stathmos to have a chat with David and Edda and remained there far too long!!!  We went through the chilly bit when the sun goes down and came out the other side and I thank Bambos very much for his on the house brandy that warmed me up a treat!

Kallo Pascha to all xxx