Monday Monday. La la - la la la la la...

This morning I eventually finished the picture that Kate wanted me to do for her - she clearly has a thing about butterflies as the first one I did was a quote about butterflies.

This is a bit of a departure for me as it isn't a wooden sign - this one is done on canvas and the canvasses over here are a bit cheap and cheerful and John was a bit concerned that it would look tacky but I have sent a photograph to Kate and she says she loves it so that is ok then.

She is currently away and so I will wait for her return to let her have it.

Today was a normal Monday back to Art at Sheila's which I was really looking forward to as I haven't been for a couple of weeks.

I was walking today - it being a really lovely morning.  There is still a lot going on around the estate and the people at 2B are having loads done to their house - today the outside had been painted and that makes a huge difference and the front has been concreted so hopefully no more weeds.  It looks like the kitchen is being done and I saw a boiler being delivered and the wooden steps taking them up to the upper bedroom have been replaced.

The only living thing I saw on my way down to Sheila's was a ginger cat - the village was its normal sleepy self.  I guess it will start to get a bit busier as the holiday season approaches!!!

So today at Sheila's I was working on the football picture I am doing for Rabia.  I had thought, mistakenly as it happens, that Messi was his favourite player but apparently not - bugger but never mind I shall continue.

I have had to revisit the footballer's face time and time again - Sheila says move onto a different area and go back.  The original picture I am working from is a drawing and quite stylised so the face isn't clear like it would be if it were a photograph.

I am beginning to enjoy this picture now though - I can see why my friend Jackie likes doing fabrics because it is a challenge but satisfying.

Sheila is not enjoying her cat picture which she is doing in acrylics - she says that she is going to stick to what she likes doing best and go back to pastels for her next picture.

In amongst our post last week we had the delivery of our new blow up beds for going to the beach. For these to work you should apparently run round with them and then they will inflate and then you just need to tie it off and there you go!

So John unravelled the bed and went out in the road to run round like a mad thing to inflate it which was a bit of a laugh and will provide hours of entertainment to tourists on the beach!!!

Eventually he managed to get the thing inflated!!!

 And I did the quality control thing and tested it out!  Very comfortable!!

John had spent hours today trying to grind the paving slabs that lead to the front door.  Filthy and hot work.  Bassam said he liked the slabs and would have polished the ones in the conservatory and sealed them.  We didn't want to do that in the conservatory but John thought he would try to clean up the remaining ones that we have outside.

His reward for all his hard work was to cool off in the pool - he said it was fabulous - I took his word for it but actually the pool looks so much more inviting since we have had it tiled.

Also in amongst our post were our voting forms for Brexit or no Brexit.  We took them with us to Finikas's taverna where we had decided to go and have an early evening drink.

We really like the courtyard at the back and we have always had a good meze there - or at least we like it - it isn't to everyone's taste which is why we have nicknamed it four out of ten.  After the next village clean we plan to take a party there to eat and hopefully introduce some newbies to the venue.

We had a very pleasant hour or so sat in the evening sunshine talking to Phillipos and Marina.  They are good honest locals who make us feel very welcome and allow us to try our limited Greek without laughing at us.  Just as well as Marina's command of English is not so good.