Family - blood is thicker than water...

John is really really chuffed to have family out at the moment - not staying with us, staying down in Coral Bay at a hotel which is not quite reaching their expectations so we decided to take them away from it all for a day up in them thar hills to get a taste of what our life is like and so that they could see our house so when we talk about it they can visualise where we live.

Rhys, John and Paul are all Bladesmen - and were all sporting a Mighty Blades shirt in one form or another.  Rhys - a regular season ticket holder is wearing the current season's shirt which he really kindly offered to leave behind for John - how kind but John said he couldn't do that to him.

John went down to pick them all up whilst I got the house ready - Gail is a fanatical cleaner so I thought I should at least give the tiles in the conservatory a swoosh - they are the main thoroughfare in the house and when the doors are open everything that can blow in does and then if you walk out of the pool with wet feet it leaves marks that the dust settles on!  There are standards 'dahling' and I needed to keep up!  House all tickety-boo I was ready for our guests who were blown away by the house - they had seen pictures but they clearly didn't do it justice because they were really really impressed.  Isn't that satisfying?  It makes all the hardwork and heartache worthwhile.  Now we have a few projects left to complete but everything major is done.

They spent the morning in and around the pool before we got ready and moved down the coast to Latchi and a leisurely walk along the harbour before a light lunch at Molos.  They loved Latchi what is not to love) and they loved the wraps and baguettes which we had for lunch.  Eventually we moved off but only as far as Psarapoulos where Paul and Heather took a swim in the sea, Rhys dipped in his toes and Gail, John and I watched from a table in the shade in the bar.

They said that the sea was much warmer up here than their stretch down at Coral Bay - must be something to do with the prevailing wind because the temperatures are much higher down there.

We moved back up to the cool of Droushia and another dip in the pool and I went off to do my duty as a good citizen and gave blood.  The hospital is desperate and I have O negative which is the universal blood group that anyone can receive and as Marianna in the community office had been kind enough to let me know they would be at the old medical building by the school at 5.30pm.

I picked up Sharon and we went together.  It was an experience!!!  All the kids in the neighbourhood where there fascinated by the goings on!

Lola appointed herself as my own personal nursemaid.  She ushered me through the whole experience from filling in my form to having my blood pressure taken to my haemoglobin test to the actual donation.  The poor doctor had to keep moving her out of his way but eventually I was deemed to be finished and my donation made.  After a bit of an issue with her blood pressure Sharon was able to make her donation too.  We can now go down to the General Hospital any morning and ask for a full blood test free of charge should we need to.

Eventually it was time for us to take the family back to their hotel.  Thank goodness for the extra seat for the Peugeot as it meant all six of us could go - we took the scenic route going down the Mesoghi Avenue to the Mall and then along the Tombs of the Kings, Banana Bay and ultimately Coral Bay.  It had been lovely having them and we have planned to do something together on Monday after art.