Saturday 8 October 2016

Saturday

Charlie was missing this morning, this is unusual, when he completely missed out on breakfast that was very unusual as he is a martyr to his stomach and, as we found out when we took him to the vets because of his weight, he is a greedy cat, the vet said so!!! so alarm bells started to ring and we set off to look for him except we didn't need to look far - we remembered that he went home with George last night so the chances were that was where we would find him only trouble was that George and Pam were not yet up and as their bedrooms are in a separate building to their lounge etc they wouldn't hear Charlie's ever more plaintiff cries as he empty stomach began to cause him more and more angst.

Pressing our ears to their front door we could hear Charlie crying - so at least we knew where he was and we knew that George and Pam would not be too late getting up as this was the day they returned to the UK.  Sure enough we were just setting up to eat our breakfast outside the kitchen door when Charlie pitched up - most disgruntled and starving!  It is the first of October and the weather has got hotter and today there wasn't a cloud in the sky so we took our breakfast of  cereal and banana outside.


I had decided to accompany Dad on the first of this season's walks for the Paphos Plodders.  It was taking place around Letymbou and they would be eating at the Letymbou tavern afterwards.  I spend quite a bit of time with Mum just the two of us but rarely just Dad and I so what better way than to go walking with him.  The Plodders have been in existence for years and mindful of the ages of those stalwart members they have sweeper cars to pick up those who have reached their limits for whatever reason.  Dad struggles with inclines so he was going to do what he could manage and then take a ride in the sweeper car.


I couldn't remember how long it might take me to get to Letymbou so I set off in plenty of time going through Polemi and followed the signs to Tsada.  It didn't take long at all and I got there and parked up.  Dad was already there.  I was surprised how many of the group I recognised and blow me there were two new members coming for their first walk and I knew the guy - Neil, he and his buddy Alan are Statler and Waldorf from the Brewery - ex servicemen who always have a good old chat with John when we have met them there.

It was roastingly hot - the walkers were laughing at the irony of waiting until October to resume walking because it would be cooler and today would have been hotter than many a day in September!  The walkers, and three dogs, assembled in Letymbou and went off to experience some pretty stunning scenery.

There was a lot of uphill and it was exceptionally hot so Dad walked what he could as planned and I carried on chatting to various members of the group.  I was impressed by the varying outfits and footwear that some of the ladies had chosen for a walk!  It was a good walk so I take my hat off to the various septuagenarians and octogenarians that completed it with or without the help of the sweepers.


Lunch at the Tavern was very good - the place was packed which is always a good sign and there was a good range of reasonably priced food.  I thoroughly enjoyed my Chicken Caesar Salad - it was up there with the best of them and Dad's mixed kebab looked good too.  Thanks Dad for paying for my lunch and my accompanying shandy that was kind.

On my way back home I stopped at the strange and eerie 'Concentration Camp' which is located next door to the Kamanterena Winery.  It's name conjures up dreadful images and having done some homework it would appear that it was built by the British to inter Cypriot activists and the location was chosen because it was so cold there in the winter.  Apparently EOKA members were held there in squalid conditions without trial and taken outside in their underwear and showered down with cold water when it was freezing outside.  I don't know the truth of this story and for many the struggles of the 1950s are still fresh in minds so I wouldn't want to ask but historically Britain as an occupying force hasn't always had the best track record.  The camp was restored by ZIMAE an organisation dedicated to preserving the memory of EOKA.

John had been to ENAD this afternoon with Sean and John Read - they were all in for a quick turn round on their return as the ENAD massive which now includes our neighbour Sean and wags were attending a soul funk beach party at La Plage and we were being joined by Lou and H and Claire and Mina plus John and Susan's visitors Christine and Colin.  It was going to be a late one so we were going to drive down and taxi back then collect the car tomorrow.

Pictures will follow!

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