Sunday

So I will start with some pictures from last night which was a do held at La Plage and in support of ENAD - we generally have a couple each year and try and support when we can.  Previously we have been entertained by a number of tribute acts - the best of which was the Bee Gees.  Tonight it was a 'Soul in the Sun' beach party and whilst we all had a good time the entertainment was lacking in my opinion.  Sorry Roberto but however lovely Swifty is in your opinion she knows how to murder a good song and the black Soul Singer had a weak voice and we thought he was more like a pub singer!!!  Anyway 80s Funk and Soul it was not but we made the best of it and our little band of 14 helped to swell the coffers of the Mighty ENAD who had snuck a win during the afternoon.  More importantly the Might Blades has snuck a draw in the 95th minute which John celebrated thanks to the Wi-Fi from La Plage - not such good news for Roberto and Charlton Athletic unfortunately.  Anyway apart from the not such good music the food was, as always exceptional for a buffet served outdoors to a couple of hundred people.  There was so much to chose from!!!  We decided to go for it and all have a drink and then get a taxi back home.  A taxi between the eight of us worked out at €10 a couple - Billy Bargain.  Only trouble is it is my turn to cook tomorrow and I just know I am going to regret having a couple of vodka-cokes when the alarm goes off!!!

I was right about the regret, I was woken early by a couple of text messages from Elena and had a tongue like the bottom of a budgies cage! There was nothing for it but to power on through and pull myself together.  Both John and I forgot that Kenny Kembara was parked down at Latchi until Mum and Dad text to say they were on their way and we opened up the gate to put some bags into the boot and there he was gone!  We had to race down to Latchi to pick him up - got stuck behind a convoy of tourists on quads and then broke the land speed record on our return.

It was bloomin' 'ot today - even here in Droushia where the temperature rose to over 30 degrees during the course of the day.  Uncle David and Aunty Joyce are going to swelter - they chose to come in October so that it is cooler and the first couple of days have been hotter than September.

Foolishly thinking it would be cooler myself I had opted for a dummy run for Christmas Day having purchased some Chicken Crowns from Jim Peck earlier in the week so we were having the works, stuffing, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, roast sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, leeks, cranberry and port gravy, but no Brussels Sprouts - with a baggy head and a kitchen that was only marginally cooler than the sahara I battled on and, if I do say so myself, produced a pretty decent meal.

My kitchen on the other hand was left looking like downtown Beirut with pots and pans everywhere!  Still later on whilst John was watching and agonising over the Ryder Cup I got everything back into some semblance of order.

I try and be orderly when I cook but it doesn't seem to work and I had been a good girl and got up and washed the conservatory and the kitchen floors so it would be nice and clean for when Mum and Dad arrived and now it looked like a shit-tip!!

We just about managed to sit outside and play dominoes - clearly this is my game as I stuffed the lot of them - John says it is because I am a 'Spawny Git'.  I say managed only because it was almost too hot even with the umbrella up - the wall means we get very little air flowing through.  It will be a good place for breakfast when we have visitors next week.

Whilst we were playing we got a strong smell of smoke and ash started to descend from the sky - I took a quick look from the roof terrace and could see that it was coming from over near where Linda lives.  It must have been nasty because within minutes we heard a fire engine racing to the scene.

After Mum and Dad had gone and I had cleared everything up I opted for an early night - John watched the golf for a while but it was obvious that the Europeans were going to be seriously outclassed by the USA and Rory McIlroy let the crowd get to him - once he lost the rest was pretty much history.