Tuesday -sorry for the late post

October has started out as an absolutely cracking month - a last bast of real summer before the clocks change and our days are short and winter sets in.  It is a joy to get up and see the sunshine and feel the heat on our bones - all too soon we will be moaning about the damp and the rolling mists and water that finds its way into the house even though we think we have resolved all those issues!!  It seems strange now without George and Pam here but Lakis and Argy are doing up their house so there are still people about plus Angela has rented out the house next door to her and the chimney man seems to have rented his too.  Strange to have people here permanently when for many years it was only Trish and Ollie and then John and I.

We have family who arrived yesterday, my dad's sister Aunty Joyce (Marina) and Uncle David - how fabulous that in their 80s they are still keen to travel and keep in touch - sadly, recently Aunty Joyce and Dad have lost a sister and brother, a sister-in-law and two brothers in law so their once seemingly robust family is now diminished.  My uncle's funeral was last week, let's hope that is the last for a long while.

Tomorrow Aunty Joyce will be accompanying Mum and I to the Ladies Lunch in the village and John will take Dad and Uncle David somewhere for lunch - sadly not Fitos as planned but we have called in and seen Fitos and Joanna and have found out that the reason they are closed is because of a kitchen fire and thankfully no-one was hurt but it will take a week or so to clear up from the mess that the firemen left behind!  Funnily enough the last time we were in there with George and Pam it got very smokey and I jokingly said I thought they may have been burning some pork chops!!  Still good news that no-one got hurt.



Anyway with that in mind and as we are having my aunt and uncle stay for their middle weekend this morning I was on a mega clean up so that the guest bedroom was nice and clean and tidy for them.  I will go around again on Thursday but I did at least make a start and I think the guest room looks quite nice and inviting - at least I hope so.

I am not sure we have made many changes to the house since they were here last year except for the pool which was there but had not been refurbished.  I am pleased that there is still some colour in the garden for them to enjoy.  I know they don't like to be too hot so we are making sure that there is plenty of shade for them as they like to relax and read - how easy is that?  All I have to do is make sure they get fed, make sure Uncle David has his whisky at 6.00pm and that's it - simples!!!

After cleaning we shot down to Polis to pay in my very welcome tax rebate and then draw it back out again so that we have money to live on this month!!!  We called in for a chino from the bakery as it was soooo hot and then went home to do a few bits and pieces before going down to Paphos to meet up with the family.  I am currently working on a project which is going to be a present for someone (can't say too much) - my artistic skills are being stretched as I was having to do some sort of macrame for part of it!!

So as I said it is exceptionally warm for this time of year and as we packed up to head off down to Paphos our temperature outside was showing 28+ degrees and rising.  Down in Paphos it was about 34 degrees and at one point when we got back into the car it was showing 40!!!  Poor Aunty Joyce and Uncle David will be wilting at this rate.  Rain is forecast for later this week although we don't know where.

Whilst John played badminton I took the over-80s Club to one of our favourite spots - Tala Monastery.  Mindful that this is Lou and H's favourite place for a drink and a piece of carrot cake I plumped for a mega slice of Red Velvet so that they wouldn't feel they had missed out.   It is always very pleasant sitting there in the shade of the trees but not quite so when a bird has left a message on the seat as Dad found out to his cost.  Never mind we got him cleaned up and sat down and enjoyed an hour or so drinking tea, eating cake and watching the world go by.

Before we got home to an evening in, a salad with the lovely thai fish cakes from the fish guy on the Coral Bay Road and some TV we called in to see Fitos as I said and then did a detour down to Kritou Terra to see if the taverna there was still functioning as it was an option for the men for lunch.

Liselotte had eaten there with her walking group but if it is the place at the bottom of the hill it doesn't look like it has been open since.  Never mind the boys will find somewhere down in Latchi to get something to eat and drink whilst the ladies have chicken souvla and chips at Finikas in the village.

It was a very warm evening - we had to have the fan on again in the bedroom which is almost unheard of this time of the year!  Looking back at the weather last year it looks as though October was quite a wet one.