Old Haunts

We have been battening down the hatches at night - the house can seem pretty chilly if it has been a warm day so we are fully throw'd up and the cats are appreciating it.  If I were to be making my own Christmas Cards this year then Chivers would take a starring role as I found him wrapped up like Father Christmas this morning in red and white.  He doesn't care - he just likes to be warm.

Mr Boo seeks solace in my jumper drawer - he is now in full winter weight mode so if I don't realise he is in there I soon know because the drawer is too heavy to move!

We had a leisurely start to the day before Diana came to pick me up to take me to Marianna's in the village.  Marianna was holding a coffee morning for the ex-pat ladies in the village.  In previously years she has done this prior to the elections and it was probably construed as a charm offensive - this year she is doing it out of the kindness of her heart and as it was her father-in-law's and her son's name day it was good of her to do so.

When we arrived I jokingly asked her why she had not joined us on the village clean yesterday which she had threatened to do - when you saw her dining table groaning with food you could see why.

Marianna's home used to house her husband's garage underneath but he has moved to the industrial estate just down below where Susan and John live.  It is a strange looking building as most of the ground floor still houses the remains of the garage but upstairs is a very different kettle of fish.

Upstairs can be accessed via a spiral staircase or a lift!  Marianna had decorated everywhere in readiness for Christmas complete with a massive tree which she told me took her two hours to complete.  I suggested she should wrap the whole thing in clingfilm when she put it away and it would save her a lot of time next year!  The way that the Cypriots now embrace Christmas is amazing but they are very family orientated and pro-children so I guess this has driven the change.

It was a shame I could not do justice to the food on offer as we were going out for lunch with Mum and Dad but Marianna waved me off with a huge portion of the Katimera we had sampled yesterday - John would be thrilled and she has promised to give me the recipe for the orange cake which was delicious - it was the same as the one which Joanna sometimes offers in Fitos and it a sort of orange, filo pastry, custard, syrup confection.

We were meeting Mum and Dad at the turning from Tala to Choili to make our way to the Vathoukia taverna which is right out in the sticks and which John and I haven't visited for about 20 years but which Karen and Dip went to recently and enjoyed and Dad ate there last weeked after his Saturday walk.  It was Mum's turn to cook so she wasn't at all upset to be going out!  We went in convoy as John and I would be going cross country back home via Akoursos.

So here are Mum and Dad at the restaurant.  We arrived early and settled ourselves in a nice sunny corner right next to a patio heater - I had worried that the large eating area might have been cold but we were toasty warm.  The staff were attentive and dealt with the current issue of sleepy and annoying flies bothering us by squirting serviettes with fly spray (nice smelling too) and popping in a glass and placing nearby which seemed to work well.

We had a bit of a laugh at the Boxing Day menu as the first item after the soup left you gasping for breath!  It is a carvery on a Sunday - we started with vegetable soup with croutons which was then followed by the most impressive of salad bars imaginable - everything from coronation chicken to pickled kohlrabi (which I love).  The roasted meats were Beef, Lamb and Pork and there was chicken souvla and some sort of cottage pie type thing and vegetarian options with roast potatoes, carrots and cauli and all the trimmings.  The Yorkshire puddings needed some work - they were dense and more like a muffin - you have to go a long way to beat those which are served at the Farmyard in Kathikas!  There was an array of sweets, cheese and biscuits, coffee and a liquer to end the meal all for €15 a head - Dad was impressed that the half carafe of wine was only €4.50 and it was very drinkable.  Ok so it isn't like having a roast dinner at home but for the money if you couldn't find enough to eat and enjoy you must be extremely picky.  I would go again and John and I even thought it might be good to incorporate into a Droushian Discovery Day.

We were going cross country home - just outside the restaurant we passed a local donkey and John wound down the window so I could take a snap - it looks like we have stopped for directions and it is telling us the way!!!  Basically we drove along the front of the Adonis Waterfalls and then joined the main road up through Akoursos to Kathikas and then home.

We did think we should really have done that route in Kenny rather than The Pug as it was a bit rough in places - we kept thinking of Janice who wanted to go to the falls but got halfway down this road and then decided it was all too much and insisted on turning back - maybe next year when she is here we can persuade her to come with us!

It was a lovely lunchtime - Mum and Dad were on good form and it was nice to go out together although we did miss our regular game of cards!