Saturday 24 March 2018

Helping friends

A bright and sunny start to the day but the wind is still keen and up in Droushia that means it can still feel quite cool.  Our routine has not been re-established and we are off down to Paphos again today but for a nice reason because we are meeting up with Wendy and Bill and having a bit of lunch and then John is taking them to the airport.

As you know Di and Rob gave me an unusual present for my birthday which is a wooden plant hanger and having varnished it and got some pots and some million bells plants (which got a bit battered in the car unfortunately) we potted it up and tested it out before deciding on its new home which was eventually decided upon.  It is to hang from the gazebo in Wendy and Bill corner and will be reflected in the mirrors making it look doubly attractive.  Before we put it up John used it as a pattern and has roughed out a couple more from some wood we had for craft and not destined to be burnt!


It was a much warmer day down on the coast and as we arrived down at Tea for Two a little early we took a walk along the coast and then around the surrounding area.  There is so much building going on by way of new hotels and apartments and hotels having extra floors added and facelifts.  Clearly the island is expecting a good year for tourists and apparently there are now many more Germans and Israelis visiting.  There were plenty of early holidaymakers around enjoying the pleasant spring sunshine.

Although there is a lot of activity lots of areas around the hotels are looking very sad and neglected and one thing we did not expect to see down a side street was a statue of Elvis!

Scratch the surface and you will see that taverna upon taverna, car hire shops, kiosks etc have all closed and the buildings become run down and unattractive.  Some of this can be blamed upon the crisis seven years ago, and some of it can be blamed upon the all-inclusive holiday culture where holidaymakers spend nothing outside of their budget but some of it is because the area was saturated with too many enterprises offering the same thing and with insufficient clients to support them all.

Things are improving but with so much uncertainty like exchange rates, Brexit and World instability that it will take a long time for it to recover.

Ok so enough of my economics lecture and back to the day.  We were eating at Tea for Two and hoped to see Jackie and/or Costas but they only returned from their holiday yesterday so were not around.  I know they will have been devastated to have been away when Dad died and our first meeting will be emotional so it will be good to get that out of the way.


Wendy's mum and dad have a time share in the Panaretti resort next door and it is their diamond wedding anniversary later this year so Wendy and Bill would love to get them back out even though neither of them enjoy great health.  They would love the Tea for Two which was not open there when they last stayed.  We took a picture of the resort, Wendy and Bill and the lovely sunshine in the hopes that it will encourage them to make the trip.

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