It is Sunday and we are having a change from the norm as it would be my turn to go to Mum's but I have a late airport run to pick up John's relations and take them to Universal where they are staying for a week so I didn't really want to go down to Paphos twice in one day.  Mum was coming up and I had booked to go to Steni for lunch (not realising the Farmers' Market would be on).

It is exceptionally hot today - even here in Droushia where the weather station tells me that we are experiencing above average temperatures and this is with the sensor situated in the shade.  Not a morning to be ironing but I wanted to get it out of the way before Mum arrived.

Last night we had our annual beetle invasion when thousands the size of a pinhead decide to commit hari-kari in the swimming pool which I have been so careful to keep clean - I couldn't go out and skim whilst they were still flying as they got in my hair and my ears and down my neck.  I have no idea where they come from and they seem to be contained in our garden as my neighbours didn't have the same problem.  I am not sure if it is the olive tree that houses them - whatever it is, it is a bloody nuisance.  I left a float in the pool as a liferaft and many of them clambered aboard and then flew off thankfully so by this morning there were less to contend with.

Mum arrived safe and sound, looking lovely as always and I decided we would drive the Steni via the scenic route going through Kritou Tera and out the back, past the lovely church in the middle of nowhere and onto the other road which leads to Polis and then up the hill to Steni.

It was a glorious drive and the island is looking beautiful but with this very hot weather that will only last a little while longer and then everywhere will be brown and dusty.

We have not been to Steni Watermill Cafe for a while and so hadn't realised that you can no longer drive along the back of the Cafe to the large carpark.  This has made it much more pleasant to sit outside the back of the Cafe as you do not have cars trundling past you.

I was so glad I had booked because, it being a market day, the Cafe was packed (not that it isn't normally).  We had our little table for two inside which is good for Mum as she feels the cold.  We decided upon a half portion of their famous spare ribs each together with a drink.  A half portion turned out to be a pretty full sized plate of food for Mum and I and they were lovely.  We had added a portion of coleslaw which turned out to be unnecessary as it happens and not as good as I make according to Mum - I had the bonus of her onion rings!  Our lunch came to the princely sum of €16.50 total!!!!  Apart from the fact that we had the misfortune to sit next to two of the moaniest Ex-Pats you could meet we had a nice lunch but can someone explain to me how living here without registering makes you any less of an illegal immigrant?  This is a hobby horse of mine - I hate the fact that Brits abroad seem to think that local rules and regulations don't apply to them and then they moan about the foreigners living in the UK taking jobs and using the NHS - anyway it transpired that these people were going 'back home' after nearly 30 years on the island - I think it is telling when people refer to the UK as home even though they have left it - to me it means they have never really embraced the island and that is a real shame and gives us a bad name (rant over).

We had a quick wander around the market before it closed.  I bought John some fresh pecans because I know he loves them although unfortunately these were not shelled like the last ones I got.  We then decided to make our way back to Villa 10B for an afternoon cuppa sat outside in the shade of the gazebo putting the world to rights and just enjoying a quiet and warm afternoon together.  Mum left around 4ish - a good time to get home safely.

I had time to kill before I needed to set off for the airport so sat in the conservatory to do my blog but my concentration was interrupted by what sounded like a cat in distress.  Our four were all in lounging around so I didn't need to worry it was one of them but I don't like to think of an animal being injured so went out to investigate - it was only as I was leaving the estate that I realised it was the sound of Savvas's peacock screeching periodically.

The sun went down like a ball of flames - it heralds another nice day tomorrow which is good for the visitors even though reports seem to indicate that the UK will be having something of a heatwave next week.

My trip down to the airport was uneventful and in arrivals I had the pleasure of the company of Andreas Senior from C&A apartments who was waiting for the Gatwick flight and was then to take three people to Limassol.  I was waiting for the Manchester flight which came in a bit early and Gail, Faye and Leo were not too long getting through.  I got them to their accommodation in Universal and set off back home.

Unfortunately as I was approaching Arodes the two cars in front of me veered sharply across the road to avoid something but I couldn't see it and so veered too late.  Before impact I thought it was a hedgehog but the enormous bang that ensued told me it was not and I feared for the car.  I stopped to see what it was and it was a huge piece of metal like a knuckle that fixes two pieces of scaffolding that had obviously fallen off of a wagon.  I was going to retrieve it from the road but another car was coming so couldn't.

As I set off the car seemed ok and then there was a dreadful noise and the steering was going wonky.  It was all very scary and that stretch of the road has no lighting.  I only had the light from my phone and couldn't really see what had happened - there had been no emergency lights come on the car so I thought I was a puncture and I was right.  Although I didn't want to continue it was not a safe place for me to stop and there was nowhere to put the car to safety to I limped on to the edge of Droushia - normally these things don't bother me but just at the moment this was about the last straw.  I managed to pull up outside Kelly's just as her son was returning home and he got me to get the car safely off of the road and then suggested I ring the guy from the village who supplies our tyres in the morning.  The only trouble is I know that Savvas doesn't speak great English - it is a darn sight better than my Greek but I knew I wouldn't have the strength to phone him and decided to go to his house first thing in the morning.  I knew Rob would be up even though it was late so rang him to give me a lift up the hill - I could have walked it but it was pitch black and I was feeling a bit shaken by the whole experience and I was convinced that there may be further damage to the underside of the car.  Di and Rob came for me and Rob had a quick look round but couldn't see anything.  The tyre was completely shredded and I suspect that the wheel (an alloy unfortunately) was probably no longer round and would need replacing.  I was gutted - actually beyond gutted.