Day 39...

We both had the most dreadful night's sleep last night - a combination of the heat, different noises (like our water pump that seems to go off at random during the night) and aching limbs! 

John got up early and left me to have a lie-in, not all chivalry though, I think he was seeking the cool of the lounge and a snooze under the spitfire fan!

We had decided to have a quiet day today anyway - all the DIY that John has been doing has left him with something like tennis elbow which is never going to get any better unless he gives it some rest. 

Pulling back the screens on the Gazebo this morning John came across Jiminy (cricket) sunbathing - he was huge and had the most vivid bright green underbelly although I am not sure I managed to capture this very well. 

The wildlife is amazing - I really must get my book out so that I can check out all the various things that we see - not least to know if things are good or bad.

There is something very comforting about normal things like doing the washing and being able to get it out on the line and worry about not leaving it out too long so it gets too dry rather than worrying whether or not it is going to rain - I have now got to grips with the new machine and did two more loads this morning.

With the washing done and dusted we decided to take a trip into Polis - we had some shopping to do and we were trying to find a garden centre that would sell us Round-Up (this isn't as easy as you would imagine!). 

As it was around lunchtime we decided that we would have lunch in one of our favourite Taverna's called Mosfilos.

The owner is a HUGE man - what is it they say about never trusting a skinny chef?  I love the place - it is an old colonial building with dodgy electrics that sits right on a major road junction - not the most scenic place to take a meal but the food is good an honest and not overly priced.  In the summer there is a menu but when we went in during the winter I was ushered into the kitchen to choose what I wanted from the various pots and dishes bubbling away! 

Whilst waiting for our food to arrive we were amazed to see the car on the right come to a halt right on the junction stopping cars coming from Prodromi turning left.  The red number plate normally indicates that this is a tourist hire car and sure enough they had stopped and were consulting their map oblivious of the fact that they were about to cause a massive traffic jam!  Bloody tourists!!!

John had consulted one of the local business directories and had found the details of a garden centre out on the road from Polis to Pomos and as this is the coastal route and quite scenic we decided we would see if we could find it.  We actually passed several but undeterred John was determined to find it.  Our mystery tour took us up into the hills where it is still green and unspoiled - however it was also the wrong direction!!

We eventually found the right road and in the middle of no-where came across this huge garden centre with a very helpful man who was very knowledgable and advised John that the sort of weed killer he required (to get rid of a massive bramble over the fence) would be best got from the farming co-operative in Polis. 

Whilst there I purchased a couple of large bright red geraniums to put in the small blue pots I brought from England and two very pretty salmon pink osteospurmum's to go in the hanging trough. 

We made our way back to Polis and to the industrial estate where the farming co-operative is located.  John says it is a right old treasure trove and yes they did have a weed killer suitable for an errant bramble.  John will go back tomorrow to get some now we know they have it and how much it is.

The cross country route back to Droushia takes us through a lot of farming land.  You can see that a few days of solid sunshine has baked the land dry and the farmers have been out and about harvesting.  Unusually the bales in this field weren't circular.

We called in to check our post on the way home and had a beautiful hand-made card from Vicki waiting for us.  My photograph doesnt do it justice but the colours and tones fit in so well with our lounge. 

Vicki has sent some photographs of the field and a slimmed down Trev - it is all looking beautiful up there - I am not in a position to compete with Trev's veg plot yet but I do have a cucumber that must be, ooo, at least three inches long!!

On our return home John collared the man next door on the JCB to come and remove the errant bramble - well  he did half of it before he went home.  John will still get the weed killer to try and kill it off completely as it is a real menace.   

We are not sure what is happening in the field.  We did know that a dowry house was due to be built there at some point so it may be that it has been cleared in readiness - time will tell.