Day 59 with Day 58 Catchup...

As you know generally on a Tuesday I go down to Paphos to play pickleball with Mum.  Today John and I got up early so that we could get down to the Tax office to organise to pay our tax here in Cyprus.  There are much more generous tax allowances here (at the moment) so it is in our interests to go through the pain of the paperwork, forms, photocopying and €80 payment (each) to ensure that our liability is nil!

We needed to pick Dad up to take us to the Tax Office as we are still struggling to find our way round Paphos and to understand the workings of the government departments.  We drove down to Emba via Peyia so that I could call into the Kissos garden centre (once again) and spend the voucher which Shirley had kindly given us as a moving in present.  I had thought about getting a blue agapanthus for outside the kitchen door as they seem to grow well here.  However, when we got to the garden centre John decided he wasn’t keen so we looked around for something else.  Well you know that John and I struggle to agree at the best of times so our quick trip to the garden centre was destined to take a little longer!!!

Eventually however, we decided upon a Dipladenia with the money that Shirley gave us – we both were taken by the vibrant flowers and the fact that it will spread through clinging tendrils and it doesn’t lose its leaves in the winter.  We also purchased some very small leaved basil which smells heavenly and a very healthy looking peppermint.  Finally we both agreed on a very stunning orange plant that we had seen on our way into the centre.  We found out that it is called a Crossandra and should develop into a small shrub with glossy leaves and a long flowering period – its more common name is the Flaming Dragon Tree and you can see why!  The lady in charge ‘Mama’ speaks very little English so we had a lot of smiling and hand shaking and when we eventually paid she added a very pretty dark pink dianthus to the mix and indicated that it was a gift from her.

We dropped off the plants in exchange for Dad and trundled off to the Tax office.  First stop was to the counter to pay for the €80 stamps – the girls seemed to think that we only needed one so that was all we purchased.  We then went up the lift in search of the woman we had met originally a few weeks ago only to get out on the wrong floor and cause confusion with the woman that we did speak to – particularly as we have to refer to ourselves as ‘aliens’!!  We eventually found the woman that we wanted and found out that we needed the second stamp after all so John went off to get it coming back sometime later after having several trips up and down in the lift and even visited the basement!!  Despite not quite having the right paperwork Mrs-Woman was satisfied with the forms, stamped them, declared we owed no tax and wouldn’t owe any tax and said that once the forms came back from the UK we should get a rebate for the period from 1^st May when we arrived – couldn’t have been easier!!!

We had a visit to Homebase, the butcher for a replacement 10 litres of wine and then Timark to ask about the missing items for the car – they obviously realised we were never going away so made some phone calls there and then and assured us that the tonneau cover and headrest would be with them ‘tomorrow’.

We picked up Mum and then went across to the place where they manufacture the concrete rings that I wanted for the garden as our local DIY place no longer has them.  It must have been about a million degrees down where the concrete stuff is stored and there was a little Sri-Lankan guy working his socks off there – eventually we managed to negotiate the price on six half circles and six straight pieces that we are going to use to edge the pool to try and stop bits getting into it as John is now quite precious about it!!

Mum and I went off to Pickleball – it was good because we had a ‘newbie’ come along today to see if she likes the game and us!!  Her name was Jackie.  We obviously didn’t put her off too much as she says she will probably come back again next week.  Having a couple of extra people makes it much more enjoyable especially in the heat because you get a chance to sit out every now and again.

We were going out to eat and had decided on Costa’s Taverna in Koloni.  It is where John and I tried to persuade Jackie and Costas to go last week but Costas wasn’t keen.  The main road by the Taverna is closed but we were pleased that there was still access to the Taverna itself.  It is a very traditional place which is renowned for its Meze but last night we decided to order from the menu as we weren’t sure we could cope with a lot of food (wise choice as it turned out!!).  We went for village salad and dips to start and then John and Dad had a mixed grill, Mum Stifado (not her customary chicken) and stuffed sweet peppers for me.  The food was delicious and plentiful.  The staff were friendly and attentive without going over the top.  We were given jelly and fresh fruit and brandies at the end on the house.  We had watched the family sitting next to us try and plough their way through the Meze and knew that we needed to have prepared ourselves for that amount of food.  A definite tick in the box for that place – we will have to try it again.

My run round the pickleball court and share of two bottles of wine, a gin and tonic and free brandy combined with a poor night’s sleep the night before meant that I struggled through our best of three and fell into bed completely shattered.

Up refreshed this morning we came back home via Timark where we collected the tonneau which fitted and the headrest which didn’t – John may have to do a modification whilst looking out for a scrappie in the hopes we can find the right one!

A quiet day was planned so all we did was put in the plants that we had purchased to make sure that they survive.  I need help with the rose that I potted up.  The leaves have gone yellow – I don’t know if that is too much water, not enough water or sporadic watering or what????  Everything else is doing well – I shall soon be harvesting my first peppers!

Settling down to watch Murray at Wimbledon - do you think if he wasn't a wealthy sportsman he would have such a pretty girlfriend?? 

Speak to you all tomorrow.