Day 72...

After my mega-blog of yesterday today's will be fairly short.  Today has been a day fraught with power-cuts as I guess the Cyprus Electricity Board are trying to repair the damage caused by the explosion the day before yesterday.  We have had three today - the first two lasted for about two hours each and the third for about an hour.  Only trouble is that it goes without any warning!!

Those of you gripped by the saga of will I sleep or will I not? will there be wildlife in the bedroom? will John try and pull the furniture down again? will be pleased to know that last night I had the best sleep since we arrived here - probably exhaustion but whatever the reason we both woke up feeling great.

First of all we checked out if the pool cover was doing its job and it is obviously having an effect because the pool was 78 degrees this morning - positively balmy for Droushia!!

We got quite excited this morning when we heard a large vehicle reversing up the estate - we thought it might be the Electricity Board coming to give us our own supply so shot out to take a look at what was occuring - keeping our fingers crossed that today was the day!

Unfortunately it was not the Electricity Board, it was the local fire engine being driven up for a wash - apparently there must be some sort of stand-pipe round the corner and I am guessing that this probably happens on a regular basis but we just hadn't seen it before.  We were almost tempted to drive our car up behind to see if they would give ours a rinse!!

It was difficult to really get on with anything today - sometimes there was power sometimes there wasn't!! We did a bit of tidying around the garden as all the shrubs and the bay tree have put on about a foot of growth and we have visitors coming at the weekend so we want it to look nice.

Peace was shattered this afternoon when there were obviously logs up for grabs in the field nextdoor and some of the locals came up to cut down two of the older trees - Bambos from Stathmos was there with his son and filled his pickup quite quickly - the other guy seemed to lose interest in his tree so was there quite a bit longer. 

I was keen to go back down to Polis to the street market as we had found a really nice stall selling plants last night but being on the bike I wasnt able to buy anything. 

John wasnt so keen but the noise of the chainsaws must have got the better of him so he agreed to go down with me after tea - I think he was hoping it might have finished!!  Anyway we set off - when we go in the car we always take the phrase book with us and try and learn a few new phrases en route - and I knew I might need some as the man on the plant stall didn't speak very much English and I wanted to make sure I got what I expected for the right price!!

We managed to get to Polis about 20 minutes before the market ended.  John dropped me off at the plant stall and I managed to make myself suitably understood to purchase a Gardenia.  I had seen them last night and was so taken by how healthy the plants looked and what a wonderful smell the Gardenia's have.  I know that John prefers that we get plants that dont lose their leaves because they dont make so much of a mess so a Gardenia should fit the bill.

I also came away with the plant on the right - not exactly sure what it is - it has a lovely glossy leaf and the man had them with a single flower, half double and double and the scent is beautiful and not unlike a Jasmine.  He kept telling me that they smell in the evening and sure enough coming back in the car it was filled with the most beautiful aroma. 

I have been asked to make up the numbers for pickle-ball tomorrow so I will be going down to Paphos in the afternoon - I hope that it wont be too hot.  Will call in on Mum and Dad before coming back home.  At least now John has the bike if he wants to go somewhere whilst I am out.