Day 103...

It is Saturday evening and we are bracing ourselves...

... it is the fifth annual cultural festival of Droushia which started on Thursday with a traditional Greek play in the village amphitheatre - then on our return from Latchi last night we could hear music coming from somewhere and tonight there is some big-wig hot-shot Cypriot singer belting it out in the local school and we dont live very far from the local school and they have been setting up now for the last hour or so and the drums are even making our sunbeds bounce so we just know that there is going to be very little sleep in our house tonight!!!

This weekend is a bank holiday here in Cyprus - this one (one of many I should add - well about 12 I think!!) is in celebration of The Feast of the Assumption, and is celebrated every year on August 15th.  Apparently it is "a very old feast of the Church, celebrated universally by the sixth century. It commemorates the death of Mary and her bodily assumption into Heaven, before her body could begin to decay - a foretaste of our own bodily resurrection at the end of time".

Just another excuse for a p**s up if you ask me!!!

Lordos 1 is a hive of activity for once as all the properties that are owned by Nicosia/Larnaca/Limassol Cypriots are occupied - we had thought it would be very noisy but apart from the musical entertainment coming from the school it has been very quiet.

The weather today would have given an English Bank Holiday a run for its money as it was cool and cloudy - in fact at one point a big black cloud hovered over and threatened a bit of rain.  Having had temperatures in the 40s earlier this week this is a welcome relief if you live here - not sure what holidaymakers think!

This morning we completed the refurbishment of the shutters so they have all been sanded down and stained so should last us a few more years yet.  Having completed this task we walked down into the village to check the post - we ARE loved - today we had a letter from the Bank but more importantly we had our second DVD collection of Only Fools and Horses sent to us by Greg for which we are very grateful and we are saving them for the long winter evenings.

We stopped off for a drink at Stathmos sitting under the vines watching the world go by - the village seems a hive of activity with an influx of people - and to spread the wealth also called into Christos Taverna and actually had the pleasure of Christos himself who we gather is a man of land with fruit, olive and walnut trees.

On our way home we called in to see Simon and Mel as we could see that they were in and Simon was chilling in the garden.  When they are working they rent a house behind Mum and Dad - at the weekends they escape up to Droushia for peace and quiet (not that Mum and Dad are noisy!!).  They have bought a really lovely traditional stone house with a little courtyard.  The house was previously owned by the person that has the Island Interiors shop in Polis and obviously had some serious money spent on it as it has a beautiful arch that separates the living area from the kitchen area, a nice log burner and a really lovely fitted kitchen which has a distressed look which is in keeping with the rest of the interior.  Two small bedrooms (one for the dogs!!) and a small bathroom complete the accommodation - didnt have my camera with me but will get some photos next time.  We were very impressed.  We could have sat in their garden all afternoon but are conscious that they work full time and so their weekends are precious. 

When we got back to Lordos 1 our immediate neighbours had arrived - we have never met them before but they introduced themselves as Gregory and Theodora from Nicosia and they seem very pleasant.  Once they had unpacked they popped round to have a quick look at our place and to have a drink with us but had to shoot off when the cleaner arrived. 

We are a little concerned because they said they were waiting for a call from Philippos for the four of us to go down to Latchi and meet up with him this evening.  John and I had an early tea so dont really fancy eating another meal but it might be good to escape the beating drums that are ramping it up as we speak and it doesnt start until 9.00pm!!!

It is full moon tonight by the looks of things - the regular evening breeze has calmed down and it is now pleasant outside.  John is engrossed in Total Wipeout!!!  Sheffield United have clocked up their second win of the season and Yeovil Town managed to win today too!!  Sorry Trev but dirty dirty Leeds failed again today.

Will close now - if we have to go out later I will report back tomorrow.