Discovering Paphos...

Look at me blogging in Ikea and publishing!

We were going down to Paphos today to try and get the car sorted having done the walk we had scheduled for today yesterday and have decided to abandon the idea of getting to the Troodos as we have things planned for the rest of the week.

We had just settled down for breakfast when the electricity went off unexpectedly.  I phoned the electricity board for some time-scales but they had no idea when it would be restored so it meant that Vicki and I had to abandon our plans for a shower and a hair wash because even if we could have washed our hair using a jug we couldn't use a hair-dryer.  So we were both resigned to a bad hair day and promises of NO photographs on the blog today!

We stopped off at Timark to ask their opinion on the car - we were told that is was likely to be the key and that we should try the replacement one - REALLY - I mean REALLY - how the hell would that drain the battery???  John decided to drop Vix and I off at Mum and Dads for a cuppa so he could shoot up the road to the place where we had taken the car previously - where they diagnosed a dodgy battery - so we now have a new one and hopefully no more issues with the car.

Vicki was keen to explore the shops in Paphos to see what was available and the prices of goods over here so that is what we did today concentrating on furniture and DIY shops.  Sun Tower is a right old Aladdin's cave with all sorts of furniture and furnishings and some very reasonable prices - particularly at the moment as they have a sale on.  We managed to pick up some really nice candles for 50 cents a piece!

It is carnival time here in Paphos and there are some very random decorations on the roundabouts - some of which are pretty scary - I mean to say what the hell is that thing sat in the chair?  Some poor kid is going to have nightmares for weeks having looked at that.  We passed these on the way to Super Home Centre and Debenhams.  I haven't been to Debenhams since we arrived here in May so it was quite a treat and there were several rails of tail-end sail items for us to sift through.  It is my birthday in a couple of weeks so John was looking for something to give me and we found a nice light-weight denim jacket.

John's tapeworm started to call so we headed for the old town and parked up so that we could get some Cyprus Delight in Spyrou's and then wander down to Scorpio's for lunch and some flannel (the guys in Scorpio's are fantastic at flannel and you need it on a bad hair day).  

In the road outside Spyrou's is an old traditional metal workshop.  No health and safety here as the man grinds something down stood in the middle of the high street with sparks flying everywhere.  I love to see this although it is a bit of a dying spectacle - this used to be so common a couple of year's ago but now these worshops are becoming few and far between.

So this is what down town Paphos looks like on a sunny day in February - how pleasant is that?  Vix is hiding behind the menu (bad hair day remember) and then shortly afterwards moved across to my side as the sun was in her eyes, honestly there is no pleasing some people is there????  We order the sun and then it is too much - only joking!!!.  Anyway we all plumped for a traditional all-day breakfast which comprised a pork kebab, sheftalia, haloumi, salad, chips and pitta bread with some pickled celery and freshly picked green chilli for good measure - an eclectic mix but bloody lovely and we all really enjoyed it.  Same old same old flannel from the guys but we left feeling a million dollars when we knew that we actually looked more like the wreck of the Hesperus.

We arrived home to find a stranger cat lurking about - Irene has seen him before - he looks pretty well fed but is spraying all over the place so needs neutering.  The little kitten she had spayed and which is in the cage at Sharon's shows no sign of getting more friendly which is a shame as it is impossible to home them when they are like that.  A decision has to be made about her future - we think she might be best let loose to fend for herself up here as there will be a regular supply of food from Irene and there is shelter and little traffic.  Difficult decision to make but she stands a better chance of survival up here than back where she came from which is down by the cement works.  Irene really has her work cut out in her mission to rid the area of un-neutered and poorly ferals.