Ladies wot Lunch...

When I was working, and Brenda and I used to do our regular visits around the various offices, I aspired to being a lady wot lunched, in fact both Brenda and I aspired to that.  Brenda retired a couple of years before I did and we used to have some lovely lunches together up in her conservatory overlooking her beautiful garden.  Now I am retired and my neighbour Marian has started up a Droushia ladies group I now get the opportunity to be a lady wot lunches!

Today was the second of our Droushia ladies' lunches.  This one was being held in Kathikas (just up the road) at Yianni's which is a lovely venue.  It was a much brighter day today when we got up so we left the sun to help out with heating the water whilst I had my normal "what on earth shall I wear?" dilemma - it is hard to judge whether or not tavernas are going to be warm inside at this time of year so layers are the order of the day.  I haven't worn a pair of shoes since I left the UK (except the day of Elena's wedding) so my feet struggle a bit in anything other than boots.  I don't want to look frumpy or like mutton dressed as lamb, smart but casual!

After agonising and pulling all sorts out of drawers and cupboards I plumped for trousers and boots, one of my favourite tops and a long cardi that I could take off if it got too warm.  I asked John to take a photograph because people moan that I am never in them and am laughing because I had spent ages with a clothes brush getting cat hairs off of my clothes only for Chivers to sit on my lap the minute I sat down.  Then no amount of encouragement would persuade him to get out of the photograph plus he kept trying to show us his best view (his backside - the SCREAM!).

John was going to spend the time that I was away doing some DIY jobs.  I had left some pork ribs marinading in the fridge for him to have for lunch with some salad as I would be having a meze which was going to include Village Salad, Dips, Courgettes & Egg, Garlic Mushrooms, Beans, Haloumi, Kolokokeftedes (vegetable balls) couscous & yoghurt, Dolmades (stuffed vine leaves, Sheftalia, Souvlakia, Jacket Potatoes, Apple Cake plus 1/2 litre of house wine per person!!!

I left him trying to sort out some lighting for the new conservatory - we are also going to have to try and sort out getting some electric into there as well if we are going to make it into a really usable space.  

We really hope that the glass is ready next week so that we can get it all sorted before Laura comes at the end of the month - it will be a brilliant space for us to relax in if the weather isn't too kind although we hope that by the end of this month we will see some real improvement - particularly in the evenings as we dont want to have to burn logs for a whole lot longer.

As I walked down to Marian's I could see that the car hadn't escaped completely unscathed from its off roading on Monday!  We are going to have to take it to the car wash and treat it to a good clean.  We are amazed that, given the conditions, the car didn't come off any worse than that.  I think Mum has recovered from her introduction to car rallying!  On that subject both she and Dad were off to the specialist today to have their eyes checked out.  It transpires that both of them have been having difficulties and apparently according to the specialist Dad has a cataract that needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later.  This has made us quite conscious of the drive that they do, quite happily, up to visit us in all conditions.  They are currently checking out the cost of him having it done privately and will also investigate what the procedure and time-scale might be if he could have it done at the general hospital.  Dad will be thrilled as he absolutely hates hospitals.

The vineyard next door to Marian and Chris's house has been tidied and all the vines prepared in readiness for the season to come.  They are all pruned and having been hidden by weeds for ages you can now see them standing tall in regimental rows. This is all done by hand and mainly by the older generation Cypriot folk - the old ladies dressed from head to toe in black with their headscarves and stout leather boots.  Vines up here have suffered over the last couple of years with a disease which is why there seem to be less and less being cultivated.

I met up with Marian at her house which is at the end of our road and we were picked up by Sheila for our lunch at Yiannis.  He has been closed for a little while as it was winter but re-opened again last week. There were going to be fourteen of us assembled today and it is good that two of the local Droushia ladies, Kelly and Marianna were coming along as they keep us abreast of what is going on in the village.  Apparently there will be some celebrations going on at Easter around the amphitheatre and the school is holding keep fit classes sponsored by the government on Wednesday and Friday afternoons.  I don't know if it was the half litre of wine with the meal that helped encourage a number of us to decide to give it a go next week!

Yianni had had the presence of mind to lay our tables out in a square which makes it so much easier to see and speak to everyone and had also lit the open fire and dotted a number of kerosene and gas heaters around so it was really warm and toasty in there.

We weren't disappointed by the meal, quality or quantity, and Marian had even asked for a vegetarian bias for those who might be fasting for Lent.  There was so much to choose from that you wouldn't have missed not having meat and it included my favourite of courgette and eggs so I was happy.  It looks like the orchid walk is on (Saturday 17th) so that will be the next time the Droushia Ladies (and partners, friends, families and dogs) will meet.  The next lunch is when Laura is with us so as she is only here for a week I will give it a miss.

Small world?  Marian's husband Chris (Steele) used to work in Street for Clark's as did my Mum and several other members of my family and John Page who is over here on holiday with wife Jane - I wonder if any of them know one another?