Good Friday here in Cyprus...

The arrival of Bill and Wendy yesterday signaled a period when friends and family will be visiting and which will take us up to about October!  We are very excited about seeing them all and it will be that little bit easier as they are staying elsewhere so we haven't got to keep things too tidy here! As a result we have decided, reluctantly, to cut our visits to Emba on a Thursday for the quiz so that we go just once a month.  We have plumped for the first Thursday of each month unless there is something else happening that we just cannot rearrange, and the last time we went we didn't get home until nearly midnight as more and more teams are attending which is great from the fund raising point of view but not so great for those of us who have a half hour drive home.  There are also things happening around here that tend to fall on a Thursday so we will be able to join in without fear of 'letting the team down'.

Our first job of the day was to deal with our tax returns.  We have opted to be taxed in Cyprus because, at the moment, it is more advantageous for us to do so.  The initial application was a relatively smooth affair and now we have been issued with forms to check on our actual income for the year.  This is a pretty straightforward exercise as the form is just four sides of A4 unlike the tome I used to have to fill in for the Inland Revenue back in the UK.  We have also put in an application to be able to submit the return via the internet in future which buys us more time to get the form back.

Our Good Friday peace was shattered this morning when men arrived to re-erect the hoardings for the Med-Life Centre.  I am a little concerned that the man with the little white van has been given the heave-ho as today we had a guy in a low slung zooped up car playing Greek pop music at a million decibels and a twin cab with a couple of guys inside.  It took a while but they have tidied things up and also put up some fencing where the hoardings have given up the ghost - I have a sneaky feeling though that the next time it is windy they will have to come back.

My job for the remainder of the morning was to do some gardening.  We had a number of plants that needed taking out of their pots so that they could be given a more permanent home.  I have seen Gazanias growing in the village so I am very hopeful that these will survive and spread.  I know that these look a little regimental at the moment and I am trying for a more relaxed feeling but if they do make it then we should get a lovely border of vibrant flowers.  I also planted up the antirrhinums which Mum and Dad brought up.  We know that these survive as Alkisti has some fantastic ones growing out of the smallest cracks in the walls - I am guessing they don't need too much messing with.  The glorious dark maroon osteospurmum, which was also a gift from Mum and Dad has been planted along with the bougainvillea we got from Kissos.  Once planted I moved onto the endless task that is weeding and then John joined me so we could tidy up the plants growing over the pathway to our front gate and some of the plants at the front of Gregoris, and Theodora's house. 

Whilst we were tidying out the front Galadia pulled up with George her son.  The family had arrived either last night or earlier this morning and she had been out with George leaving Charalambous and Elena at home.  Elena is still studying for her mock 'A' levels poor thing.  Galadia is lovely and so kind - she brought me an Easter gift which is a tub of cacti which she decorated with a bunny and chickens and butterflies.  She tells me if I am lucky the cacti will eventually flower with beautiful purple blooms.   She was uncertain as to whether the cacti would survive outside up here through the winter so I have decided to house it in the conservatory which on a day like today was exceptionally hot - cacti like hot conditions don't they so the conservatory ought to be an ideal location!

John has eventually conceded that the wood burner is to be moth-balled for the summer - at least we have the gas fire as back-up should we get any chilly evenings.   He did a fabulous job cleaning up around the fire and 'stacking' it with logs.  This is what is termed a 'trompe l'oeil' because he cut some rings from a log and stuck them to a rectangular board which can be seen through the glass.  Before we know it all our visitors will have been and gone and we will be lighting the bloody thing again!!  We have yet to receive our winter fuel allowance although it is imminent apparently and when we do we will be putting it aside for more wood for next winter.  John has tidied up our store but we will need to tidy it even further if we are to house another load.

We had been expecting Panicos and the guys to pitch up today to sort out the 'problemas' with the conservatory.  True to his word Panicos did come but explained that he would have to return next week because the guy he needed to help him with the doors was still busy on a job in Polis.  We didn't really mind because it left us with the rest of the day to ourselves.

 

We decided to clear up, shower and go for a walk round the village to see what is happening for Easter.  Several houses are in the process of being restored which is good to see as too many of them lie empty and neglected.  Apparently many of the families who own the empty ones live abroad but wont rent or sell.

We stopped at Stathmos for a beer and to watch the man selling the biggest artichoke heads I have ever seen - artichoke heads and broad beans!  The local teenage girls were all assembled at the amphitheatre doing the "my mate fancies you" routine with the local teenage boys who were pitching up on their baffle-less mopeds - all noise, no substance!  The younger boys were in the churchyard in danger of blinding themselves or losing a finger or two playing around with the lethal banger fireworks that are synonymous with Easter over here.

We moved on up to Christos's taverna where Alkisti poured me the biggest G&T you have ever seen and brought plates of freshly made bread and slices of fruit.  Alkisti is keen to improve her English and she helps me to improve my Greek.  Whilst there we were gobsmacked to learn that Andreas from Sappho Manor had passed away this week very suddenly.  This is such a shame as he was a nice man who always spoke to us and there is a question mark now over the future of the Manor and it would be such a shame if that too were to close.

John collected our post from the village and we were delighted that the second-hand camera we had ordered from the internet had arrived.  This will give both John and I a decent camera to go out and take photographs with and it also means that if I send mine off for a clean (which I really should do) I will have another to use.

On arriving home we decided to take a drink up onto the roof terrace to take advantage of the remaining sunshine and I took the opportunity to test out the camera - all good so far by the look of things.

Finally I must send a big big thank you to Mum for the lamb dish she sent us home with yesterday.  It was absolutely delicious.