Birthday Celebrations over...

We all seemed to have a really good night's sleep, even Mum which is really unusual - it could have been the vast amount of food we have consumed over the last couple of days, or the alcohol but I like to think it is the shutters and the fact that the sunshine can't come in at the crack of sparrows and slap you round the face. 

We none of us really wanted much breakfast so after a quick bit of toast we packed up and tootled off down to Coral Bay so that we could catch up with the Woolmingtons before they returned to the UK.  Even though we tried we still cannot find the Vanessa Complex that Catherine and Geordie are interested in - we have now done some further investigation and think we have located it although nowhere near where it appeared on the map!

I was so pleased that I got the opportunity to see Gemma before she left (not to mention Mark and the Adorable Archie).  It certainly didn't seem like a year since we were last together sat opposite one another in the IT department - hearts sinking when the monitoring system went red and started to sound like someone flat-lining!!  That is me and Gemma of course not me and Archie!!



Mum was keen to get to see Archie and she wasn't disappointed as he was on fine form.  Mark should have looked eversoslightly jaded as he stayed up to watch Chelsea last night go to extra time and penalties before winning the Champion's League.

We hope that they manage to get out here again because it would be so lovely to see them again and for longer.  Still it sounds like they are returning home to some much better weather in the UK.

I shall be interested to learn all the news when Gemma returns to work in a couple of weeks' time.  It may feel daunting but I bet within a day or two she will be back into the swing and enjoying being Gemma at work and not just Gemma the mum, as she says she is ready to go back to work and ready for Archie to experience nursery which will broaden his horizons.

We said our goodbyes and called into the Duck Pond so that we could get some catfood and treats for the kids and some of the wonderful bread rolls that the cafe sells.  Nothing else took our eye so we made our way back to Emba.  Everything at the house was fine except Mum's front door mat was missing - no idea where it has gone - our guess is that possibly the decorators might have spilt something on it and taken it away.

On our way home I got John to take a detour because I wanted to go and see a church that Sheila and Klaus had told me about which is up from the DIY container where we got our roof tiles.  Sheila was saying that there is a new little church built next to the original one which is built into a cave.

We found the original church whish is tiny and very pretty in its own right.  These churches are all over the island and are, in the main, left unlocked so you can let yourself in and take a look and pay your own respects if that is what you want to do.  Although this church is in the middle of nowhere it is obviously visited on a regular basis and well looked after.  It is packed full of icons, smells of incense and icons and fills you with a sense of calm.  I am not a particularly religious person but I can appreciate the tranquillity that emanates from these tiny places of worship.

If you walk round the back of the new church and down some steps you come across an older building which is the original church and which we had not realised was cut into the side of the rock.  On opening the door you open up into what is indeed a cave!

I made John open the door because this must be the home of a million and one geckos and lizards - and some pretty big ones at that!

It was difficult to get a photograph that truly captures what it is like inside.  To one side there was a deepish tunnel-like entrance with what looks like some sort of tomb with plants lying next to it.  It is obviously still visited and people still worship there in some way or another.  We left a contribution which we hope goes towards its upkeep because it is so unique.  We have to thank Sheila and Klaus for telling us about it because I can honestly say that we would never have come across it on our own.  I shall tell Kaye about it because she wont be staying far away and I know that she and Richard are planning on doing some walking whilst they are over and this appears to be on quite a nice walk.

We returned home and opted for a quiet afternoon - we have a busy week ahead of us with some entertaining to do at the end of it.