A Slow Start to the Day...

It was a rather slow and delicate start to today - the morning after the night before meant I was a little jaded to say the least!  I was so grateful that I had prepared most of the food for this evening in advance it meant that everything could be done σιγά σιγά (siga siga, slowly slowly).

I was having Helen and Alistair and Melanie and Simon over for a meal this evening and needed to make sure the house was clean and tidy.

My insect collection in the conservatory is coming on a treat - we have beetles and bugs of every size, shape and colour and those which escape from Chivers and Minnie Mou seem incapable of finding their way out!  I don't mind if they are harmless but without a book to identify them I have no idea so I make John evict them.

We had decided to leave the dining furniture in the conservatory and I had planned a menu which meant that I didn;t have to be chained to the oven all evening.  Between us we got everything prepared which allowed us a little time to chill out before our guests arrived.

We got out Trevor the Table and my two slow cookers and the two hot trays that we own so that all the food could be kept hot and people could serve themselves.  The conservatory makes entertaining so much easier and as the temperature cools at night gives us an area with a really comfortable ambient temperature.  Guests were due at 6.00pm.  Just before they arrived John had to deal with some of the local kids who had decided to jump the wall to one of the holiday homes and help themselves to the pool - as he went out to see what was going on they jumped the back wall running off down the field with their clothes in their hand!  Swimming pools are a temptation to Cypriot children because, in the main, their homes don't seem to have pools.

We started our evening sat out under the gazebo enjoying the last of the day's sunshine.  Simon had met Alistair previously so we didn't have to do too much by way of introductions and we could leave them to chat away whilst getting drinkies and nibbles.

The evening seemed to go very well and I hope that they liked my food - John did say it was one of the best stifados I had cooked in a long time and with a light starter and light sweet we didn't feel stuffed at the end of it!  I have been amazed at how easy it has been to meet people up here in a rural area - I think it has been easier than if we had been down living in the Paphos area.  With less tavernas up here to choose from I think people tend to eat in one another's houses which makes for an easier environment to chat and get to know people - either that or the economic climate has forced people to stay indoors more!

The only downside to the evening is that we were just about to sit down and enjoy our meal when Minnie Mou came racing through the catflap complete with live fledgling firmly protruding from her gob!  She is such a little tyke!