Another Visit to the Bank...

We had one of our early morning visits to the Alpha Bank in Polis this morning.  We seem to have made life difficult for ourselves by having had a bank account for some years.  We started out by opening a bank account in the main branch which was then located in Makarios Avenue, Paphos and put my Dad down as a signatory on it so that he could administer it for us when we were in England.  Then that branch moved and Dad found it easier to nip across to Kissonerga and use the branch there, then when we had some money to invest we opened a deposit account there because if we were staying with Mum and Dad it was easy to get to.  Now that we live near Polis where there is an Alpha Bank we like to do our business there.   Branches here do not like you to move your accounts lock stock and barrel to a new location - they like you to leave your money with them and so every time we go to Polis they have to phone either the main branch or the Kissonerga branch depending upon which account we are dealing with.

Every time there is something which relates to the account in the main branch we are asked the question "Why is there a third signatory on your account?" and we explain that it was there temporarily so that Dad could administer it in our absence and every time they say "we will get it removed" and then we just know that when we go back we are asked the question "Why is there a third signatory on your account?"  We are, however, more hopeful that Elena from the Polis Branch has got this sorted this time - fingers crossed!!! 

We have also appeased the Bank Manager from Kissonerga (George) by leaving one of our deposit accounts with him rather than moving the money and opening up a new account in Polis because we thought he might have an apoplectic fit about branches stealing customers!!  We didn't really care - we just wanted to consolidate our accounts and make it easier to administer.  Elena remained calm throughout and dealt with the paperwork efficiently.  She asked us if we lived in Droushia and it transpires that she does too - in fact she lives in the first house on the right on top of the hill after you have driven past Evgenious Hills - the house we look at all the time and wonder who lives there - now we know!!! Furthermore she has invited us to go in for coffee if we are passing and she is not at work - somehow I can't imagine that ever happening when I went to the HSBC bank in Middle Street Yeovil.

I managed to make it back to Sheila's for art a little later than normal but having missed a week I was keen to 'get back on the horse' as it were and now that my other painting has been framed need to get its companion finished although I can't see that happening any time soon because the more confident I get with the use of the pastels the more detail I want to put into the picture.  The leaves on this one are a lot more difficult because they have a definite texture to them and this time the picture has shadows on it which I am finding quite difficult to reproduce.  As always I have my mentor Sheila with her gentle encouragement to keep me going!  I was a little worried as there was no singing emanating from Klaus as he worked in the kitchen - I almost panicked that there would be no scrummy lunch but should not have troubled myself as once again I was treated to a gastronomic delight - this week in the form of a pasta dish with mushrooms.  Now I love mushrooms but those of you who know John will know that these are a banned substance in our household (it's the spores!!!) so I rarely get the chance to eat them.

My Greek had been postponed this week until Wednesday - I can't say I was too disappointed as I haven't slept too well the last few nights and was feeling tired and a bit woolly headed so I said goodbye to Klaus and Sheila and walked back home through the village.  The local fig trees are just about ready and John had been over into the field next door and picked some fresh so that we could offer them to Barry, Lynne and Joseph who are coming up from Paphos tomorrow for an afternoon barbeque - I can't believe it is a year since they were here last so it is going to be interesting to see what they think of all the changes that we have made chez nous in the intervening period.  It is interesting how you see your home very differently when you see it through someone else's eyes and furthermore they often come up with ideas that you haven't even thought of!

I was knackered by early evening and provided little or no company for John as I just had to take time out and check my eyelids for pinholes - which he captured for posterity - still now I know what everyone else feels like when I am constantly snapping away!!!

I decided that I would leave all preparation for the barbeque until the morning - I just didn't have the strength!!

A Planning Meeting...

So these are my happy campers sitting in the morning sunshine in the conservatory having had breakfast and about to embark on another 'game' before Mum and Dad made their way back to Emba.  The conservatory has provided us with such a useful space and we have to give a big THANK YOU to Prodromi Pam who made our long length of muslin into three blinds which are proving to be invaluable.  Although as scorer John made a valiant attempt to ensure he won this morning's Noms game he failed miserably as he was hammered on practically every 'miz' hand (a hand where winning a trick brings with it a minus point penalty!!

This evening we had our Mouflon Camping Planning Meeting - oh how I used to enjoy our activity planning meetings with the Allans and the Stapletons and the Bissetts in year's gone by - mainly BC (before children).  Who could forget that pre Christmas weekend at the cottage in Cornwall when we spoofed for beds, played radical UNO until we had to stop and got John to dress up as secret santa?

Tonight we were planning at Crafty Jane and Marks with Wheelie Cyprus Helen and Alistair.  This photograph is of that awful moment when we all realised that little puppy Arni had laid the biggest Mr Whippy poo in the garden and we had only just arrived!!!  For a small dog he seems to have an impressive bowel capacity!  I think it might have been my fault as I had been keeping a tight hold on him in the back of the car to stop him jumping around!

Once the dogs were settled they could be left to play around in the garden whilse we ate, drank and made some very loose plans about our forthcoming weekend.  I seem to think as novices John and I got off a bit lightly but we are tasked with the provision of 10 litres of Kolios Rose wine which we feel more than confident of being able to achieve!!  I am so glad that we don't have bikes and have opted to be on dog duty when the other four go off for a ride - I swear I heard a figure of 45K mentioned at one point!!!  I think that when the others see our tent we may be asked to pitch it somewhere else - most definitely the poor relations as J&M's has an awning and H&A's is designed to be cosey in the Arctic - let's just say John and I aren't expecting too much from our single skinned €30 best that Orphanides had to sell - bargain!  Helen said we should take a fleece just in case - fleece????? I am digging out every thermal I own.  Plus I am not sure that any of the others are fully prepared for the horror that is me in the morning not having any facility to sort out my bedhead hair.

A Saturday at Home...

So we were having a day at home today with Mum and Dad coming up for the afternoon and staying over as we haven't seen them for a little while.  I had to start the day clearing up the carnage left behind by the cats - not sure who was responsible for what but I do wish they would leave the poor little geckos alone as they are so sweet and such a lovely colour.  Chivers and Minnie Mou used to just leave dead shrews on the decking but now they are bringing their little gifts indoors - lovely!

We had been invited to have coffee at Marylenna's who lives at 1a.  We have not met her before but we have seen her little Far Eastern girlie taking the dog for a walk.  It transpires that Marylenna's little dog is blind and that she also has a cat which she found in Droushia and has given a home to in Nicosia.  We were just about to go round when she came and knocked on our door to say that she was having to shoot off to Paphos with Galadia to get some tiles.  We weren't too disappointed as we had quite a bit we wanted to do before Mum and Dad arrived and as we have learned coffee here generally means coffee and food!!

We wanted to get some more fresh Halloumi from the village now that we have sussed soaking it with a raw potato to remove the excess salt so we shot off on the bike to Maria's.  In my very bestest Greek I told her that her cheese was delicious and asked if I could have another kilo.  She then invited John and I in for coffee (can you see a pattern emerging here???) but I politely declined explaining that o pateras mou (my Dad) and h mitera mou (my Mum) were on their way up from Emba.  She reappeared with a container holding a kilo of cheese and a separate bag of cheese which was a gift from her and a promise that we would stop for coffee the next time we are not going to be able to get out of that invitation in a hurry!!

 

This week the temperature has risen - sorry Hazel but it has been considerably hotter since you left and at lunchtime we were wilting as the mercury (well digital read-out) was pushing over 40 degrees.  We now struggle for shade throughout the garden - who would have thought that I would be a shade seeker having been a sun worshipper all my life!!  It is difficult to strike a balance because in the winter we try and harness the sun as much as possible - lets hope that the conservatory does that job for us later in the year!

 

Mum and Dad arrived safe and sound mid afternoon.  John had the pool looking sparkling so that we could take a dip in it - all of us except Dad who only seems to like to get into our pool when it is gopping and needs a damn good clean!  It's really nice to be able to have them over to stay and we generally fill our time with good natured games of crib or nomination whist, something nice to eat and one or two little drinkies to wash it down!!  We had been planning to watch a film and had got the choice of either 'The Help' or 'The Secret Life of Bees' lined up but we didn't get round to watching either of them so they will have to wait for another time - mind you they haven't been vetted to see whether or not they have achieved the SFP (suitable for parents) certification!!  Another day comes to a close...

It is Definitely Friday...

It is most definitely Friday today and our plan was for a quiet day as John was having a big night out!!! I had arranged to go to Neo Chorio to help Jeannette set up a blog to help her promote her mosaic work to a wider audience and John was going to accompany Graham to the new Polis Pool hall.

Somehow we managed to be running a bit late so I took John directly to the Pool Hall and I carried on through Latchi and up to Jeannette's. There was a most spectacular sunset and so I took a little bit of a detour and stopped off at the end of the marina to grab a photograph. Latchi looks so different at night!!

Jeannette (Freeman) hosts the Wednesday Crafty Ladies and she is fascinating having had a long and successful career in the film/TV industry - check her out here: Jeannette's Working History can you imagine working on films like Saving Private Ryan and Harry Potter?  I am guessing she would say that when you are there it is just a job but it does sound pretty exciting to me - she has now found a new passion through the creation of Mosaics.  She, along with a number of other ladies, exhibit at the En Plo venue down at the harbour in Paphos on a regular basis - she has just done a week there and she is often asked if there is anywhere else her work can be viewed - hence I had agreed to help her with setting up a blog as a vehicle for exactly that.  The preparation takes a while and getting to grips with the administration takes a while but I know that once Jeanette has mastered it then she will be well away!

We had quite a laugh putting everything together and deciding upon the style and the content.  I was keen to try and showcase the project that Jeanette is currently working on which is a mosaic of Aphrodite - very apt for Cyprus!!

We had done as much as we could and it was heading for Midnight when the boys returned home having had a good night at the Pool Hall.  Because of the numbers rather than a best of three competition there was a round robin so John managed to get in about 15 games of pool for his €10!  He enjoyed it and it was good for him to go out and do something for himself for a change.  He was a bit taken aback by the size of the pool tables - having been used to the small one at the Royal Standard he was faced with American sized pool tables which were about 8 foot long!  He says it slightly threw him!  Any excuse!!!

So I left Jeannette in possession of her own blog and on Wednesday I will go through with her what she needs to do to update it.  If you want to check it out then go here http://tzianet-mosaic.blogspot.com/

I keep thinking it is Friday...

For the whole of today I have been thinking it is Friday and it was not - it was Thursday so I have been thrown into complete turmoil and my carefully planned shopping list was missing a day!

 

After what for me was a pretty good night's sleep I was up and raring to go because I wanted to get the spare room ready for Mum and Dad who are coming for a meal on Saturday and staying the night.  With my one day out problem I thought they would be coming tomorrow - hence John's confusion on my insistence that I only had today to get the bed made up and ready!  I was in a bit of a tizz because I thought we had so much to do before John went off to test out the new pool hall in Polis and I went up to Neo Chorio to help Jeanette set up her own blog to show off her mosaic work.  More confusion in John's face but he played along as I was still one day out.

 

 

We shot off down to Polis to do some shopping and called into Orphanides because I thought I had seen some sleeping bags there in the sale and as you know we are due to go camping shortly and as you also know we got rid of all our camping equipment before we moved over here!!  I was right though they did have some very lightweight sleeping bags and for only €9.50 each so we got a couple - at least we wont freeze to death when we are halfway up the mountain side!!!

 

 

We are having a planning meeting at the weekend to discuss our trip - friends from Yeovil will remember our legendary pre trip planning meetings which normally took place in a pub accompanied by food and drink!  I managed to pinch this picture from Wheelie Cyprus Helen's website http://www.cyprus-travel-secrets.com/cyprus-camping.html which is a photograph of the spot where we are going to go and if I am not mistaken that looks like Crafty Jane outside her deluxe canvas home and a rather unfortunate photograph of Alistair's backside in close proximity to Mark's head!!! We are going to have a practice run at putting up our new tent because it will be very embarrassing if it collapses around our ears during the night!

 

We had been invited around to our neighbour Galadia's for coffee this evening.  Both Minnie Mou and Chivers decided to trott along behind us even though John made them sit and wait on the 'naughty corner'.  Bless Galadia who had made a really lovely milopitta (apple pie) and we sat out on her patio chatting away until Chivers started to cry over the fence wanting his tea!!  John picked him up and brought him into Galadia's but he was a little nervous (Chivers that is!!) so John took him home and fed him.  No sooner had John returned than we could hear the plaintiff cry of Minnie Mou who appeared from over the fence and was trotting along the side of Galadia's pool.  She wouldn't settle either and as Galadia had to go and pick up her son George from the village we brought MM back home for her tea.

 

 

Galadia was telling us about the inter city bus service from Nicosia to Paphos - it runs regularly throughout the day and only costs €5 each way!!  I could feel a Christmas Shopping trip coming on with Mum but Galadia has said that I cannot go to Nicosia without seeing her so I will give her some notice and then hopefully we can meet for lunch.

Chuffed to finally catch up with Sally Allan on Skype today to hear all her news and to see a very grown up Mollie getting ready for her sleepover.  Camping with Sal and Tommy was legendary!!

A Very Nice Spot for Lunch...

For a number of reasons our plans for today went slightly out of the window so we had arranged to go for lunch with Crafty Jane and her husband Mark from Arodes. 

We were woken early because Angela's lovely builders were alive and kicking at 7.00am with their generator doing its stuff - deep joy - thank god that house is nearing completion - let's hope that they aren't doing the one next door soon!!!

We had a visit from Pam (two doors up) returning our dish and giving us an update on George and his health.  Unfortunately he is suffering from the male equivalent of breast cancer but the hospital is very positive that they have caught it in time to nip it in the bud and when they go back to the UK in six weeks time he will have to undergo some major surgery but should get through it thank goodness.  Pam keeps apologising for her family making noise - we really don't care as it is lovely to hear them having fun!

We found our way to J&M's house but I was a complete duffer and pressed the intercom and not the door bell and so they didn't know we had arrived!!  A phone call sorted out the issue and Jane spoke to me from the balcony and I from the garden!!!

After a pleasant drink at their house we drove down to the coast and Oniros (which is next to the new wreck) where we had planned to have a leisurely lunch.  John and I haven't been to see the wreck even though it has been a while since that vessel beached itself.

It was a beautiful day and it was a beautiful venue and we had a very very pleasant afternoon.  The menu is small (but beautifully formed) and I always think that if it is limited then it should be cooked fresh and should be cooked well.  We each chose a different ciabatta, Mark had mushroom and mozzarella, Jane had roasted belly pork with apple coleslaw, John had roasted belly pork and tzaziki and Greek salad and I had roasted chicken and it was all very very nice.

The sea caves area is lovely and we can remember a time when there was nothing built beyond Coralia beach but that was about twenty years ago!!!  We returned to Jane and Mark's house in Arodes and were quite excited to have a look at a house that they are looking after which could be suitable for Trevor and Vicki to rent as and when they sell their house.

Buoyed up with the information we Skyped them on our return and were amazed to learn that they had decided to come out and about the time of John's birthday - staying in Polis at some hotel apartments that we always think look very nice and which we will check out before they arrive.  We were so excited - sometimes things are just meant to be!!  We actually have plans for John's birthday but that is fine as Trev and Vix will have only just arrived and will be getting used to their surroundings and we can have the remainder of the week with them.



AH - After Hazel...

After having guests it is always nice to return to normal but it is also strange to no longer be sharing our home with a guest or guests - Hazel has returned to Yeovil and we have heard that she got there safely.  Let's hope she is busy planning her next visit (but only for 10 days don't forget)!

With very little to report today I am filling the blog with some photographs that were not included on previous posts - the one above is of John leading Hazel astray at the ice-cream parlour in Polis which he had to visit to keep his tapeworm happy.  Having missed breakfast a paltry piece of cake at the Art Cafe just wasn't enough to keep body and soul together apparently!!!

This next picture was taken at Pomos Point Marina where the water was so clear and where we managed to catch sight of a cuttle fish the last time we were there with Mark and Laura.  John and Hazel are busy doing a bit of fish spotting - unfortunately no cuttle fish this time but there were plenty of other fish to catch our eye. 

I think like me Hazel fell in love with Pomos so next time snorkelling there is an absolute must which will leave only nine days to occupy her (sorry John but the ten days thing is going to run and run!!).

The next picture is a lovely one of my Mum and Hazel taken when we went down to the Harbour in Paphos - I cant remember what they were laughing about but something had clearly tickled their fancy!!

Sadly our guest room is now back to normal, sheets washed and dried and about to go back on the bed in readiness for Mum and Dad's next visit and before she knows it Hazel will be back to school with her new class of 32 little children - now there is a challenge and a half!

I forgot to say that en route to the airport last night I went to pick up my picture of the clematis which I had framed. Fitos did a really good job and I am quite proud to have this hanging in the lounge because at least you can tell what it is supposed to be! I just need to get the second one of the Morning Glory finished to go with it.  I have missed art this week (sorry Sheila I know that you starve when I am not there to have lunch)but it was worth it because we had Hazel staying.  Anyway, anyone needing something framed could do a lot worse than visit Fitos at Artisan which is situated down the Polis Road - although he is on holiday this week he was happy to open up the shop especially for me as I was passing - you can't say fairer than that can you?

Day Seven - Hazel's Last Day...

Sadly today is Hazel's last day but at least with her flight being at 9.00pm she has most to the day here to enjoy some last minute sunshine.  It was an opportunity for her to take some photographs around the house which we look at quite differently when we have a visitor here with us.  We are lucky, I know that and I am so grateful for John sticking out life on the ocean wave so that we could get out here sooner rather than later.



John and I had to be in Polis early to sort out some banking so we left Hazel to lounge around until we returned and we called in via the lovely bakery in Prodromi to pick up some of that lovely bread we get at Jeanette's and some freshly baked croissants which cost an arm and a leg but were well scrummy.

We did manage to squeeze in just a little last minute bit of sight-seeing and took her to the little church up past the container DIY which has the old church carved into a cave.  It is a strange place but worth a visit although I cannot get my head around the wax babies.

We took the opportunity to come home cross country taking in the stunning views.  I thought I would miss the green of England and I do but even the barren dry landscape here has its own beauty.  

Once home Hazel managed to get some photographs of the resident green tree frog which has been serenading her from the Morning Glory in T&V corner and this weirdo caterpillar that carries his home around with him - a mixture of sticks and leaves - no idea what it turns into when it turns into a butterfly probably something very boring!

We took our last meal outside sitting in the front garden just for a change.  It was almost too hot but like Hazel says she doesn't know when she will get the opportunity again.

Having been out in the sun all morning we spent the afternoon catching up on the BBC2 programme The Best of Men about the birth of the Paralympics which we thoroughly enjoyed and which neatly brought us to the point at which we had to get showered and take Hazel down to the Airport.  Her seven days have flown by and hopefully she is busy planning her next visit - all ten days of it!

Day Six of Hazel's Holiday...

Today the fish gets it!!!!  We have invited Mum and Dad up for a barbeque today and for Dad, John and Hazel I am preparing fish and Mum and I will have chicken and some of the lovely village halloumi from John's new best friend.  The fishies are getting red snapper fillet, stuffed sea bream and prawn skewers accompanied by salad and cyprus roast lemon potatoes.

I got everything prepared in the morning so that Hazel and I could have a lounge around the pool and get some regulated sunshine.  This also involved having a teeny weeny little John sized gin and tonic before Mum and Dad arrived to spend the afternoon with us.

The cats have been fantastic whilst Hazel has been here.  We don't want them to get too used to strangers but when we have visitors it is nice if they are sociable.  Mum was thrilled that Minnie Mou was happy to come for a cuddle.  I am out of favour as I tried to get her to take a worming tablet yesterday and the little cow shut her throat down so that the tablet got to the back of her neck and then stopped and she ended up foaming at the mouth.  On a lighter note we have heard from Irene that Little Mo (Olympia) has been found a new home in Peyia - how fantastic.

John looks like he is naked chef-ing in this photograph - that apron is rather fetching and he has got soooooo brown this summer - I could just snuggle him to death - love him xx  He cooked a very mean barbeque which everyone enjoyed.  I was particularly impressed by the sea bream which we stuffed with coriander and lemon and double-foiled with a little white wine so that it sort of steamed and was succulent and fell off the bone.

We introduced Hazel to the delights of nomination whist as she sat in and watch the Tregunna clan (John is an honorary member) good naturedly whinge and moan through two games before Mum and Dad made their way back to Emba.

As they left we could hear music emanating from the school and we found out that there was a wedding going on.  We decided to take a walk down into the village to check it out and went for a little drinkie in Alkisti's to round off a lovely day.

Day Five of Hazel's Holiday...

Better late than never we have adopted a responsible sunbathing routine and so today we were having a bit of a tour of the coastline so that Hazel could have a better look at our neck of the woods.  It is most definitely more rugged up here and has always been our favourite part of Cyprus.



We started off with a second look at the shoes in the sale at Festival in Polis and Hazel managed to find one more little pairs of flip-flops to squeeze in her case and I actually managed to get a pair of heels!!!  John keeps telling me that I need to get some heels otherwise I will forget how to walk in them, however his idea of heels is not quite mine - I have to keep telling him that if he likes them that much he can wear them!!!

We then moved up the coast deciding to end up in Pomos Point for lunch (this is probably my most favourite place in Cyprus).  En route we called into what I think is called Ayia Marina Plage so that Hazel could take some photographs of the coastline and then followed the winding coast road before pulling off the road and down to the Marina at Pomos.  It is just so beautiful there, the colours are amazing and the sea is absolutely crystal clear.  It is the best place to snorkel and when Hazel comes back we will most definitely go there.



They have done quite a lot of work on the beach at Pomos, erecting a permanent life-guard station (that must be one doddle of a job!!!) and a little shack selling soft drinks and belting out some reggae music!

We opted to have lunch up in the taverna that overlooks the harbour bagging a prime seat with a view to die for and ordered dips and salad - Hazel was in heaven - it is a wonderful place and we are so lucky to have it almost on our doorstep.

Our trip back home was via Paradise Point so that Hazel could pick up a T-Shirt advertising their Jazz Festival for her son Jordan.  Jordan is a bit of a musician so she thought he would appreciate it.  It turned out to be a nice T-Shirt - only problem was that it was advertising the Jazz Festival that they held last year!!!!  Still no-one will be the wiser!!! 

We also stopped off at various points along the coast for more photo opportunities before calling into Yia-Yia's at To Karavani for a well-earned Frappe.  If Hazel does come back we will have very little left to show her at this rate!!!  Still she said that she had a lovely day and as she doesn't like sitting in the sun all day loved the opportunity to get out and about and see the real Cyprus - the Cyprus that we know and love.

We were absolutely chuffed that we had managed to get a table at Orexi (thanks Mel, Simon, Caroline and Terry for letting us squat at the end of yours!!).  We just knew that as a vegetarian Hazel would love the food and we weren't wrong.  We had a fantastic meal sat in the garden next to Bassam's new 'water feature' eating and drinking and laughing - I am not sure why we had so many conversations that centred on male genitalia!  Hazel said she sampled vegetarian food the like of which she had never had before and we managed to sink two bottles of wine - no-one needed any rocking when we got home!

Day Four of Hazel's Holiday...

Today's Photo of the Day (Courtesy of Hazel) is an absolute MUST SEE!!



So today started with a gentle bit of artistic-ness!  Hazel has fallen in love with the little geckos that I have dotted around the conservatory.  In fairness she actually fell in love with the lovely big green one that Vix made and gave me for my birthday but I couldn't help Haze to recreate that one!  So I dug out one of the little wooden blanks I got off of the internet and my beads and nail varnish and she let her inner creativity loose!!  The end result was a stunning little gecko which she will be able to take home with her and which will remind her of her week spent with us in the sunshine.  We now have a bit of a standing joke that when she comes back she can only come for 10 days - it is not quite what John meant to say - he meant that next time she should come for longer than just a week!!

Those of you who have stayed with us before will probably be worrying that there has been no mention of one of the 'must visit' places in this neck of the woods but worry ye not as we had booked in for an early lunch at Viklari (The Last Castle) and I had made sure that there would be fasoulia available for Hazel. 

We took a very scenic route across country - all routes over to Lara are scenic but some more hairy than others.  We hadn't appreciated that Hazel does not like heights and was terrified by some of the winding tracks where the car was very close to the edge.  John was brilliant assuring Hazel that we had been that way before and that we had never lost a visitor yet but I think even he was a bit concerned as the road was most definitely unfamiliar and when we looked like we were going to end up in a goat farm and have to reverse back I thought Hazel was going to pass out!  Actually, fortunately, we were able to drive through the goat farm and the old lady dressed in black feeding her herd nodded and pointed that we could get to Lara going that way.  Eventually we got onto a more familiar road but were concerned that Viklari might be a step too far - it being located so high up - so we kept our fingers crossed that the view would win Hazel over.

The view did it thank goodness and we had arrived early enough to have one of the prime tables and they had remembered the order for fasoulia - so all was good - food up to its usual standard, view as stunning as ever - what more could you want?



After a leisurely lunch we made our way back to Lara (using the normal road to ensure that Hazel kept hold of her lunch) and carted all our kit down the steps onto the beach.  Over the winter months the steps have been re-done making it much easier to get down - but it is still a trek!!  Huge areas of the beach are currently being given over to the turtle nests and we were thrilled that there were some live babies in the information hut when we got down there.



In fact we were lucky enough to see them being fed (with calamari) and John (who has always wanted to get involved in their conservation) helped the guy who was carting buckets of sea water up to the tanks to change it.

It was quite choppy in the sea although nothing like when we went with Mark and Laura and the waves were way above Mark and John's head!  We also had a right old laugh watching a group of macho greek guys completely underestimate the heat of the sand.  They started strutting their stuff en route to the sea and half way down break out into a mad dash as the soles of the feet began to burn!

Mindful of the strength of the sun we did not overdo it and meandered back home for a cool down in the pool.  Going to the beach is lovely but you end up bringing most of the sand back with you so an outside shower was the order of the day and Hazel was keen to embrace outdoor living!

We were staying in this evening and only wanted dips and salad for tea before settling down to watch a film together.  We had agreed on the remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  I must admit I hadn't visualised Mikael Blomkvist in the book as looking anything like Daniel Craig and having loved the book so much (thank you Joanni for persuading me to read it and thank you Kate Stubbins for lending the trilogy to me) I didn't want it to be too Hollywood-ised.  I was well impressed though as it stuck most firmly to the book (although I do think you needed to have read it to understand some of the plot) and we all agreed that it had been a very good movie before retiring to bed (Hazel and I having both checked our eyelids for pinholes already!!).