Tuesday - Christmas Do's...

As we had anticipated yesterday on the way back from Polis there was a storm over Droushia which raged and raged and raged and raged - need I go on????  It was so violent and the rain so torrential that the surrounding fields have started to become waterlogged - in fact they are no longer able to cope with the amount of water.  We woke to rolling mists and a dank dark atmosphere.  When it rains it is like someone has thrown a switch - no warning just a deluge and then just as quickly it stops as if the switch has been thrown again.  

Although we have made inroads into our flooding problem the sheer volume of water coming into the front garden and therefore under the door is immense and so we still had flood water to contend with.  Towels were put down, spun dry, put down, spun dry, put down...

With Mum and Dad spending Christmas with us we wanted to do some tidying up and cleaning in readiness.  Just when we thought it was safe to do the conservatory we would have to rush to the door with the towels.  The furniture had to be moved away from the door and Chivers removed from the puddles.  We were fighting a losing battle.  Eventually though the rain subsided and we carried on with the cleaning. 

This photograph gives me flashbacks of living in married quarters and having to get the cooker in A1 condition for the out muster!!!  I am not attempting to end it all - it is an electric oven after all but I am mindful of the disaster last Christmas Day when the silicon baking sheet I had bought spot welded itself to the bottom of the oven.  The melting smell was awful and as I don't think I have used the oven since then I wanted to make sure I don't kill us all with the fumes.

We did as much cleaning as we could before we had to start getting ready for going out.  At this point the weather deteriorated drastically so that when we drove down to Akourdalia to Elaine and Paul's we could hardly see our hands in front of our faces.  We had met Elaine and Paul at the Orexi clear up and we had been invited to share a mince pie and some mulled wine at their house whilst singing carols.  Unfortunately we couldn't stop long because we were going down to Paphos to meet up with Mum and Dad and Jackie and Costas but we wanted to show our faces.  The house looked stunning full of beautiful Christmas Decorations and Elaine said that it took her four days to complete the task!!

Whilst in their house the monsoon conditions returned - the rain was unbelievable and when John ran to get the car he got soaked from head to foot - particularly foot as the rainwater running down the road was about a foot deep.  Our journey down to Paphos was horrendous with limited visibility and deep standing water, accompanied by thunder and lightning.

We made it down to Emba in one piece thank goodness.  Mum is suffering with a pre-Christmas cold but was determined to go out.  Despite the rain the temperature down in Emba was a balmy 18 degrees and as we left for the taverna the rain had abated.  We met up with Tea for Two Jackie and Costas in the Agapinor which is just off bar street.  Jackie is looking as stunning as ever and Costas has actually given up smoking - resorting to using those battery operated ones which can be used indoors.  They were both in good form and looking forward to their daughter's arrival back from university tomorrow.  They are such a nice couple and we have known them now for over twenty years!

The drive home was scarey - the weather had returned to monsoon conditions.  We narrowly avoided a landslide at Koili thanks to oncoming vehicles driving with their hazards on as a warning.  I can't tell you how glad I was to get home in one piece but needless to say there is further flooding to contend with and the forecast is bleak for tomorrow.  

We pity the poor people who have arrived here for Christmas and a winter sun holiday - they are going to be sadly disappointed and everyone is saying that this winter has started out worse than last winter and that was the worst one for thirty years.