July 22nd...

After weeks of no art I was seriously getting withdrawal symptoms and my little picture is getting so much closer to completion that I am beginning to think about my next project.  It was lovely to get back into my normal Monday routine with Sheila - a bit of a chat, a bit of art then a bit more of a chat!  Sometimes lots of chat and very little art - we like to ring the changes!

Klaus and Sheila, John and I were going out this evening for a meze at Finikas Taverna in the village.  This is the eating establishment which is next to the place where we collect our post.  It rarely looks open but Marina will open any time if you ask.  So much for spontaneity!!!  Still this had been arranged for a while and we had enjoyed ourselves when we had been last year even though we had eaten with Phillipos's washing as our backdrop!  We only had a light lunch taken in Sheila and Klaus's tranquil back garden.  It is looking lovely this time of year and it was really nice to be sat out in the garden taking advantage of the warm breeze.  It might only have been a cheese and chutney sandwich but Klaus's tomato chutney was the business!

 

We had a quiet afternoon - we have been so busy it was nice to just chill for a couple of hours before going out - again!!!  We were meeting at Finikas for 7.00pm and after a bit of a dodgy start when it seemed like Marina had forgotten we were coming we began our meze.  I have to say that people should not be put off by the surroundings - the internal eating area is a little dusty to be fair but the courtyard is actually quite pleasant and there was no sign of washing this time.  Our meze was good, very good as it was freshly prepared and included all the things that she (and Phillipos) cook well.

We were amazed to be joined in the courtyard by five girls from London who were out on holiday staying in the village and happened upon the Taverna - blimey any other night and they would have walked past thinking it was closed!!!  They seemed to love the simplicity and liked the fact that they could ask us for the low down on the village and its facilities.   

One good meze, several beers for the boys and a rather large and surprisingly good carafe of red wine later we declared the evening a success and as a big fat thank you to Klaus and Sheila for entertaining me and feeding me every Monday John and I wanted to treat them.  We know that they wouldn't have agreed to come if we had said in advance but we just wanted them to know how grateful we are to them for everything.  It is good to know that they are on hand just round the corner - or they would be if we could just beat a pathway across the cemetary!

Just quickly back to the subject of mein host Phillipos - he was starring in some filming that was done in the village over the weekend.   We are not sure exactly what it was all about and I asked Marianna and she either didn't know or didn't know how to explain!  Orexi Elena said that she thought it was about a documentary set in Kyrenia but as they couldn't film in Kyrenia they were using the streets of Droushia instead - who knows????