Monday - Art and Changed Plans

Since I have returned to writing my Blog, my daily routine has changed - as soon as we are awake one or other of us goes to feed the cats and get the morning coffee and then I grab the laptop and type up what has happened the previous day before my diminishing memory lets me down!  The Blog is always published in arrears which does afford me a little slack if I have a busy day ahead but as the it is still light relatively early in the morning it is a job I prefer to do before I face whatever the day will bring.  Today is Monday - ART - yay - I love it.  As I say to Sheila - I will be forever grateful to Marian down the road for starting up the Ladies Lunch Club otherwise I might never have met Sheila and Klaus and our lives would have been poorer as a result.

As I type the blog is about to hit 76,000 views - a thousand views have been added since I restarted - how mad is that!  From the statistics I can see that I am quite popular in Germany although I have no idea why unless Klaus has rallied all his friends and family to boost the figures!

As I have said previously my current picture is of a scene in Santorini and I am using pastel pencils so basically a bit of colouring rather than paint!  Klaus refers to this as my blue period and it is amazing just how long it takes to blend and blend and blend the various pencils until I get a colour I am satisfied with.  I had thought it would only be another couple of weeks before this is finished but I reckon it could be more than that as there are two areas of flowers (one which I have started) which will need much more work if I am to bring them alive.  Generally nowadays a picture takes me about eight mornings from start to finish.

I had asked Klaus if I could have a light lunch rather than one of his more gourmet creations as we were out for dinner this evening.  Sheila and I can generally gauge how complicated lunch might be by the singing that can be heard in the kitchen - today not a note - apparently jolly cheese and tomato on toast requires no accompaniment!

I had the afternoon back at home whilst John was down in Polis and Latchi with Janet and Hadge.  For regular readers you will be pleased to know that we still get regular visits from the goats grazing in the field next door - we used to be so worried about Chivers and the goats as, when he was a kitten, he always wanted to get in amongst them but now he isn't bothered at all - goats are so yesterday in his book!

My current craft passion is making signs - I have been asked to make a couple for special occasions - the rest I am putting to one side for birthday gifts and Christmas presents.

I was also lucky enough to take classes last year, along with Kelly and Sheila, to learn the traditional art of gourd carving.  The classes were provided free of charge by the government who are keen to make sure that these skills do not become lost.  Back in April/May time Yiannis from Kathikas gave me four gourds asking if I would decorate two for his taverna.  We had been planning to go to the Blue Olive restaurant tonight in Coral Bay to see our good friends (and hosts) Derrick and Rebecca but unfortunately Derrick is poorly and so they are unable to open in the evenings at the moment.  It being Monday many of the eateries are closed so our change of plans meant that we would go to Yiannis in Kathikas instead and I could give him the gourds I had decorated.  We haven't been there for so long because they have had the main road dug up for months.

It was my Mum and Dad's treat tonight and we all had a really lovely evening at Yiannis.  I don't know if it was because of the gourds but three of us had starter of bread, salad, dips, lounza, halloumi and eggs with courgette followed by chicken stroganoff for me, grilled chicken for Dad and Janet, chicken souvlaki for Mum, steak and onion pie for Hadge and a t-bone for John.  Then came cherry cheesecake and the hugely delicious galaktoboureko with honeydew melon, orange liquers for the ladies and brandies for the gents - beers, a large bottle of water and a carafe of rose wine all for €80!



I can confirm that since the beginning of August the road has been finished in Kathikas and they have done an absolutely stunning job - it really complements the buildings in the village.

Yianni said it was quite painful whilst the work was being done as people didn't know whether or not he was open or how to get to him when they couldn't come straight up the main road but he is happy now and for a Monday night he had a steady trade.

He has asked me to call in and collect a couple more gourds to decorate and John says the ones I took last night have got pride of place on the fireplace indoors.