Monday - Wine and Sunsets

So I start today's blog with a picture of the sunrise from the early hours of this morning - we could not find Charlie when we came home last night and one missing cat who always but always likes to eat leaves me feeling uneasy so I dont sleep properly.  Charlie eventually pitched up at about 5.30 am and demanded feeding so I got up both pleased to see him and cross that he makes me worry and caught the sun rising over the mountains across the valley.  We know, because Charlie scared the sh*t out of us the other evening when he leapt out of a tree as we were walking back from Elena's, and because if we go for a walk he is always keen to come with us and so we have to carry him back home, that he is an explorer and easily distracted!  Still he is home again thank goodness.

Last night when we got home (very late) from the Races we realised that the wall had been finished - so here are some before and after photographs and, apart from clearing up the bits of plaster that are dotted on the pathway, it looks a darn sight better than it did before!

Now all I need is to get John to do whatever it is he is going to do with the pipe that takes the water from the water-butt (our flood defence) so that we can get rid of the blocks that are holding down the pipe and I will be happy - for the time being at least!!!

I did a very Cypriot thing of getting the hose-pipe out and slooshing down the pathway and giving it a sweep to get the initial dust and debris out of the way.

We now need to decide what colour to paint it and what to do to 'pretty it up' but even as it is the eyesore has gone and we are pleased - sometimes it is the smaller jobs that seem to have the biggest impact!!  Now where is my 'to-do' list????

It is Monday and Monday means art with Sheila and today I was about to finish the picture that I have been working on for several weeks...

It is always with mixed feelings that I come to the end of a project - pleased to have completed it but having to think about what the next subject is going to be.  I have couple of ideas and now that I know Jumbos has some great frames with mounts for sale I may do some smaller pictures and get them framed up and give them as presents to some poor unsuspecting person!  Anyway I hope the recipient of this one likes it.

Before our evening out we spent the afternoon round the pool and John decided to tackle the wasp nest using the Fairy Liquid technique - not sure exactly how successful it is going to be and we rather think that when he does it in earnest he should be kitted out in more than a pair of swimming trunks!! Apparently when wasps come into contact with the liquid it dissolves their 'skeleton' which they have on the outside of their bodies.

This evening we had decided to go to the Vasilikon Winery to watch the sun go down (7.09pm the internet informed us!)

We have been waiting for the new winery complex to start serving food and when we went there last for a tasting we spotted menus - cheese and/or meat platters, salads, sandwiches - all good with a glass of their fine wine!!

We arrived on a glorious evening lucky that we are over this side of the island as we had been warned that there was a sandstorm on the way and it had got to Paphos at that point - we didn't want it to spoil the sunset - it was the reason we had gone!!

What a glorious setting - and what a lovely evening.  We were so glad we managed to squeeze this in before our visitors return to the UK later this week.

The food exceeded our expectations.  I ordered a halloumi and rocket salad which would have fed all four of us and it was just for me!

The sandwiches were fresh and plentiful and the platters delicious - the only problem was we had far far far too much food although we had a damn good go at trying to eat it all.  This was washed down with some fab wine and, as we chatted to some tourists who arrived for the sunset, some great company.  The tourists turned out to be Greek Cypriots now living in Australia but originally from Kathikas 60 years ago and the man Chris was very proud to show us a plot of land he owns near to the winery but untouched for about 40 years.

The sunset was spectacular - either the sand storm had not affected it or it had enhanced the effect - either way it was beautiful and certainly the evening John had hoped for - we are now busy planning what we are going to do next year when Janet and Hadge come out again.