Tuesday - Welcome and Unwelcome Visitors...

So this was what greeted me this morning when I went over to feed the cats - possibly the biggest rat body I have ever encountered.  The cats had eaten the feet and tail, ripped off the head and removed some of the innards - it was massive and filled the dustpan.  God did that make me feel nauseous.  I am guessing because the road outside is still filled with grain waiting to be dealt with that it has become a beacon for every rodent in Drouseia.

Today we were off to Larnaca to pick up our friends and neighbours Sean and Sharon.  It's a bit of a boring journey - just about 2 hours and mainly motorway but with the cruise control set on the car it is a piece of cake.

When we left Droushia it was 31 degrees and by the time we got to Paphos it was 34 degrees - temperatures were rising as was John's temper with the local traffic.  Some guy in a Tiida pissed him off by overtaking us overtaking a truck - not sure if John was pee'd off by the manouevre or the fact that he had been overtaken by a car seemingly named after rice!

Glad to see that the new roundabout on the Mesoghi Avenue is now practically finished and that cars no longer have to negotiate it in an anti-clockwise fashion which was more than a little bit scary the other day.

We then encountered a car being driven at 20km an hour from the hospital to the major roundabout at the end of the motorway.  The driver was 110 if he was a day and stoically drove in the middle of the road and then all the way round the roundabout in the outside lane or straddling two lanes - we were so glad when we got onto the motorway in one piece and some sense of calm was restored.

As we approached Limassol we spotted this truck ahead of us swaying wildly from side to side - did the driver not think that perhaps he had a little too much loaded onto the back?  No idea what maximum load for this vehicle should be but guess this was way over!!  Quite normal here though - I can't be sure but I suspect the driver was without road tax, not wearing a seat belt and texting at the wheel which is common practice here too

We dont often do this trip but on the occasions that we do we pass something called Kalavasos Tenta which can be seen clearly from the motorway - I have often wondered what it is not having clocked the name of it previously but having looked it up will try and make a point of leaving enough time to go and investigate what is there as it looks really interesting.

At Limassol the temperature was 35 degrees but by the time we got to Larnaca it was up to 37 degrees!  The British Airways flight was right on time and we managed to stop and get ourselves a Chino before parking up and awaiting the arrival of Sean and Sharon and their many bags!

As Sharon and Sean are moving back out to Cyprus permanently in a couple of months they use the opportunity of Club Class on BA to bring extra baggage through - in fairness I would say that one of the bags probably held all the bits and pieces that we have sent to Sharon to bring over and all the little gifts that she brings for us with her!

They were through really quickly and amazingly we managed to get all that luggage in the boot of the Peugeot without anyone having to nurse a bag on their laps on the trip back.

We were back home in Drouseia mid afternoon and there was great excitement as it was like Christmas - gifts for all!!!

We are trying to decide which of our little lovelies will be the recipient of the bandana collar!!!

The cats have sussed that the cupboard has now been stocked with every cat treat known to man and are being especially attentive and keep looking longingly at the door in the hopes that some little morsel will fall their way!  Not if they keep mooching round to George and Pam's who now have a new cat bowl on the floor having been to Jumbo's and who keep feeding our boys Lounza!

Some of the gifts have to wait to be opened tomorrow when it is John's birthday - and my Dad's too!  and Sharon has the task of trying to find out what has happened to two large boxes she arranged to have shipped over and which appear to have gone missing.

I particularly liked the mug she has brought me for when I am working in the garden and I can feel a plaque coming on as the wording is lovely!

We had all been invited around to Pam and George's for drinks - we shot off to Fitos's for some takeaway kebabs first and having eaten them Sean and Sharon decided they were knackered - they had been at the airport at 5.00am so I can't say I blame them.  John and I went round but when George opened the third bottle of Agios Onoufrious I threw in the towel and returned home leaving John in the garden and Charlie, Chivers and Boris running amok in Pam's lounge - the buggers!