Ladies Lunch

I forgot to post the other day that it is with some excitement that I found chorizo on the deli counter in Paps in Polis.  Occasionally they have it pre-packed but not often and prior to that I always managed to get it in Lidl but even they stopped doing it so like the Holy Grail nestled in between the lounza and the salami I spotted it last week and although by the kilo it looks expensive when you have it sliced it doesn't work out too bad and we do love a bit of chorizo with our brie on our salad - a sort of Spanish/French fusion combo! (except that the brie is Danish!!! - not sure what the French would have to say about that!).

So Ladies Lunch today at Christos's Taverna for me and John and Klaus on a boys' outing to Fitos so a quiet morning for us both.  I have a mystery in the garden, the 'marigolds' which Elaine gave me have put on no end of wonderful green lush growth but there is not a flower in site not even a bud and the ones which Diana has got are exactly the same so I am wondering if they are like the wall flower plants Elaine gave me one year which did exactly the same and didn't actually flower until year 2!

John has erected the Hercules and Persephone plaque now and it looks fabulous against the side wall above where John put natural stone earlier this year.  Even though these new plaques have been made as outdoor pieces we are still thinking we will protect them further with a coating of UPV before the harsher weather returns as it would be such a shame to have them crack and break if we have a frost.  We just need to get the water feature redelivered and then we will have everything that we wanted for the garden.

As you know I got a new phone yesterday and was dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century with a smart-phone.  I just have to get my fat fingers used to the touch screen - oh how I will miss the keyboard of the Blackberry - I knew where I was with that!

Anyway to cut a long story short there was no way I would be able to transfer over all the contacts en masse without spending money on a bit of software so I spent a jolly hour or two this morning blue-toothing each individual entry one by one!  This did at least give me a chance to sift through the 600+ entries and only transfer those that I needed or recognised.

I just need to go and get the SIM card sorted as the new phone takes one of the mini sized ones and get a case to protect it and I am good to go all singing and all dancing!!!  Let's hope that John's mum is successful in getting the phone his sister gave him sorted and then we will both be happy!

As I said it was Ladies Lunch today and we were eating at Christos's Taverna in the village - Sheila had organised a light lunch of frittata salad and chips.  We had a very pleasant lunch sat under the spreading vine and it was so good to see some other people eating there.  We like the taverna but it so seldom looks open that you cannot go on a whim.  Alkisti is always happy to open if you give her notice and her food and hospitality is excellent.  It looks like Christos is doing some work to tidy the taverna up as there were a load of nice wooden chairs at the back which he had painted and inside were all the new upholstered seat pads to go on them.  We like this taverna but sometimes it just looks so closed and neglected - it would be good to see some life injected into it once again.

We had salad and dips to start with lovely fresh village bread and then freshly cooked chips - mountains of them and plates and plates of freshly cooked frittata - with and without mushrooms and then plums and figs picked freshly from Christos's trees and then finally the piece de resistance - loukmades - the soft sweet honey balls which I love!!!  All this for just €10!!!

We were a smaller group than usual - not surprising for the time of year when people have visitors or are on holiday themselves or maybe didn't like the single menu choice or didn't like the venue but with a smaller group it is easier to talk to everyone.

We had so much food we gave a plate of frittata to the driver of the safari jeep that stopped and another to the English family who were his passengers!

As I say a lovely lunch and afterwards Sheila and I went to have a nose at the house behind which has been recently sold having been empty for ages.  A young(ish) English couple have bought it and are currently doing it up in between her working as a teacher in Hong Kong.

Back home and Charlie has found a new place to keep cool - unfortunately it is on my sideboard and I found him snoring away hugging the fruit bowl.  Not too sure I am happy about him being there particularly with a number of glass ornaments just to his right.

We moved him on and he came to join us as we spent the end of the afternoon/early evening before it got dark sitting out on the steamer chairs.  We were joined by Chivers and Boris (who decided to sit on John's lap like some great big hot water bottle - great in temperatures just below 30 degrees!!!) Minnie Mou was also there but retreated to the comfort and cool of the outside shower tray when I got up to get the camera.

We think they remained close by because there was a lot of activity and noise coming from the field next door.  They had come to collect the grain which has been drying in the turning bay - this apparently could not be achieved without a lot of shouting and engine revving!