visitors...

Sorry to my regular blog readers but today's post is a bit of a shortened one because today we were having a day at home to recharge our batteries and get ready for the arrival of John's Mum and Stepdad.  It is only three weeks since they were here at our Silver Wedding Celebrations and now they are returning for their regular three week holiday with a couple of days when they are here at the same time as John's cousin and family so we will be trying to catch up with them too.

It is hot at the moment, hot and sticky and John and I are feeling the heat even here in Droushia.   Currently we have visitors that we want to see and we are looking after our friends' cat and house and then we have family and friends who we also want to spend time with so a day at home to take stock is something of a luxury even if it involves cleaning!   We hope to have Wendy and Bill come and stay with us at the weekend - it has been a long time since they were able to do so and if Elena is ok and back from Nicosia we will be dining al fresco at Orexi - Elena and Bassam are insistent that we do and we really want to but only if it is ok with them.

With that in mind we took a load of Peaches from John and Susan's tree to Orexi this morning so that something wonderful could be cooked as a pudding and from there went to the Post Office in the village for a pitta for lunch (a) because our cupboard was bare and (b) because we want to support Andri and (c) because when we had one there the other day it was lovely.  Today did not disappoint - John and I each had a pitta with lounza and halloumi and shared some chips and then as we were feeling very full Andri came out with some traditional Mahalepi for desert - a sort of panacotta with rosewater around it.  Not everyone's favourite and the rosewater can be a bit strong but I sort of like it but only in small amounts and as it was given to us free it would have been churlish not to have eaten it.

On our return home we needed to feed our cats - last night Chivers was acting quite strangely as if something living had taken refuge under the sofa.  We tipped it up and found an empty crisp packet that had been tied into a bow which is one of Chivers' favourite toys so we assumed that was what he was after.

Anyway when I went to feed Charlie with a pouch of catfood I opened the cupboard and reached inside and picked up - a mouse!!!!  Sorry Mum but I swore and dropped it and it shot under the fridge.  We then tried to make sure that we had all exits barred and John then moved the fridge so it shot under the sofa - Charlie was in the house and we made the decision that we would reluctantly allow him to catch it when we moved the sofa.

As we tipped up the sofa Charlie did his job and caught the mouse but caught him or her quite gently so it was in his jaws and apparently unharmed so John extricated it and let it go.  Whether or not it died of shock we will never know but all we know is that it was alive when we last saw it.

Excitement over we got ourselves sorted, watched a little of the Olympics, checked the flight before setting of down to Emba for a quick cuppa with Mum and Dad before heading to the airport.

We like to make sure we have seen all of the cats before we go out - I know people will think we are anal but there are a lot of dangers for pets here.  A dog that lived just up the road from Diana and Rob was bitten by a scorpion yesterday and sadly died.  We have had scorpions dead in the pool and alive in the house so that is a worry along with snakes and poison and being shut into other people's cars and houses.

We did a head count and left Mr Boo sound asleep on the sofa - he is the worst wanderer - the Australian lady down the road says she sees him most days and feeds him although she doesn't touch him or at least I think that is what she says as she has the strangest accent I have ever heard!!  She would give the French policeman from 'Allo 'Allo a run for his money!!

As we left for the airport we saw the most fabulous moon - we thought it was full but apparently that is tomorrow - it appears to be a Super Moon as it is so much larger than normal.

Trying to photograph it with the small camera proved to be difficult.  I think that camera has had its day as it struggles sometimes to capture things in focus.

Anyway we made our way down to Emba - we had checked the flights and it appeared that today on one of the busiest days there would be for Paphos airport five or six flights were due to come in at the same time.  This would mean chaos at the airport so we decided that we would have a cuppa with Mum and Dad and then go to the airport when we thought the flight had landed because that would give Janet and Hadge time to get through by the time we had arrived and save us clocking up huge parking charges.

When we checked the flight at Mum and Dads we were amazed to see that it was due in about earlier than anticipated so we didn't have as much time in Emba as we had planned.  As it happens by the time we got to the airport John dropped me off and I went in whilst he slowly circulated the perimeter of the carpark and by the time I got in and had a trip to the loo Janet and Hadge were brought through by the fabulous Assistance personnel.

They were due to land at 8.45pm in Paphos and John and I were amazed that we picked them up drove steadily back to Polis, settled them in, drove back to Droushia and we were settled on our sofa by 10.15pm - it was all so easy.  A very very busy few weeks ahead of us.  Barry Lynne and Joseph arrive on Saturday and we always look forward to catching up with them.


Just finally before we go to bed remember those less fortunate than ourselves for whatever reason that might be.