Bring on Spring...

If you are down in Chlorakas at any time can I recommend the coffee shop opposite called Chocco's?  A favourite haunt of Mum and Dad's - they are made to feel very welcome there, have their own mugs that they can get their fingers into and serve a decent cup of tea or coffee at a decent price - they have now started serving soup at lunchtime - Mum is gutted that it has been mushroom because she, like John, doesn't do fungus.

There is never a problem persuading Dad to go there and as it faces the sun if there is any then the ambiance is very pleasant and if there isn't then they warm up the place with gas heaters.  It is also only a couple of doors up from the vets that Mum and Dad use for Fred (now fully healed from his most recent mauling) and where he will stay if Mum and Dad are away at any time.  This is a relief as it means no-one will be enlisted to attend to Fred's needs which, when it comes to cat litter, is a complete no-no in John's book, nor will anyone be responsible for ensuring that Fred doesn't escape and come back looking like he has encountered a pack of marauding lions and Mum and Dad will be happy knowing that Fred is in safe hands.

The weather has turned colder and stormier up in them there hills - snow is forecast at the weekend and daytime temperatures only in single figures.  We are due to be doing our first village clean of the year and I will go and visit Marianna who is now ensconced in her bright new office in the mini-Strasbourg building we have which is our new Mukhtari building.  All being well we shall rest our weary bodies in the warmth of the Droushia Heights Hotel afterwards with a well earned cup of coffee.

It has been very windy - a cold wind coming from Turkey which always makes the temperatures plummet.  The wind chill is unpleasant and the debris in the garden gets whipped up and ends up in the pool making a mess - John has to go out and brave the elements and clean up because he doesn't want the water to go green.  Then he will come in and offer to warm up his freezing hands on my neck or face!!

Now is the time I need to ensure that tender plants are protected - most things in the garden have been there for a couple of years and therefore a couple of winters and are used to the conditions but I have a new hibiscus that I have wrapped up in the hopes it will survive.

The cold wind does a lot of damage in that respect and if you combine that with hail or snow landing on leaves and then melting in any sunshine it can be a recipe for disaster.  We should never be complacent in January or February as we should remember that bright sunny days are a bonus - this is generally when we receive the worst of our winter weather.  I really hope that we get off lightly this year because all the rain before Christa mas was bad enough.

Damp weather and the smoke from our, and other, wood burner chimneys means that the windows are being covered in a layer of smut.  When the sun shines it looks awful so today John went out and cleaned the back door window to expose some daylight outside!!!!  Seriously though it is like being in the black hole of calcutta sometimes.  It will be good to get out and give them a good clean but not when there is more rain forecast.

Fingers crossed that the weather will be kind on Saturday as it is the opening ceremony for Paphos being the 2017 European City of Culture and apparently there are no wet weather contingency arrangements for the contributors or the crowds.  We wont be going as we are being taken out by Susan and John Read as a thankyou for looking after their house and their cat whilst they were away at Christmas - we are going to try out The Lodge in Kato Paphos - we haven't been there before but heard good reports and apparently if you like meat and lots of it then it is the place to go - I have had a quick look online and it appears it does seafood as well so will be interested to report back - we aren't very familiar with eating establishments in Paphos so it will be good to be able to recommend somewhere.

Whilst John was out cleaning windows I tackled the toilet by the kitchen.  This little room is on a corner that never gets the sun and so is freezing - it also has the soakaway from the flat roof hidden in the corner so that acts like a bloody great ice pop in the winter.

It gets so cold in there it feels damp and sometimes is damp so we are planning to refubish it this year.  The toilet handle is dodgy and the very expensive toilet seat wasn't worth the money as the colour is wearing off of it and so all in all it is not a place to linger.

It felt like a Naval inspection day as I spent time with my head down the loo scrubbing it with an old toothbrush!!!  I have a thing about toilets - I do like them to be nice and clean and although we probably shouldn't put bleach anywhere near it because of the septic tank I just have to - it is the only way I can be sure it is clean and germ free.

All this activity turns our minds to jobs and maintenance in the house and John is preparing a list - we have lots of plans still and lots of essentials but we are limited by budget and with the poor exchange rate and Brexit jitters we may scale down to just essentials for the time being.

I have a trip to Kate's tomorrow for a facial and to take her a little gift before she jets off to Dubai for her 40th birthday and some quality time with her husband without the kids.  I am hoping she will be able to squeeze the tote bag into her suitcase and then fill it with lovely things when she goes shopping.