Back to normal...

After all the excitement of yesterday we are back to a normal Friday.  It was a fine bright spring day - the clocks change tomorrow and it will officially be Spring although I think that the Cypriots tend to treat March as the beginning of the new season.  The beautiful weather energises us and we are starting to rid our home of the signs of winter and the big clear up begins inside and out.  The barbeque area got a sweep out this morning as the recent hail storm took its toll on the fascia which now looks like it has been shot.  We had to remove Chivers first though, he had found a spot to shelter from the sun - either that or he (and Charlie) wanted to know when we were going to have a barbeque.


The conservatory is now hotting up with so much sunshine around and it was time to give the throws a wash - on a day like today washing is a joy as things are only on the line for a short while before they are dry.  I am keen to give the conservatory a bit of attention this year and want to add some more greenery which will cope with the extremes of temperature that we have in that room.

The ficus that Aunty Joyce and Uncle David gave us still survives but is going through its annual shed so is looking far from its best.  In the opposite corner we have a peace lily which has struggled but is now showing signs of having come to terms with its environment and providing it gets plenty of water when it is hot it is ok.

When we look back on all the things which we have done to this house the conservatory was by far the best money we spent and the thing which has probably given us the most return on our investment as it is a space which we utilise time and time again.  At this time of year the cats love the warmth and we generally find two or three of them chilling out in there when we return home having been out.

Today we were off down to Emba for pickleball and badminton.  Diana was going separately and meeting us at pickleball as she and Rob had errands to run beforehand.  We generally bump into them when we are on way down!!

Today we had a few things to do ourselves so we set off in plenty of time to visit the various shops on our list and some which were not and having completed everything we needed to do had time to kill so we quickly went into the old Town so I could get my replacement pair of glasses.

I have my Deirdre's which apparently are the 'in' shape - the optician is pleased because he says they are much more fashionable than the pair I lost.  I am not so sure - I had a pair like this in my early 20s and for about the last 10 years I have had some small rectangular frames which I have got so used to that these new ones look huge.  Still the lenses are fab they felt comfortable from the moment I put them on and I can see!!!  This is good and will be even better when it comes to playing pickleball which I did on Tuesday without my glasses - my short sight is poor at the best of times but without my specs is dire to say the least!

We had a good hard session at pickleball, made harder by the fact that we only had five players all of whom are competitive although some more than others I would hasten to add!!!


Mum and I did a quick whip around Jumbos after our games as I had a few things I needed to get then we returned home for a cuppa with Dad and Fred.  I am very pleased to report that Dad thinks his eye is better than it was before the operation which is really good news - it is still a bit sore and the eye drops mum administers don't help but it is still very early days.  

Drouseian's Day Out - Number 2

Today's blog will be mainly pictures because today we were having our second scheduled Drouseian Day Out.  Today was Rob and Diana's turn to decide where we went and what we did.

We have all realised that living here has meant we have stopped exploring the island that we fell in love with so we are setting aside one day a month to leave aside any DIY, shopping or other day to day tasks and go out and be tourists.  Last month we went to the Troodos to play in the snow and today we were going up to Stavros Tis Psokas to see the Moufflon and to take in the amazing scenery at a time when the island is looking its absolute best.

We started out by driving through Kritou Terra and as we left the village behind we were rewarded by some spectacular views and all along the roadside the verges were littered with spring flowers,  Orchids in all shapes and sizes left to do what they do best - bloom!!!  There was wild garlic in flower and wild sage in flower and the delicate wild gladioli and poppies.  Stunning - absolutely stunning.

Our mantra on days like these is 'ain't we lucky?' because we realise that we are very, very lucky indeed and after the horrific events in London yesterday when a terrorist randomly mowed people down in the street, people who were just going about their daily business, we are more conscious than ever of how lucky we are.

Out the back of Kritou Terra we wound our way slowly down to the main road stopping at the church of Agia Ekatarina which has been beautifully restored but is only used once a year.

Outside there are still the faint remains of some frescoes on the wall and inside if it had been brighter we may have been able to make out some more but we preferred to see the inside with the sunshine streaming in through the slit windows in the dome.

Our progress was slow as we stopped to look at all sorts of things en route but eventually we got to Peristerona where there is an EOKA monument at the top of a deep ravine from where you can sometimes see vultures flying - we only go to see an eagle but that was good enough for us.

After all the rain we have had the landscape is the greenest we have seen it in a long long time, if ever and the air is fresh and full of the aroma of wild flowers and pine trees.

We stayed quite a while here as the boys, armed with binoculars tried to make out our houses in Droushia which sits on top of the skyline and in so doing made us realise just how high above sea level our village sits - no wonder it is so damn cold in the winter - we were looking down on Steni and we always thought that we travelled quite a way up to Steni from Droushia but oh no Droushia must be twice as high above sea level.

Time for a selfie when we stopped and retraced our steps so we could go to the viewing point and look down the valley to the Evretou Dam and inspite of all the rain and wet weather over the past few months the water level is quite low.

Next stop was for coffee and we opted for the Hotel Paradisos in Lysos - partly because nowhere else seemed to be open and partly because we wanted to check out exactly how far they had got with the huge extension they had put on the side which for sometime looked like a big white elephant.

When we first went to that hotel it was a small boutique hotel and they took us around the rooms to have a look.  I remember going up there with Nicky and having coffee on the terrace and then they expanded and for months the extension was a concrete eyesore.  Now it seems that they have managed to incorporate it into the style of the original building.  We spent a very pleasant coffee break there enjoying some homemade biscuits and the glorious sunshine that accompanied our trip all day - it was lovely.

We then made our way up through the Cedar Valley and headed for Stavros Tis Psokas where there is a Moufflon Enclosure.  As we approached the enclosure we suddenly saw about 20 Moufflon running from one side to the other and we were sure that they were going to hide away and remain out of our view but as we walked up and around the periphery, which is currently undergoing some renovation in terms of the steps we suddenly spotted them again and within a few minutes they seemed to have got used to us being there and eventually came to rest near us lying down basking in dappled sun which was filtering through the trees.

There are some fine specimens with magnificent horns inside the enclosure and we stayed for quite a while looking at them and taking their photographs.  It was brilliant to see them and to see them looking well cared for - we just realise how well camouflaged they must be in the wild!

We left the moufflon to go and take a look at the campsite nearby - John and I had camped there about five years ago with Helen and Alistair and Jane and Mark.  Things seemed to have changed quite a bit as there were more buildings there than we remembered - certainly the toilets near the grill house looked new and were remarkably clean for being in the middle of nowhere.  We passed lots of old wooden houses which we think you used to be able to hire as summer accommodation but they looked very run down now - run down but full of logs so we reckon they are now just used by the Forestry people.

Had we realised how difficult it was going to be to find somewhere to eat we should have stopped at the grill house there but we didn't and we nearly came to rue that decision but thankfully Simou came to the rescue!!!

We stopped briefly at the Church of the Holy Cross as we were leaving Stavros Tis Psokas - a very pretty church in a beautiful location but sadly this one was locked so we couldn't get to look inside.  We then made our way down from Stavros Tis Psokas heading for Panagia or a village thereabouts to have something to eat.  This proved to be more difficult than we realised as we found next to nothing until we got to Simou - apart from a taverna with a madwoman beckoning us in and the winery at Panagia which was more or less closed!!

We were beginning to get a little desperate for something to eat by the time we decided to check out the square in Simou.  There were a number of hopeful looking coffee shops but at around 4.00pm to be honest we didn't really expect anywhere small to be able to accommodate us but we found this fabulous little cafe where the lady rustled up some toasted sandwiches, fresh hand cut chips and drinkies for only €20 - billy bargain.

Simou looked rather interesting and definitely worth a second visit - in the square is a tree that purports to be over 1000 years old and is a Mastic Tree with a massive girth of over six metres and a height of over 14 metres.  It is maintained by the forestry commission and the locals.  Those toasted sandwiches were the best meal ever at that particular point in time and we thoroughly enjoyed them.

Our final visit of the day was to the now, sadly derelict, Sa Bonari restaurant which overlooks the reservoir.  It has stunning view including an abandoned Turkish village.

What a shame that this venue failed to take off as it had, on the face of it, everything going for it.

We made our way home and fed the cats before decamping at the Veaseys for a glass of wine and some vinyl.

We had intended to wander down to the Hotel for a carafe but got too comfortable on the sofa so stayed for an hour or so listening to Rob's record collection before our stunningly beautiful star-lit walk home after the most fabulous day.  Thank you Diana and Rob - our turn next - no pressure!!!

old friends and new friends...

Sadly the weather today was more than a bit miserable - grey and chilly and we were meeting up with our No 1 Stalkers Wendy and Bill from Pissouri and Bill's Mum Mary and his aunty Margaret.  They had persuaded Mary to come over with her sister for a break as Mary had sadly recently lost her husband (Bill's Dad).

We cleaned and tidied our place and John laid up the fire so that if they came back for a cuppa they would be nice and toasty warm.  I had bought some carrot cake yesterday from Paps so I could offer them something with their cuppa!!

We got ourselves ready and then made our way down to Molos which is where we had arranged to meet the Pissourians and decided we would be better to eat indoors although it was only marginally warmer than sitting outside!!!  Such a shame because Latchi Marina is beautiful but not quite so much when the sky is grey and the wind has a bit of a chill to it!!!

We got ourselves comfy and Wendy and Bill and Mary and Margaret arrived shortly afterwards.  Bill looks like his Mum - I think it is the area around the mouth which is similar.

Mary and Margaret were great fun.  When we ordered the drinks Mary opted for a Brandy - what a girl!!!!  We studied the menus although I have no idea why because John and I always opt for the steak baguette and today was no exception in fact Bill joined us with that choice, Mary had fish and chips, Margaret had the chicken Caesar salad wrap with chips and Wendy had a halloumi salad and we all agreed it was a really good choice of venue for lunch.

We took a little walk around the marina looking at the boats - it didn't feel too cold outside but we didn't want to walk too far so decided on just a quick turn round before going back to our house for a cuppa and that cake.

Before driving back to our house Wendy took a good look at the souvenirs being sold in Latchi to check out the items and prices and get ideas for her gift shop in Pissouri - O Vrakas Gifts.

We drove back through the village to give them a feel for where we live - they were amazed at how much cooler it felt when they got out of the car so they were more than happy to see that John had the fire lit and so we all settled down in the cosy warm and had a chat, a cup of tea and Mary and Margaret polished off the remains of the lemon meringue that Diana had made at the weekend and the rest of us had the carrot cake which was lovely.

It was really good to catch up with Wendy and Bill and good to be able to share the day with his family.  They are off to the North for a couple of days so we have our fingers crossed that the weather will improve although apart from today they have had pretty good weather in Pissouri and Margaret had even been brave enough to sunbathe and put her feet in the pool - brave woman - we couldn't get her to recreate the scene up here in Droushia!!!

Best laid plans...

Our house is currently filled with the heady fragrance of narcissi thanks to Tom from Pickleball who allowed Mum and I to go and pick as many as we wanted last week.  They look cheerful and smell incredible and bring a little bit of spring into the house.  As the clocks change at the weekend and 'spring' forward it is officially the beginning of the new season and although the weather currently is warm we are due another cold snap and there is even talk of snow here at Easter which would be unbelievable although looking at the weather in the UK at the moment if that cold snap were to sweep across the Mediterranean we could be in for some pretty chilly conditions.

We have our fingers crossed that it will remain dry for Wednesday when Bill and Wendy are bringing their visitors up to this end of the island and on Thursday when it is our next Drouseian Day out and being organised by Di and Rob this time.  It is always nicer to explore the island when the sun is shining and we were so lucky when we went to the Troodos last month.

I got up early to go to the bank and to collect a parcel from SCS and to investigate what second hand books the Charity book shop had hoping to find one that Dad might enjoy once he has recovered from his operation.

The bank was open but the parcel office and the charity book shop don't open until 10.00 so my early start didn't actually help very much and I had to go and while away an hour in Paps doing a bit of shopping until the other establishments opened.  The parcel was the bike maintenance stand that I had ordered for John so that he can keep our pushbikes up together and I got very excited in the book shop when I found a bargain 50cent book by Nelson Demille only to read the back and see that it was the one that Dad had just read and really enjoyed - so anyone looking he has read Up Country.

I plumped for a Ken Follett, apparently you can't go wrong with a Ken Follett although I hated Pillars of the Earth myself.  This time Eye of the Needle which is one of my all time favourite films starring Donald Sutherland and something called And All the Kings Men by Gordon Stevens which is a story a bit like the SS-GB series currently on UK TV about what it would have been like if the Nazis had won the war.  Hopefully he will be able to return to reading and when he does these will be waiting for him.


Whilst I was down in Polis John went on another glasses hunt but to no avail and now that the goats are being grazed in the area there is no hope as they will either get eaten or get trampled on - I have given up hope now and with new ones on order will only have to wait until Friday for replacements.  I am coping ok except when it comes to using my mobile which is proving to be a challenge!!!!

Anyway as I said the goats are back and I smile at how much we used to panic when Chivers was a little kitten as he would insist on jumping into the field with them and we were concerned he would get kicked.

The cats are interested in the goats but not overly bothered by them - Charlie would normally growl if there is a stranger about or someone in the field but he normally just watches from a distance - as does Boris who likes to have the security of an elevated position!!!

It is a good time for the goats as there is plenty for them to eat and we tend to supplement their diet by chucking into the field any cuttings or weeds as we know they will get eaten.  No little kids in the flock as yet and no goats that are limping which is good to see because they are walked for miles and we are always concerned when we see one dragging its foot as we know it will have to do that for a fair old distance.

Pickleball this afternoon for me and Badminton for John.  I was travelling down with Diana and John was coming down later.  Mum is changing her day from Tuesday to Thursday so that the numbers are evened out and so that she can be around today should Dad need anything.

I walked to the end of the road to meet Di - it was the most beautiful afternoon and the views from the village are outstanding.  Despite having every slow moving vehicle known to man in front of us we still managed to make the trip in time and had a good session playing.  Mum came to pick me up as Diana was going straight home today.  We spent the afternoon with Dad who says his eye is gradually improving and a visit to Mrs Metaxa today confirmed that the operation appears to have been a success - time will tell.

All things medical...

We were up early today because we were taking Dad to Limassol for his cataract operation.  Today, Monday 20th was to be a very important day medically for lots of friends and family and we had our fingers crossed for anyone we knew who was having a brush with a white coat today.  We also had our fingers, toes and anything else crossed that this time Dad's operation would prove more successful than his previous one.

We made good time to the Clinic, I couldn't drive as my glasses are languishing in a field somewhere and although my long sight is ok my short sight is poor and without my glasses my eyes and brain seem to be at odds with one another.  We got Dad into the clinic safe and sound and they were all ready for him, this does seem a rather more professional outfit than where he went previously but then his eye was lasered and today he is being fitted with a new lens.

After the preliminary checks we left Dad to go and grab a coffee and a cake and made our way to the nearby Debenhams where there is also a Peacocks and a Next all of which were having a sale although John thought that someone must have mixed the labels up in Peacocks with Next prices - back in the UK Peacocks is one of the cheaper shops but over here blimey it is extortionate.  It was a quick flick around those two shops before going into Debenhams and heading for the coffee shop.

Whilst we were all taking advantage of the all day offer of a cup of tea or filter coffee with muffin Dad rang to say his operation would be at 12.00 and then he would have to recuperate for about 2 hours so we were to go back for him at 2.00pm.  We didn't rush over our coffees as we had plenty of time to kill and once finished we went to have a look around the clothes items and John managed to get some really nice casual trousers - thanks Mum for his early birthday present even though we now realise you have already given him his birthday present!!!!

When we had exhausted all the delights of Debenhams we went off in search of somewhere to get a sandwich made for Dad because Mum knew he would be starving once he was released by the hospital.  This is not as easy as you might think particularly as this area of Limassol is totally unfamiliar to us.  There are probably loads of great places to get a sandwich if you are in the know!!!

We had got dressed early this morning in the chill of a Droushia morning and were now getting rather hot in Limassol where the temperatures are infinitely higher - I so looked like a hick from the sticks!!!!!  We passed some rather trendy boutiques with rather trendy mannequins but didn't venture in - no prices displayed normally equates to unaffordable prices!!

I had noticed a very small very traditional looking grill house opposite Debenhams which is where we ended up for lunch in amongst the ecclesiastical lamps with roofs made from pasta!!!!  This was called the Brighton Rock cafe and was run by a London Cypriot and was where we were able to get a sandwich made for Dad.

Dad appeared at 2.00pm and was allowed to go home - we have to take him back for a check up in two weeks and have to be there for 9.00am which will mean a really early start that day!  Apparently the surgeon said everything had gone well and so now it will only be a matter of time to see.

We dropped Mum and Dad off and felt reasonably happy that this time things had gone as well as could be expected.  I rushed round to the opticians to order a replacement pair of glasses taking John with me to help me chose a new pair and to persuade him that he should have his eyes tested at the same time which he did and his long sight is fine but at some point in the future he is going to need glasses for reading.

I eventually found some frames that we all seemed to agree on.  My Optician keeps telling me that the frames I had were old fashioned and nowadays the trend is for bigger frames but I had those years ago and didn't like them then so we settled on a compromise which I hope I wont regret!!!

The new glasses wont be ready until Friday so I will have to struggle on until then - I think that is the longest I have been without glasses for ages.  I am so peed off because in 53 years I have never lost or broken a pair of specs.

So we got home in one piece and were greeted by four ravenous felines who weren't in the least bit interested as to why we had been out all day they just wanted their little tummies filled and quickly!!!

Once again belly dancing was cancelled which was a shame as Diana and I do enjoy the exercise but to cheer ourselves up (like we needed it) we decided to go eat at Fitos.  I have to say that the last time we went together it was just after Fitos had reopened after its Winter break and we didn't have the best of meals that night.  Tonight however was possibly the best meal I have ever had there.  We had all sorts of dishes brought to the table before and after we were served our main meals including ironically some fresh wild asparagus (but no glasses with them).  On the specials list there were some new additions including beef stroganoff which I chose and it was absolutely fabulous.  Our meal was rounded off with cake and coffee and brandies and a very small bill so we were all really pleased.