Best laid plans...

Today would have been Mum and Dad's 63rd Wedding Anniversary and it only seems five minutes ago that we were organising their Diamond Wedding celebrations at Sonny's.  That had been such a fabulous evening - everything went to plan and we all enjoyed ourselves tremendously.

We knew that today was going to be difficult for Mum - all these occasions tackled for the first time are going to be - so I didn't go to art today and asked Mum what she wanted to do and she said she would like to go to Kouklia - note to self and anyone reading, Kouklia is pretty much closed on a Monday which was disappointing but undeterred we took a wander around the streets.

Kouklia is a pretty village which benefits from a number of pretty cafes and eateries and two craft shops.   I used the shop that sells the olive oil products with the beautifully painted shutters as a subject for a picture I did at Sheila's.  I had it up for sale at Sonny's and someone bought it which was very satisfying.

We decided that we would stop long enough to have a coffee and then decide where we would go next - John suggested either Pissouri or Mandria and maybe a fish and chip lunch.  We were undecided and in no rush so headed back to the centre of the village for a coffee whilst we made our minds up.

Some of the cafes were closed maybe for the winter and others because it was a Monday so we decided to go to one which we had visited with Wendy and Bill some time ago when we first met which I think is called Ephraim or Marias.

It is a beautiful old traditional building which has been well looked after and where I had to go into the kitchen to find someone who would be able to knock us up a couple of coffees and some Chai for Mum.  It is clearly a traditional family affair with several generations up to their armpits in food preparation.

It was lovely and warm sat outside on the veranda and we watched what little life there was going on in Kouklia.

We were watching a man balancing precariously on a ricketty ladder removing some bunting.  John feared for his safety so did the decent thing and went out and helped him.

We moved on to Mandria having decided we would go and take a look at what was going on there and then stop and have some fish and chips because Mandria does do some very good fish and chips.  We were out of luck Mandria was shut on a Monday too.  We took a ride around all the apartments, town houses and villas that have been built down by the sea and decided it is really not somewhere we would like to live.  There is a massive development but featureless and unappealing to our tastes.

In the end we decided that we would take Mum to pick up her glasses which have been adjusted and then go to the Mall because Mum loves a bit of KFC as does John.  I also wanted to pick up another ceramic pot to go onto Dad's grave.  Hoorah the Mall was open and we had our bargain bucket plus some and I think Mum enjoyed it.

Our final stop for the day was to the nursery near Mums to get another plant for the ceramic pot and whilst we were there I noticed that they had some fabulous standard roses and we have been waiting to get one with deep red flowers which we were going to plant up as a memorial to Hadge.

John chose a fabulous plant and when we got home we finally got the pot we had set aside planted up and made a little sign for him.  John managed to skype his mum this evening to show her what we have done.

I know that Wednesday is going to be a very difficult day for John's Mum as it will be a year since Hadge passed away but we are pleased that we have been able to get his memorial sorted in time.

It is an emotional time for us all at the moment.  I am feeling drained.  I hope to tackle the tax office for the final time tomorrow to close Dad's file - I can't tell you how much I hate filling in forms and there have been so many of late.

John was staying up this evening to watch the Mighty Blades on TV - I was too tired and I cannot take the swearing at the TV.