This is what sunrise looks like over Droushia at 5.10pm on a Monday morning - I know because I was up and about and left John sleeping to go and sit on the roof terrace to watch.  I had all sorts of things running through my mind keeping me from my slumbers, not least Mum's tax which will need sorting out as the HMRC have put her on some tax code reserved normally for Rockerfeller it would seem.  Dealing with government departments is bad enough but when you have to do it from abroad and when they really don't want to talk to you it can be more than trying.  I think that if we get no joy I will suggest that Mum goes through a tax expert and then they can take the strain.

It is Di's birthday today so before going off to Art at Sheila and Klaus's John and I went down with her card and little pressies to catch up with her and wish her all the best - we were going out this evening with them and with Sheila and Klaus.  We sat outside in the lovely morning sunshine and could have sat there for hours if there hadn't been somewhere else I needed to be!

I am working on a picture of beach huts in Australia for someone.  The original photograph is quite poor quality so I am having to improvise a bit and today I was putting in some greenery behind where the beach huts will appear.  I don't think I have had to tackle trees before so this is a challenge.  Can you believe that this little bit took me the best part of two and a half hours to complete!!

Struggling with my foliage and Sheila struggling with the face on her picture we wrapped up quite early and were grateful for the snack Klaus rustled up before I said my goodbyes, for a few hours because we would all be catching up again at Finnikas.

I went to the cemetery before going home.  Amazingly the flowers on Dad's grave are still going strong and it looks cheerful and colourful and loved.  I had planned to walk back but it was too blooming hot so quickly phoned John and he came and rescued me from the heat.

Everyone is beginning to wilt in the heat and we keep finding the cats in all sorts of places and positions.

Charlie has lost a lot of weight - or at least a lot of fur and is looking quite slim-line for him and he has taken to sleeping on his back, legs akimbo under the wake of the fan to get maximum air over his bits!

Boris had ousted Minnie-Mou out of her Eagle's Nest bed which enjoys the shade and a through draft in the afternoon - he isn't daft!

We got ready to go out - we had offered to drive and pick up Di and Rob so they didn't have to negotiate Cardiac Hill in the heat.  We then planned to leave Kenny at the Hotel carpark and pick him back up tomorrow.  This turned out to be a great plan as it was a wonderful evening when we came to walk home.  We enjoyed the cool and the stars.

We had the most fantasic meze at Finnikas last night - it was a perfect evening, good food and great company with a whole load of laughs thrown in, not least when a lemon fell and narrowly missed Klaus and then we all lost it when John was speaking to some tourists who had found the taverna from the Hotel - we were crying with laughter and it was so good to see Sheila and Klaus really really enjoying themselves.

We always think that the food here is good but last night it was exceptional and the piece de resistance was the stifado which was, I hate to admit, even better than I make!  Have to thank the Bobster for paying for the meal which was really kind.  I can't think of a better way to have celebrated Di's birthday.

We finished off the evening by strolling down to the hotel for a cocktail although Sheila and Klaus declined the invitation - clearly there had been too much excitement for them for one night!!!

It was the perfect end to a perfect evening.  A much needed evening of love and laughter for all concerned.  As we sat at the hotel looking across the starlit bay Rob and I looked at one another and spoke those immortal words "ain't we lucky?" and you know we are, we really are.