Easter in Cyprus...

It is Good Friday here in Cyprus and the weather is much improved save for the fact that there is dust in the atmosphere coming from the Sahara which meant that today was extremely warm and extremely muggy.  We are gradually taking the house out of winter mode and I plan give the rugs a good clean tomorrow before we pack them away for the summer.  The longer days and warmer temperatures mean that the cats are up and about super early.  Chivers was jumping around on the bed just before 6.00am this morning wanting to be fed and Charlie and Boo were out on a hunt although not very far away as they both returned home to the call in anticipation of their breakfast.

I managed to get a little time in the garden this morning before we had to get down to Emba for pickleball.  We also had a list of places we needed to go into if they were open - you can never be too sure when it comes to religious Bank Holidays here. 

I was delighted to see that one of the Alium bulbs Mum gave me has actually managed to win its battle with the snails and is flowering - it is small and stocky unlike the others in the back garden that are very tall.  We don't use any sort of pesticide or insecticide because of the cats so plants have to take their chances against their foes.

We got ready for pickleball and headed on down to Paphos - my sister arrives later today so I am staying on at Mum's after playing so that we can go together to the airport and pick Kaye up - her flight comes in about 9.00pm and I don't want Mum doing that trip in the dark and to be fair Mum doesn't really want to do that trip anymore.  It is a bit of a pain that we have four trips to the airport in the space of a week but it cannot be helped.

Pickleball was warm and sticky - so much so that we had to have the fans on for the first time this year!!!  We had all six of us and it was gun and good natured.

Currently Cyprus is in the early stages of introducing a National Health System.  Everyone who lives here permanently will be expected to sign up and contribute which is fine and we think that ultimately it will lead to a better and clearer system for health care.  The only trouble is no-one really seems to know exactly how it will work and what you will get from your contributions.  The system went live a couple of days ago and I have tried and failed to register with a doctor because the on-line system will not recognise the fact that we have been issued with permanent residency even though we have.  Mum needs to register but is still awaiting her new permanent residency paperwork so I suggested she nip to the Doctor that she wants as her GP and get a good old fashioned paper form from her so that we can do the necessary without troubling the on-line system.

Whilst I was waiting for her to return I sat outside on the veranda enjoying the late afternoon sunshine.  The plant mum was given from the nursery which did the flowers for Dad's funeral is looking absolutely magnificent.  Mine is still alive but nowhere near flowering yet - I think it may be in the wrong place.  Mum is clearly doing something right with this bad-boy!

I am pleased to see that my handiwork covering the glass on Mum's outside table has survived the very adverse weather conditions over the Winter.  We used tile stickers from Jumbo's and although I struggled to get a decent edge to the pattern due to not having a sharp pair of scissors or Stanley knife it isn't too noticeable.  I am guessing Kaye will be taking breakfast there this week with Mum providing the weather continues to be kind.

Mum and I had some time to kill before going to the airport so we decided to go down to the Mall which was probably the place most likely to be open and have a bit of a mooch and then go up to the food hall and have something to eat.

I always think of Dad when we do this because before Kings Mall was built in Paphos we would, occasionally go with Mum and Dad to My Mall in Limassol.  Here Dad and I would head for the food hall and order and share a Chinese while Mum and John would do the same with a KFC.  Dad loved Chinese so it was no hardship to share with him.  This evening I persuaded Mum to try something other than KFC and she decided to try Lemon Chicken with Egg Fried Rice.  I got them to remove any vegetables or salad from the meat so that there was nothing she didn't like.

My sister was travelling from Birmingham on a Jet2 flight which was due in at 8.50pm but which made good time and so actually came in 20 minutes early.  My sister is on the right of the photo above with her daughter Elena on the left.  This was taken last week when they took part in a charity 10K run.  Whilst I was busy building a snowman out of the hail which had fallen they were boiling alive waiting to start!!

We were ready and waiting for her to come through with her hand luggage which took about 30 minutes and then we were off back to Emba where I made sure she and Mum got in ok and then made my way back home - a good run until I got to Stroumbi where it was pea soupers and I couldn't see my hand in front of my face!!!