It is Friday and we are taking Joyce and David back down to Emba to spend the weekend with Mum although actually they will all be back up again tomorrow when we celebrate Mum's birthday by going to lunch at the Farmyard in Kathikas and then having Sheila and Klaus around for a cuppa later in the afternoon and then they will be back again on Sunday when I shall be cooking for us all!!!
On the subject of Mum's birthday and Sheila and Klaus coming for a cuppa I woke in a blind panic that I was never going to get everything done because I needed to make a cake - you cannot have a birthday cuppa without a bit of cake and it is always best to make a cake that Mum likes so it was to be a Banana Loaf. So whilst John, Joyce and David enjoyed an early morning cuppa and snooze in bed I was whipping up a storm in the kitchen. Sadly this did not turn out to be the best Banana Loaf I have ever made as it sank a little in the middle but I was in a bit of a rush.
We had taken some jewellery down for resizing and repair earlier in the week - we have been meaning to do it for months and months and had got a phonecall yesterday to say that it was all ready so we left early so that we could call in and collect it.
We had gone to Infusion Gallery which is next to the Marks and Sparks foodhall in the Old Town and we were really pleased with the results and the price. John had five rings resized - not that he is planning on looking like some gypsy with all his gold but as he so rightly said none of the rings were any good to him if he couldn't get them on. One was his original wedding ring and the other a second wedding ring I had bought to celebrate one of our special anniversaries, another was a signet ring which he has had since he was about 16 and the other two were of huge sentimental value. Along with the rings we had three chains repaired including my rather expensive one whch we got in the gold souk in Dubai many years ago. All were returned to us perfect and, even better, beautifully cleaned and polished. So many many thanks to Martin the Jeweller for a job very well done - we aren't sure where we have come across you before - who knows maybe it was in Exeter many years ago!!
It was exceptionally hot at pickleball today but at least with six of us we all had chance of a sit out. Liselotte had brought me two plants of physalis (cape gooseberry) as she was thinning out what she has at home. - they were enormous and having only just been dug out were flagging in the heat but I said I would give them a go in pots at home - poor John will be left in charge of them come Thursday so I am not overly hopeful that if they survive being dug up they will survive in his care but it would be nice if they did as I love the fruits it will bear.
I have a million and one things to do over the next few days if I am ever going to get away and leave the house and garden in a state that John can cope with so we didn't stay after pickleball - we will be seeing Mum, Joyce and David tomorrow, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday anyway so I didn't think anyone would mind. It is a good job we did get home a bit earlier than normal because no sooner had we got in than Bassam rang and wanted to come over and measure up the outside wall that we need some work doing to - thanks to the Dulux Weathershield paint we used which is parting company with the walls. Bassam brought Lola - she loves our house and wants us to leave it to her - she said she had only come along to make sure we were looking after it properly for her. My she is growing up, but then all the kids are. Bassam is currently observing Ramadan so I couldn't give him anything - he said it is a great diet if nothing else!!! Bless him he always has such a great sense of humour - I cannot believe it is is birthday on Monday and he will be 53 and that it was three years ago that we had him, Elena, the kids, Uncle Stavraki and Aunty Friday here to celebrate his 50th. How times have changed in those intervening years.
Bassam was in no rush to leave - I think he was killing time before collection Rabia from Polis so most of my plans for doing things went out of the window. We do not see Bassam and the children as much as I think we should although having said that the kids are always busy doing something, football, ballet or paino or something else and now that Amoura is 16 she is all grown up and doing her own thing. Lola wants us to go to the school to see the end of year play which I will providing I am back from the UK in time - school here breaks up soon and for three months!!
The last bit of information for today is about the hotel complex in Latchi which used to be called the Elia, then became some sort of tree-hugging holistic retreat called Zenning and then suddenly closed. This was such a shame because it is right in the centre of Latchi in a commanding position and set in 65 acres. We learned through Argy that her brother who used to own it when it was Elia was back there helping to get it up and running as a going concern once again and it is now called the Latchi Family Resort. It is really good news that this has reopened, good for Latchi and good for families wanting a holiday near the sea - the aerial shot used on their website just shows what a massive area the site covers - let's hope it does well as the area needs it - particularly as there is no sign of the white elephant that is the Russian hotel opening any time soon - not surprising as it was built too wide and too high!
On the subject of Mum's birthday and Sheila and Klaus coming for a cuppa I woke in a blind panic that I was never going to get everything done because I needed to make a cake - you cannot have a birthday cuppa without a bit of cake and it is always best to make a cake that Mum likes so it was to be a Banana Loaf. So whilst John, Joyce and David enjoyed an early morning cuppa and snooze in bed I was whipping up a storm in the kitchen. Sadly this did not turn out to be the best Banana Loaf I have ever made as it sank a little in the middle but I was in a bit of a rush.
We had taken some jewellery down for resizing and repair earlier in the week - we have been meaning to do it for months and months and had got a phonecall yesterday to say that it was all ready so we left early so that we could call in and collect it.We had gone to Infusion Gallery which is next to the Marks and Sparks foodhall in the Old Town and we were really pleased with the results and the price. John had five rings resized - not that he is planning on looking like some gypsy with all his gold but as he so rightly said none of the rings were any good to him if he couldn't get them on. One was his original wedding ring and the other a second wedding ring I had bought to celebrate one of our special anniversaries, another was a signet ring which he has had since he was about 16 and the other two were of huge sentimental value. Along with the rings we had three chains repaired including my rather expensive one whch we got in the gold souk in Dubai many years ago. All were returned to us perfect and, even better, beautifully cleaned and polished. So many many thanks to Martin the Jeweller for a job very well done - we aren't sure where we have come across you before - who knows maybe it was in Exeter many years ago!!
It was exceptionally hot at pickleball today but at least with six of us we all had chance of a sit out. Liselotte had brought me two plants of physalis (cape gooseberry) as she was thinning out what she has at home. - they were enormous and having only just been dug out were flagging in the heat but I said I would give them a go in pots at home - poor John will be left in charge of them come Thursday so I am not overly hopeful that if they survive being dug up they will survive in his care but it would be nice if they did as I love the fruits it will bear.
I have a million and one things to do over the next few days if I am ever going to get away and leave the house and garden in a state that John can cope with so we didn't stay after pickleball - we will be seeing Mum, Joyce and David tomorrow, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday anyway so I didn't think anyone would mind. It is a good job we did get home a bit earlier than normal because no sooner had we got in than Bassam rang and wanted to come over and measure up the outside wall that we need some work doing to - thanks to the Dulux Weathershield paint we used which is parting company with the walls. Bassam brought Lola - she loves our house and wants us to leave it to her - she said she had only come along to make sure we were looking after it properly for her. My she is growing up, but then all the kids are. Bassam is currently observing Ramadan so I couldn't give him anything - he said it is a great diet if nothing else!!! Bless him he always has such a great sense of humour - I cannot believe it is is birthday on Monday and he will be 53 and that it was three years ago that we had him, Elena, the kids, Uncle Stavraki and Aunty Friday here to celebrate his 50th. How times have changed in those intervening years.
Bassam was in no rush to leave - I think he was killing time before collection Rabia from Polis so most of my plans for doing things went out of the window. We do not see Bassam and the children as much as I think we should although having said that the kids are always busy doing something, football, ballet or paino or something else and now that Amoura is 16 she is all grown up and doing her own thing. Lola wants us to go to the school to see the end of year play which I will providing I am back from the UK in time - school here breaks up soon and for three months!!
The last bit of information for today is about the hotel complex in Latchi which used to be called the Elia, then became some sort of tree-hugging holistic retreat called Zenning and then suddenly closed. This was such a shame because it is right in the centre of Latchi in a commanding position and set in 65 acres. We learned through Argy that her brother who used to own it when it was Elia was back there helping to get it up and running as a going concern once again and it is now called the Latchi Family Resort. It is really good news that this has reopened, good for Latchi and good for families wanting a holiday near the sea - the aerial shot used on their website just shows what a massive area the site covers - let's hope it does well as the area needs it - particularly as there is no sign of the white elephant that is the Russian hotel opening any time soon - not surprising as it was built too wide and too high!
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