A Friday down in Emba....

We were off to Emba this morning.  It is yet another horrible start to the day but the weather forecast is for better things next week.  We cannot really complain because we need the rain but the island looks so grim when it is grey and wet.  The rain brings down all sorts of rubbish and washes it onto the roads where it stays because there is no drainage to speak of.  On the subject of roads we refer to the back road now as the The Motorway.  It is not tarmac'd but well compacted although a couple more days of this heavy rain and it will start to cut up.  It is incredible to think that what was such a tiny track until a couple of weeks ago now looks like the widest stretch of road on the island.  If we go that way it is considerably quicker.

It was to be our last Friday session for pickleball this year.  Next Friday John and I will be going down to clean the court as Marios has a function there at the weekend.  It was a good natured couple of hours.  Mum seems on such a high since her trip to the theatre and our trip to the Elysium that she was quite instrumental in the banter today.  It is good to see her like that - I know that Christmas will be difficult for her although hopefully not as much so as last year which was the first without Dad.  I was thrilled that she had been able to watch a programme on Channel 5 catch-up yesterday having made sure her TV could do that for her - there are so many interesting programs she could see if her catch-up is working properly and this is important when the days are so short and she is indoors more of the time.

We sorted out the few jobs that Mum wanted looking at and made our way home via Paps Bakery on the Mesoghi where we picked up a cooked chicken which we thought we might have for tea but when John went to swap out his empty Leon crate of beers for a full one at the fruit and veg shop at Tsada we decided to get some of the lovely fresh veggies there and make it into a casserole for Sunday. In fact the fruit and veg were so lovely I have decided that I will go there on our way home next Friday and get what I need for Christmas week and it can stay cool in the pump house until I need to use it. We decided that we would get a take-away from Fitos instead except we were a bit too early as we went past so decided to go home, get sorted, have a shower and then nip out and get a takeaway or sit in and have something.

We got to Fitos's early which was a blessing as nearly every table was reserved but managed to find a table for two and ordered straight away.  I plumped for fish and chips.  My piece was clearly a bit of Moby Dick as it was enormous - beautifully cooked and fresh and moist - I treated myself to a bit of the batter but left the majority because the fish and their home-made tartare sauce was delicious.    We bumped into several people we knew and had a quick chat with them all before making our way home where John had left the wood burner ticking over so it was cosy and warm inside which also meant that all four cats were in too which is always a bonus.

You cannot beat a Friday night when you are nicely fed and watered and snuggled up and warm.  We have had a bit of a change round with the furniture too because we know it can be too warm sat at the dining table eating so turned the coffee table round 90 degrees and brought the small sofa up closer to it which means there is more room for the coffee table - hopefully that will be enough for us to be comfortable at Christmas.