More Unwelcome Visitors!

The start of a new week and I don't know what it is with wildlife in our house at the moment but today we had a million ants on a route march from the back door, along the top of the wood paneling, up and over the mantlepiece, down the back of the TV, across the rug and under the sofa - WTF??????  We had to move the sofa - the big heavy sofa bed which weighs a ton only to find a poor wee dead shrew absolutely covered by a sea of bloody ants.  It took us for ever to get it cleaned up and to make sure that we had eradicated the ants (for the time being - until the cats bring in something else to die).

We were having a quiet week this week as my second Covid vaccine is tomorrow and people have had some pretty adverse reactions so we didn't want to plan too much.  I had earmarked today for a tidy and deadhead around the garden.  Having moved the sofa bed this morning we uncovered two pictures we had bought some time ago which we have done nothing with and having looked at them we decided that we would have a radical change to the 'curiosity' wall at the outside dining space.  The 'curiosity' wall is a collection of disparate bits and pieces which we have been given or collected over time and which have been shoved on there.  It was all brilliant for when we had our 25th wedding anniversary afternoon tea party - all very in keeping but we are now fast approaching our pearl wedding anniversary and we wanted to redo that area into something a bit more classy!!!

So we have removed all the bits and pieces and rehomed the vast majority and we stained the wood whilst everything was done and have put up the two pictures which we have had loafing around for a while.  It isn't quite finished but we have gone for the 'less is more' approach and are very happy with the end result - a tad more sophisticated and orderly - John likes orderly!

This evening the three Amigas were together and we were tackling the Kathikas Nature Trail as Rachel had a small window of opportunity to escape family and business for an hour and a half which was exactly what was required.  Hats off to her because she doesn't do heights and the uphill section is traversing a cliff face (more or less) but she did it without freaking out!!!

This is the view from the viewing point at the summit of the walk - it is spectacular and by the time we got there we were glad of a sit down - it might have been six o'clock but it was still pretty warm.  It was good to go out together - it wasn't a long walk but it is a spectacular walk!!

An unwelcome visitor

I cannot believe that it was only yesterday that I was talking to Nicky and Mark about whether or not they had had an encounter with a Mole Cricket which is the weirdest largest thing that flies around here - quite disgusting really.  We tend to only see them when one is doing backstroke in the pool and then they look a bit like a small rodent - I guess that, and the fact that they burrow, is why they may be named after a mole.

This morning I was doing Charlie's 3.00am feed and he would take a couple of bites and then start staring into the darkness of the conservatory - I couldn't see anything but he after a short while he shot off and started poking around under the large sofa.  Suddenly something shot out and I realised it was a bloody mole cricket and Charlie was off after it.  John was away with the fairies so I had to try and deal with it myself.  I managed to find a glass and when Charlie flushed it out I managed to get the glass over the top of it without trapping a leg.  I then had to get the plastic mat that we put Charlie's food on (he is a messy eater) and slide it under and then get the bloody thing out in the garden with Charlie in hot pursuit.

That was quite enough excitement for the early hours of the morning particularly as Mum was coming for lunch today.  Fortunately we had got everything ready and our meal of chicken kebabs, coleslaw and fancy hasselback potatoes on skewers was going to be quick and easy to cook.  We were determined to eat outside today too as the last couple of Sundays it had been too windy.  

Mum went to the cemetery first and then to us and we had a very pleasant afternoon.  The weather was lovely and the meal was good.  Mum had enjoyed her little trip away with Lilian even if the hotel had not been top notch - it was good for her to have a change of scenery and it was the first time she had felt able to do this since Dad died.

After Mum had returned home and let us know that she was ok we decided to spend a couple of hours up on the roof watching the sun go down and having a glass of wine.  We had both had the non-alcoholic gin lunchtime which we thought was quite nice for a change.  We are joined by the cats when we go 'up top' - Boris in particular likes to take up residence on the sofa and Charlie likes to lean his head over the concrete plinth and growl at anyone who is walking down the 'new road' (now 10 years old!).

I am not quite sure what happened to the entries for this week's challenge - Sea Creatures - but the ones from the lovely Park Rise group came in late so I was up trying to get them submitted before I went to bed - I am hoping that there are no creatures wandering around in the middle of the night tonight.

Poorly Teeth

I had to be up early this morning and couldn't walk as I had planned because I had to go to Peyia to Perfect Smile and see a specialist Periodontist because I have had badly bleeding gums which is generally a sign of some more serious underlying problem.   Deep joy!  I am a bit cross with myself because I had had experienced bleeding at various times in the past and just ignored it.  Anyway I had a lovely morning being poked and prodded in the gums  -  I had looked up prior to my visit what was going to happen and found...

At a dental visit, a dentist or dental hygienist will: Examine your gums and note any signs of inflammation. Use a tiny ruler called a “probe” to check for and measure any pockets around the teeth. In a healthy mouth, the depth of these pockets is usually between 1 and 3 millimeters.

Sadly my pockets were deeper than that so I am going to have to return for some serious deep cleaning under anesthaetic and a course of antibiotics and mouth washes.  Fortunately the specialist Dr Fedias was a really nice guy with a great sense of humour and patience.  I have to have some blood tests before my two day clean which is at the end of July.

Anyway the upshot of all this is that I felt a bit off for the remainder of the day as, since I had my jaw reconstruction about 30 years ago, I find keeping my mouth open for extended periods of time quite painful and it leaves me with a headache.  I had to warn Dr F that I might just bite his fingers by mistake and he was quite prepared for that - in fact he was fascinated by my genioplasty and cutting and reshaping of my lower jaw bone.

I rallied mid afternoon - John had had some peace and quiet watching the Formula 1 qualifiers and the Cricket Test and we settled down to our evening meal of pork chop with honey mustard sauce, mixed salad and fancy sauteed potatoes cooked on a skewer which was a practice for what we are cooking for Mum tomorrow.  She has had potatoes like this at Muse and likes them so we were willing to give it a go.

We had a text from Das late afternoon to tell us he was playing down at the Gravity Road Diner and would appreciate our support in hearing him play - we hadn't planned on it but decided that we could and should as he is trying to make a name for himself and it would give us an opportunity to see Belinda as she was working and we haven't seen her for months.  We checked if Nicky and Mark fancied it and they decided they should support him too so we went down for an hour.

It was almost like being on holiday sat on a beautiful evening listening to some music having a chat and watching the sun go down and all this within Droushia.  We really are lucky that we have a great variety of different venues all within a stones throw.

We really enjoyed the time we spent there - I was drives - and they stock non-alcoholic beer so that was good.  I have to say it is amazing what Stephen and Tracey have achieved with the old Karithea taverna - they sensibly opted to make it into something unique in the Diner so they are not in competition with the majority of the local eateries.

From there you get a stunning sunset and with that the guarantee that tomorrow will be fine, dry and hot.  Hopefully not windy so we can sit outside and eat with Mum.

Back home...

I take it the cats must have been pleased to have me home because the buggers jumped up and down on and off the bed all bloody night as a show of appreciation so I got very little uninterrupted sleep - bless them!!!

We were having a quiet day, John had it earmarked to watch day two of the cricket but rain had stopped play so that never happened.

He clearly had too much time on his hands whilst I was away as he has revisited the idea of changing one of our cars.  We have had this conversation over and over but never reached an agreement on which car we would get rid of.  Both of our existing cars have pros and cons.  I love little Kenny Kembara which takes us anywhere and currently with our love of hiking we need him to allow us to recce the path less trodden but spares are extortionate and he is beginning to show his age but owes us nothing really and is cheap to tax.  The Pug is younger but sleeker and a real comfortable ride and we can carry six in it and still have space in the boot.  The Pug is cheap to tax too.  Neither of them are particularly economical.  John has been looking for a replacement for ages but which one of the existing vehicles goes?  

We have decided that actually both to the existing cars should be given a bit of a spruce up starting with The Pug which would be a better candidate for a trade-in or private sale.  We cleaned out the Pug of anything which didn't need to be there and John took it off to the local garage for a clean inside and out and then when he brought it back I set about deep cleaning the Alloy Wheels using some Bicarb Cream I had in the kitchen but then remembered we had some Astonish Alloy Wheel cleaner which actually did a good job.  This is the first step in probably what will be a very long journey!!!  If nothing else I can get into the boots of both cars and find my shopping bags!

This evening we were going out with Mark and Nicky - they had requested a visit to the Watermill at Steni to sample the ribs.  We were more than happy to go - we haven't been for ages.  It was a very pleasant evening in all respects, the temperature and ambiance were excellent.  The food great although we do prefer hand cut chips but not everywhere sell them - shame really when Cyprus is so well known for its great potatoes.

Although Nicky and Mark are just at the end of our path we actually don't see them very much so still put a date in the diary so that we make sure we do.  Nicky and I walk on a Tuesday and Saturday when we can but this isn't always possible so tomorrow, Saturday I have an appointment to see a Periodontist (deep joy) and today I received a phone call to inform me that my second vaccination has been brought forward and will take place next Tuesday.

Big thank-you to Mark for driving and taking us for a super luxurious spin in his new car (Audi A5 Coupe).  It was not a late night so we were blessed with an impressive sunset on our way home.  
 

Bye Bye Freddo...

I said goodbye to my temporary home and my temporary pet this morning but not before I had made sure that the house was spick and span for Mum's return as her cleaner is away for a while.  I made up her bed and put the hoover round and fed and fussed Freddo and left mid morning.  I had hoped to have heard that my second jab had been brought forward and would be tomorrow which would be the 8 week time gap but I had heard nothing so assumed it was to remain at the beginning of July.  Not that I am in any particular rush but I would just like to get it over with although several people have felt pretty unwell after their second dose.  

It had been quite nice having a little time to please myself - I was so used to my own company when John used to go away on his tours of duty.  It is a good job I liked my own company because nine months away in one go was quite difficult at first but then I just got on with it.  Mind you I did feel a bit like Billy No Mates going and ordering my takeaway for one!

Mum had left me the Lidl flyer and I was really pleased that I managed to get some of the Alcohol Free Gin that was on offer.  I know that this is a bit of an oxymoron but sometimes I don't know what I want to drink and I don't really want something alcoholic but neither do I want Coke or Fanta or Lemonade.  Anyway I decided I was going to give this a try instead.  I can report that it is ok, quite refreshing, has the botanicals flavour but not the punch of real gin but I guess that is to be expected.

When I returned home it was nice to see the Bobster was up having a coffee and a chat with John.  They are going to try and do this more often and John is setting up the MODS (Men of Droushia Society) but I refer to it a the DOGS (Droushia Old Gits Society) whereby a group of the menfolk might meet up for meaningful conversation one Thursday a month!!  I had hoped that maybe Di and I might venture down to try a cream tea at Peggy's next time they meet but she goes to keep fit on a Thursday.

This afternoon John was meeting up with Arodes John and they were going to watch the Test Match at the Gin Bar accompanied by a sandwich and a pint.  I was duty drives so I dropped them off and then, Billy No Mates that I am, I set off to Evretou Dam to see if there might be a nice walk around there for Nicky and I to tackle one week.    It was possibly not the best time to go as it was the hottest part of the day.  I parked up at the bandstand bit and took my Komoot and found a little path that I wanted to check out.

I had some reasonable shoes on for a bit of off-roading but the path I found couldn't be made into a circular walk so I went as far as I could and then turned round and walked back.  It was a bit overgrown in parts and so I ended up with some scratched legs but the views were amazing even though the water level is very low - we had very little rain over the winter and bugger all since so it isn't surprising really.  

I drove back home via Kritou Terra and the lovely Church that is on the outskirts.  This is dedicated to Saint Catherine - Agia Ekaterini.  It was a beautiful day but it is now very noticeable that we have had a prolonged period of hot dry weather as everything is very dry and very brown.

 

I have included this next picture because this is a very random thing that I saw in Kritou Terra on my way home!!!  I have no idea what it was doing there but was outside with a load of bits and pieces!

I didn't have too much time on my own before I was needed for taxi duties and went to Kathikas and picked up the men - stopping for a smoothie with them first.  I had a blow by blow account of the day's cricket which apparently had not been the gubbing that had been antipated although some New Zealand player scored a double century on his debut and their last man in scored way more than they had expected!

Finally we had news today that Lakis and Argy have booked to come over providing that travel is still allowed between the UK and Cyprus although at the moment no-one can be certain who is going to be allowed to go where.  They will keep us informed because we will organise the windows and the house to be cleaned but there will be no point doing it too soon just in case plans change.  I will tell them what the restrictions are in place when they come - if there are any so they don't fall foul of the law.  It will be lovely to see them but hope they do not find the island and village have changed too much due to the restrictions.  So many places are closed for good and prices seem to have gone up hugely.  People seem less willing to go out and mingle - we certainly don't go out anything like as much preferring to stay at home and enjoy our surroundings particularly as there don't seem to be any cheap options for anything anymore.

Cat Sitting and Playing Tourist

Today I woke in unfamiliar surroundings as I was staying down in Emba cat sitting whilst Mum and Lilian were having a couple of nights at the Forest Park Hotel in Platres.  True to Mum's word, Freddo woke me around 3.00am for food, this wasn't too much of an issue because I am used to the same with Charlie.  Prior to that he had been sleeping next to me snoring away quite happily.  I was pleased really that he seemed relaxed with me because he is quite a nervy thing.  Mum has been worried that he isn't eating much but I think he struggles to get his food out of the bowl - not helped because he has no teeth.

Today the world was my lobster and I took the opportunity to have a wander around parts of Paphos I have not been to in years.  I was getting my hair cut at 12.00 and had arranged it so that Lumi (my hairdresser) and I could go during her break to grab a coffee together - it has only taken 10 years to manage to organise this and I was determined not to let her down.  Prior to that I went in search of some cut-off trousers - lightweight ones for the summer as I am not a lover of shorts or skirts for that matter.  I headed off to the establishment that used to be Debenhams and which is now called Era - before it used to stock familiar chain store brands but sadly they have now all gone and I have to say there was nothing particularly that grabbed my attention so I doubt I would waste time heading there again.

Whilst over that side of town and took a drive down to the coast and along to take a look at Ricco's Beach Bar which used to be a scruffy ramshackle place with real character - we met Hilary and Keith there for a beer one afternoon after they had been rehearsing for the Big Band and that was when we met Simon and Melanie for the first time - they were just in the process of buying a house in Droushia and were also renting a house behind Mum and Dad in Emba - small world!!!  Ricco's has grown and is no longer quite a ramshackle - the beach in front is raked and beds set out ready for tourists.  Under the shade of the massive trees which have been there longer than the bar there are still a few old locals who sit to play Tavli and put the world to rights - I wonder what they have made of the last 18 months or of the development in Paphos - it is a building site with more and more hotels being constructed whilst shop upon shop and business upon business lie empty and derelict - I guess modern, squeaky clean, all-inclusive is winning over tradition and charm - such a shame.

With time to spare I negotiated my way across to the Harbour which is a feat in itself.  To say it is chaos there is an understatement as the main road has been dug up yet again and there are a number of diversions which start out well signed and then give up leaving the traveler to second guess where they should head next - I bet a lot of them do more circuits around St Paul's Pillar than they had anticipated or wanted.  Anyway in the harbour is this massive vessel which is called Ocean Vision and which we last saw when it was being refurbished next to Bona Mare Beach Bar - we had thought then that it was going to be some sort of entertainment establishment but didn't realise just how massive and luxurious it was going to be and that it would be refloated back onto the water.  This is for private hire and sounds amazing - I would think way out of our price range sadly!!

I had my hair cut and then Lumi and I set off on that long promised drink together - she wanted to go to Caffe Nero in the Old Town because it has great views and she likes to people watch.  I was more than happy with that so I drove us and we parked in the sunken carpark and came up in the glass lift and chose a seat on the edge by the 'river'.

We didn't have coffee in the end - we both opted for a smoothie as it was more refreshing.  It was lovely to catch up properly as friends rather than client and hairdresser.  I feel like I have known her for such a long time and never ask more than how her parents are doing and her son is doing.

She is Romanian so it was interesting to hear about her growing up under the Ceausescu regime and the life she had then and what made her come to Cyprus and then persuade her to stay.  She has had a barrel load of shit thrown at her throughout her life but she always remains cheerful and positive - as she says, what else can she do?

We have resolved not to let it be another 10 years before we do it again.  I will try and make sure my next appointment coincides with her having time to take a break and we will go again.

I spent the remainder of the afternoon at Emba with Freddo - watching some girlie TV whilst trying to decide what to have for my supper.  A short walk away Mum has several options - Paps Supermarket, Sayyas Takeaway, Tricolore Cafe Bistro and The Flying Dragon Thai/Chinese Takeaway.  I wasn't sure what I fancied but at the time I went down Sayyas had pretty much run out of most things I would have wanted and I thought Pizza or Pasta from Tricolore might be heavy so I took a look at the menu for the Flying Dragon.  I have to say we have eaten from here before and not been overly impressed and of course we are spoiled by the chefs at the Farmyard in Kathikas becuase they know exactly how we like our food.  In the end I decided to try Chicken Pad Thai as a takeaway which came, unexpectedly with a portion of sweet Chili sauce and a bag of fresh and crispy prawn crackers.  The photograph above is plate two (I had already woofed one lot down) and in my takeaway box was still about half of the contents.  It was delicious and a bargain at 7 euros - I would certainly recommend that to anyone.  I put mine on a plate but the cardboard container is thermal and I could have eaten it out of there.

Mum goes on her Holibobs

The weather was strange this morning - it would appear that we had rain overnight and the skies were grey and there was a bit of a chill in the air and that meant that it was perfect for walking.  I had arranged to go with Nicky along the Kathikas Nature Trail with the little bus loop which is only 5km but so nice.

Apart from a couple of wobbly bits Nicky did really well and loved the walk.  When she gets panicked she has a wobble, she tells me that either she shouts or she bursts into tears.  I like neither but maybe the later is more preferable!!  Anyway I had warned her that there was an area like a drive river bed where the boulders were a bit difficult to traverse but we did it slowly and we got there without issue.  There was a second less difficult bit but again slow and steady is the way to go.

We were certainly glad that we set off early because once the sun began to burn off the clouds it started to get hot and sticky.  It was a good walk and one which we will definitely do again.  I was home in good time to finish my packing, have a sandwich and then set off for Emba for my house and cat sitting duties.  I wasn't going to have a handover with Mum because she and Lilian were setting off early and calling in to Omodos for a look round and a bit of lunch before checking in.

I arrived and unpacked and read my notes from Mum, had a cuddle with Fred and then decided to get my art out as the light in Mum's sun room is brilliant and with the door and window open Fred got some fresh air too.  I did that for a while until mid afternoon and then I nipped to Lidl and to Sports Direct where I was hoping to get a new pair of walking boots which I did and at a bargain!!!  It was good to hear that Mum and Lilian had arrived safe and sound after their stop off in Omodos and Mum even managed to take a photograph of her room and the view.  She sounded happy - I am so glad that she went - its no hardship me coming down for a couple of nights and it is quite a novelty being somewhere where there is a choice of shops.

Making changes around the garden

We were having a quiet day today - just as well really because I had terrible heartburn last night - probably too much rich food and so I felt less than tickety-boo and tired this morning.

We had a lie-in - we normally do a brain challenge in the morning before getting up - John completed it super quick and I was on about my 100th go when I decided to call it a day and revisit it later.

When we did get up we decided to tackle some not too taxing jobs out in the garden.  I had some pots that needed redoing because they had some spikey cacti lurking in them which John hates and as I had a new bag of compost this was an easy task.  Having repotted we then rearranged as there were two nice terracotta pots hidden around the back which we decided to put out the front so people would see them when they enter the garden and moved two less attractive pots around the back.

When everything was in place we gave the Campsis bush at the back, which hides the glory hole, a haircut.  We learned from the last time that the sensible thing to do is to lay a sheet down underneath to catch the debris because at this time of year that bush has a tendency to shed its leaves.   With John on the shears and me on the secateurs we got it finished in double quick time.

We have been spending quite a lot of time in the Doj and whilst we had intended to move the TV back out there we have now decided not to and have put our two old tub chairs in there - it makes it better when we have four people round as we are not all sat on top of one another.

John decided that the space could be further improved by removing the back bar so that the chairs can be pushed further back and then we would move some of the plants in the Doj out onto the plinth at the back.

John removed the bar and the uprights and ground off the screws and then I nipped in and did the job which I do best - staining!!!  This also gave us an opportunity to get the rug up in there and give it a wash.  

The cats were very disgruntled as they like to disappear into there as it is generally cooler.  They didn't have to wait too long.

John decided that he could reuse the wood he removed to make some tall stands so that the plants at the back would be higher and more visible.

Job done and the chairs put back exactly where he wanted them to be John was happy with what he had achieved.  

We then nipped out to check the Cemetery and the Post and I had a few parcels which was exciting.  Is it sad to get excited about a delivery of new walking socks???  How my life has changed!!!!  In the other parcels were the toggles that I had ordered so that we can use them to draw the Doj curtains together so that the wind doesn't make them flap all over the place.

You cannot begin to imagine how long it takes to sew on eight toggles and eight loops when the curtains are still in situ!!!  Still I got it done eventually and it works which is good.  

The final package was the BOOT ROOM wording I had ordered to go on the cupboard which houses our walking boots.  I cannot believe that I only ordered that from the UK on Thursday and it arrived today and it was exactly what we wanted so that is good.

Jobs done we spent a nice quiet hour or so sat in the Doj and then we popped over to Lakis and Argy's to check on the pool and the outside - we like to give it a sloosh down to keep the dust in check.

Tonight was one of my favourite suppers - we had a brie and bacon salad with some sauteed potatoes which was all wrapped up in a spicy mango sauce.  I had salad ingredients that needed using up so this was ideal.

My last job before calling it a day was to put a list together of all the things I want and need to take with me tomorrow when I am going down to house and Fred sit for Mum.

 

A lovely Sunday Lunch

As we start to return to normal or at least make our new normal we decided we would go out for lunch today to one of our favourite venues - The Magic Garden in Mesa Chorio.  Dad loved this place which is a hidden gem.  We were introduced to it by our lovely friends Sheila and Klaus for which we are eternally grateful.

Mum and Lilian are off on their holibobs on Tuesday and I am house and cat sitting so it was nice for us all to get together today plus I didn't have to cook which is a bonus!  The Magic Garden is exactly that.  This is ostensibly a private house where they produce magic food.  Michael and his wife have set aside their beautiful garden as an eating area which is laid out on two tiers - the upper where we were sat under the shade of the umbrellas and the lower which is shaded by a huge tree.  Today the weather was cooler so the upper terrace was lovely and it isn't so far for Michael to bring the food for which I am sure he is grateful as he has always had some sort of tremor in his hands.

We were the only ones there today - actually we always like it that way as it feels like this is our own personal restaurant but clearly Michael needs more than just us four coming a few times a year.  Still he was remarkably chipper and philosophical about the enforced hiatus brought about by Covid.  He had taken the time to spruce up lots of elements of the house and the garden so that when it reopened it was looking at its best.

The food here is a little more 'pretty' than many places - I had deep fried camembert to start with a cumberland sauce, side salad and artistic splodge of balsamic vinegar.  Mum and Lilian shared home made pate and John had slow cooked ribs.

My main course was salmon in a white wine and butter sauce on a bed of what I think was braised lettuce.  Mum had a chicken with pineapple sauce dish, Lilian lamp chump chops in Marsala sauce and John a pork chop with chicory and a fennel sauce.  These were served with hand cut proper chips and carrots cooked in honey, butter and cumin seeds.  Delicious!!!

Lilian and John managed to squeeze in a crème brulee for afters and then after a round of coffee/tea we waved a white flag and made our way back home.  What a lovely lovely afternoon!

I forgot to mention the resident cat at the Magic Garden - this beautiful ball of fluff has only three legs as she is missing the front right.  As a small kitten she stepped into and got caught in wet concrete and as a result lost that leg.  She fair whips around on the remaining three.  

She is little and fluffy and took a real shine to Mum and Michael and his wife clearly love her to bits and she them (the cat not Mum!).

So many Cypriots don't like animals but Michael has two small dogs who give a little yap when you arrive but then settle down and you don't hear them again unless you venture up to the toilet and the little cat who wants to be friendly all the time.

On the subject of animals I will leave you with a video of John and Mr Boo taken last night.  We were fair stuffed when we got home from the Magic Garden so didn't do anything much and wanted to watch a bit of TV - there was a war film on - Battle for the River Plate - John and Bo are recreating a scene from the back of a fighter plane!!!  Mr Boo is clearly one very chilled pussy cat!

A fabulous surprise right on our doorstep

The weather this morning was very strange, overcast and cool with thick grey clouds.  We had had lower temperatures last night and a rolling mist which indicated a change.  I thought we might get rain today and would not have been surprised if we had.  It was an ideal morning to go down to Polis and get our bit of shopping done without getting hot and sticky.

We did our shopping and had a light lunch and the weather had improved so John suddenly decided it would be ideal to go and check out the Nature Trail in Kathikas as Liselotte and I had noticed that the entrance to it had recently been cleared.  We parked up in the carpark in the village and walked down to the start.  It would be very easy to miss the entrance but if you know where it is and walk down the old stone 'steps' you are greeted by a magnificent view before the path turns sharp right.

The beginning of the walk is cool and shady taking you down tracks which have now all been cleared so it is easy to see where you are walking.  There are two tracks, one which goes up along to the Donkey Sanctuary which we would have had to walk there and back on the same track or if you take the left hand fork it can be a circular walk and this is the one which we chose.

The views are literally out of this world - such diverse landscape it is amazing.  Once you have negotiated all the downhill section you then have a lot of up on much looser paths but the way is still visible and providing you are sensible you are unlikely to slip - mind you if you did it would be a long way back up!!!

I am rarely in photographs I know, but John wanted to take one although I was not so keen as my hair looked a right old mess with my landfill scarf tied around it!!!

We are about half way up the ascent at this point.  It was getting quite warm but there were fluffy clouds to it was cooler than it might otherwise have been.  On this bit of uphill there is very little shade so if  you are going to tackle this walk you need to bare this in mind.

From here you could look across and see the donkey sanctuary - you could hear them as they seemed to be watching us and braying to one another "what nutters are doing that walk in the sun???"

I was very grateful that John had the rucksack and we had plenty of water and I didn't have to carry it because I find that two full bottles of water weight heavy on my shoulders.  I can begin to have some sort of sympathy with the forces guys when they have to go on a run with their Bergens (very large rucksack with 50 litre capacity) on their backs.  On the plus side walking in the sun has given me quite a tan, on the minus side it stops at my ankle socks so I have very white feet which looks ridiculous when I am wearing flipflops!!

We stopped at one of the viewing points to take a break, catch our breath and have a drink.  The second half of the ascent is considerably steeper than the first but there is more opportunity for a break and even some trees which afford a bit of shade.  From here we continued to the top.  At the top I realised that I had approached the entrance here from the other direction with Nicky and Rachel one day but it had been so overgrown we couldn't see where it went and ended up having to travers a vineyard to get back onto a track we did recognise - we had been so near yet so far.

We made it back to the car all hot and sweaty - not before I had taken John to see the Bus which has been turned into someone's holiday home.  We had put a change of shoes in the car and took our boots off and then rewarded ourselves with a drink at the Kathikas Gin Bar. 

I opted for the healthy option - a ginger and beetroot smoothie which was absolutely delicious and really hit the spot.

Although the walk had not been that far - about 5km with the extra loops - we had really enjoyed it as the trail was so beautiful.  As we said it isn't always about the distance or the difficulty it is about the area and the views and this one was spot on.

We were both pretty knackered on our return so decided on a nice quiet evening sat out in the garden enjoying the late afternoon sun before going in for some supper.  The weather had, by the afternoon, sorted itself out and was back to being hot and dry.

We watched another episode of Innocent before calling it a day.

Zoo animals

The theme for this week's art/photographic challenge is Zoo animals and I needed to get something done to swell the numbers.

We were having a quiet morning and the weather was a little cooler than of late so we settled down, after breakfast, in the Do-Jo.  John read the paper on-line and I got my watercolour pencils out and tried my hand at painting a Giraffe!  I am pretty happy with it - it's really not my thing but it is always good to push yourself.

We were joined by the cats who seem to like to be with us when we are in there - since we have changed it round from the configuration last year it seems to stay cool or at least cooler than outside.  Charlie seems to be settling down a bit and is not pulling his fur out quite so much - I am hoping that my lavender and chamomile infusion that I wipe all over him is doing the trick - he doesn't seem to mind and it is from the fridge so nice and cooling when I apply it.

It is Lakis and Argy's wedding anniversary today - I wont embarrass them by printing the number of years but it is quite a few and although all anniversaries are special this was not a special special one if you get my drift!!!

Anyway I used good old Bunches to send them a hand-tied bouquet by way of marking the occasion and they have subsequently sent me a photograph to show me what arrived.  I am super happy with the flowers and more by luck than judgment I managed to choose a colour scheme that sort of went well with their decor.

Anyway I know that they are readers of the blog and this will be published a couple of weeks after the event but we want them to know that we wish them all the very best and have missed not having them across the road declaring that 'coffee is ready' at around 11.00am even though we have to decline on numerous occasions because we are in the middle of a project, DIY or gardening!!!

We have been spending so much more time at home because there has been bugger all open and actually we have enjoyed the challenge of creating a weekly menu and ensuring that we waste as little as possible - sometimes the food simply tastes better with a glass of wine but today we realised our wine rack was looking rather empty!!!

We decided to have a treat and get a little dressed up and go to the Winery and have lunch and stock up on their wine.  Whenever it has been possible the Winery (Vasilikon) has always contacted us to arrange take-away sales so that all through lockdown we have been able to have a glass of our favourite tipple.

The Winery has a resident dog and I can never remember its name but he is a lovely dog who might just get its body to grow so it is in proportion to its head!!!  

He loves John who comes with a couple of chews in the car to keep the dog happy but to be fair although it comes to the table it doesn't cause any problem.  I am not a dog lover but this one is adorable.  Anyway we had placed our order and the dog came to sit with us and stared and stared and stared at John as if to say "I am being super cute and super good so where is my treat?"

The staff were at great pains to ensure that the dog was not a nuisance but we told them that we were more than happy to have him sit with us.  All the staff were pleased to see us, not least Yiannis who is one of the owners and who follows our walks with great interest.  In fact when John got our box of wine along with a free bottle we then got a second free bottle from Yiannis.

My meal was superb - I had the chicken skewers with salad and chips and, instead of the tsatsiki that it is supposed to come with, the honey and mustard dressing they use on another dish - it was absolutely melt in your mouth!