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!