A very very hot day

It was a blooming blooming hot day today and being out in that heat looking for a tile was not really a great thing to do but we wanted one to fit on top of our outside table because the sun and the weather has meant that it has a dip in it and so it isn't safe to put a glass down on it.  We had gone to G&Ps in Chlorakas because they always have a wide selection of odd tiles at a reasonable price.  In the past we have always dealt with Angela there but we learned today that she has left and is now running a cleaning business.  Good for her but a bit of a shame for us because she always gave us such excellent service.

We had other 'stuff' to do down in Paphos and we had hoped to squeeze in a surprise visit to Mum before she went out for lunch.  She was not expecting to see us today and so was pleased when we pitched up and had a coffee with her.  She was off to a charity event with Lilian which included entertainment and lunch.  When we left her we called into Lidl on the lookout for a couple of things we had seen in the magazine and picked up a couple of small pizzas to keep the wolf from the door.

We pulled in off the road at Banana Bay to sit and eat our pizza - I think this is what John classes as taking me out for a meal nowadays that things have got so much more expensive!  At least I did not have to show a Safe Pass nor wear my mask which was a blessing!!!  On that note more restrictions are coming into place on Friday with regard to having a Safe Pass and there are rumours that we may have another lockdown in August.

Once home I did some remedial work to my Gardenia which was a gift from John's Mum.  It had been doing well until I decided to move it so that it got a bit of light from one of the windows but the sun came through and scorched the leaves badly.  I decided to give it a good old repotting and some TLC and a cut back and hopefully it will buck its ideas up.  It was so beautiful when it was in flower last year and I have tried so hard to keep it looking healthy I am a bit gutted really.

John gave the solar and PV panels a wash today - I thought he was crazy to be up on the roof in the sun but he said there was a nice breeze up there and he wanted to evict some pigeons that sound like they are trying to nest underneath them.  

We spent the afternoon and evening trying to keep ourselves awake enough to watch the BIG FOOTBALL MATCH but in the end resorted to watching it on John's Ipad in bed.  England beat Denmark (sorry Liselotte) and will be in the Euro 2021 final on Sunday.  Apparently the first time in 55 years or so that they have managed to get that far in a major competition.  That'll be my Sunday evening sorted then!

A Lovely Walk at Smygies followed by a Superb Steak

Although it continues to be very hot during the day I was walking with Liselotte today and I had chosen to go to Smigies on the Akamas because it was the most likely place for us to get some shade.  We were meeting at the Picnic Site so it was cool under the trees and the cars could remain in the shade whilst we were walking.  This was a different walk to last week but hopefully just as nice.

This walk took us closer to the coast around the top end of the island - sort of Fontana Amorosa way and the views were incredible.  There were signs that in the past there had been a fire here at some point although thankfully nothing as devastating as what took place near Limassol a few days ago.  We had plenty of areas where we got shade and where we got a cooling breeze as it came off the sea up one of the valleys.

We had plenty of WOW moments as we turned a corner and were presented with a fabulous view and never more so than when we suddenly realised that in the distance we could see two huge birds of prey (this is not my photograph) circling in thermals.  These two birds were the largest which Liselotte and I have ever seen - we don't know exactly what they were as my phone just captured a speck in the sky but what we could see was that they were huge, and I mean huge, and that they appeared to be black and white.  This photograph is of booted eagles, the colouration of the plumage is right but the size is too small so other suggestions have been cranes which have escaped from the zoo, Bonelli eagles or even maybe vultures.  Who knows?  I really wish I had been able to see them better.

Our second big WOW was when I spied a very small Chameleon slowly making its way across a track.  We stood and watched him as he deliberated as to which leg he should move next - all the time watching us with his eyes spinning 360 degrees!  He was a beautiful colour and perfectly camouflaged but of all the chameleon I have seen this was by far the smallest.  I decided to get him to attach himself to a twig and then we chose a nice shady safe spot away from the road to move him.

It was an amazing walk - the views were outstanding and we got the added bonus of seeing the birds of prey and the chameleon plus the cars were indeed still in the shade and we were able to sit on one of the picnic benches and finish our water and cool down before going home.  Sadly the photographs just do not do the view justice.  As we stood here you could see layer upon layer of trees and then the sea in the distance - it was truly beautiful.

The remainder of the day was spent quietly because we had received a phone call from Mina inviting us to go and see her.  We haven't seen her socially for a good 18 months - probably longer and a lot has happened in the interim.  

Most of Mina's house is now completed - we went in the early days when she and Clare had just bought it and it was a shell.  Over time the gardens have matured and the swimming pool (which is stunning) has been built.  It is a fabulous home - so very stylish and we were amazed that you cannot hear the dogs in the boarding kennels which are at the top of the drive.  Sadly though Mina and Clare have gone their separate ways and the split was acrimonious which is so sad.  Mina now finds herself with a thriving business and a lovely home but no-one to share it with and she is lonely.  Covid has not helped with the various lockdowns making it impossible to meet up

.

Mina's own dogs are her salvation and her company.  We have met Little Lottie before - she was the replacement for Mina's beloved Staffy Molly.  Lottie is young and naughty and gets very jealous if anyone pays attention to Mina's other dog Dee Dee.  Dee Dee was a rescue - found in Kathikas with 6 pups she had been hit across the face with something that had split her lip.  When someone asked Mina if she could help rescue her Mina couldn't say no and eventually got Dee Dee and her one remaining pup that was still surviving.  Dee Dee was a sort of pitbull staffy cross and as such looks to be a big powerful dog.  She is placid and gentle and lovely (and I don't like dogs).  Her pup was adopted by a couple who live in the UK and has an equally wonderful home there as Dee Dee does with Mina.

We had a lovely evening catching up and bless Mina she had been to Kolios Butchers and purchased two of the largest lushest fillet steaks I have ever seen or eaten and she had chicken!!!  She had fired up the barbeque and made salad and potatoes and I cooked the meat because she had someone coming to look at furniture she was selling - fine by me as I know how John and I like our steaks cooked and, to be fair, they were so amazing you couldn't go wrong.

We stayed longer than anticipated and in the dark I managed to take the wrong route so we ended up going down some roads to nowhere before we got back onto the main road and on our way home!!!

Tidying the Garden in the Heat

We had a million and one things that we needed to do today - lots of niff, naff and trivia on a day when it was too bloomin' hot!!!!   There was nothing exciting about our admin morning save for the fact that the roads were full of people with a death wish.  A bloody woman in a massive Porsche nearly stoved in the passenger side of the car and some bloody van nearly stoved in the driver's side of the car by which time I was a nervous wreck.  It was with some relief that we returned to the relative calm of our home and garden!!!

There was really not much to report on today save for the fact that after months and months we had finally got round to finding an evening when our neighbours Das and Belinda could come for a drink.  We met them last year in February when they were in the early stages of moving over and they were picking our brains one afternoon in the Gin Bar.  I think it is safe to say a lot has happened since then, not least Covid, but eventually they have settled and live across the road from us next door by one to Nicky and Mark.  

We started off sitting up on the roof - it was the coolest place and then as the sun went down we went and sat in my favourite spot which is outside the kitchen and we remained there for the duration.  It was a lovely evening with no condensation.

The fires continue to rage

All talk at the moment surrounds the terrible terrible fire raging north of Limassol.  It has been confirmed that there have been four deaths, livestock and wildlife decimated and houses destroyed and even worse than all this it would appear that the fires have been set deliberately by someone with an axe to grind allegedly.  Overnight we had strange weather and very very high winds - this did not help the emergency services and although during today the weather was calmer if the wind picks up again it will only exacerbate the situation because currently these fires are only 'contained'.

News of the fires has spread far and wide and we have been contacted by Cypriot friends who live in Australia to find out the situation and to ask about their own little house which they have not been able to visit.  We took five minutes to shoot down the road to take some photos which will hopefully allay Steve's fears.  His little house is fine, someone has cleared the garden and so it looks as good as it can do bearing in mind that it will have been 2 years since someone was there last.

We were finally meeting up with Jackie and Costas today and had chosen to go to Yiallos by the beach in Latchi.  We didn't for one minute expect it to be busy but it was absolutely packed and we hadn't booked a table so spent some time trying to find one in the shade, out of a draft, not near kids or a speaker!!!  Eventually we got what we wanted and awaited their arrival.  They were kindly picking up Mum en route.  It was a lovely afternoon which was a bit of a surprise becaue it had been pretty black over that way first thing and it looked and felt like it was going to rain.  We had chosen there because the menu is varied and everyone could find something to suit.  They make (in my opinion) THE BEST Chicken Caesar salad and I really enjoyed my meal which was washed down with a nice chilled glass of Vasilikon.  Both Jackie and Costas are looking well and we always have a good time in their company.  Mum was a little quiet.  She had been to a dermatologist earlier in the week to have some sun damage zapped - I had thought there were two patches on her cheek that needed attention but Dr Vera has started on her forehead and nearly the whole area of that has been lazered.  It looks sore and a little unsightly and I know she is self-conscious but better that it gets treated than get left to get worse.

By mid afternoon when we returned home the temperatures had ramped up again and we decided our best chance at a decent nights' sleep was to have a late night dip and cool off before calling it a day.  The temperature of the water was still 30 degrees but at least the night air on our wet skin was cooling.  John is thrilled that the deep clean of the pool has been so successful - it looks so inviting and we are actually using it more than ever - and in the winter he wants to get rid of it!!!  I have to keep reminding him that if we do we will never replace it and just at the moment it is most definitely irreplaceable.

Terrible Fires on the Island

Today is very warm again - bless Miss Minnie she gets herself super comfortable on our bed and even manages to get some air to her bits whilst keeping her modesty!!!

The cats are struggling, as are we, but at least we aren't wearing fur coats.  The weather was due to change today and cool down but it didn't feel that way this morning.  We would welcome a bit of respite from this heat.

We were having a quiet day - we didn't need to go out shopping or anything so we were home just fiddling about doing a bit of gardening and tidying but actually nothing much as it was hot and sticky.  John was keen to watch the England football match tonight but it doesn't start until 10.00pm and regular readers will know that we are early to bed early to rise people.

There is an awful lot of sport on this weekend, there is Wimbledon (say goodbye to most of the UK players including Andy Murray today), cricket, athletics, rugby and tennis so it is quite difficult to decide what to watch.

When I saw Di last week she asked me if I could resurrect the sign that I did for her years ago.  This is what it looked like then but after about 5 years out in the garden it had become very faded, in fact faded to almost nothing so John had sanded it back to a blank canvass ready for me to stencil and varnish.  I seem to think that the pink and green shades on the original were a happy accident because the brush I used still had some colour in it from something else!!!

This is the new version which is slightly different and I hope she likes it - I have tried to use greater variety of stencils so I hope Di will like it.  It is her birthday at the end of the week so I will tuck it into the present we are going to get her.

The remainder of the day was spent monitoring the unfolding story of some major fires which were raging north of Limassol.  Sadly we believe that they may have been started maliciously.  Whatever the cause the fires raged for the greater part of the day and it wasn't long before we saw worrying posts on social media of people evacuating their houses as the flames encroached on their properties.  Then we learned that there was more than one fire and rumour had it that people had been arrested for starting them.  As the day wore on the cooler weather came but with it some very strong winds which were not helping the fire crews tackling the blazes.  The information then started coming in thick and fast - Cyprus was Burning and the fires were out of control.  This is everyone's worst nightmare.  Our prayers are with everyone affected.

Searching for Cars

Today we decided to bite the bullet and go to Limassol to have a look at cars - we keep thinking that either Kenny or The Pug should be replaced but we cannot decide which because they both have merits and they both have issues - we know that if we get rid of Kenny we will never do the off-roading that we love and parts for Kenny are difficult and Kenny is getting a little elderly and we know that we have loved the comfort and versatility of The Pug but it is not the most economical drive and again it is getting a bit older and sometimes parts for Puggy have been difficult and expensive to source.

It was a very hot day and we really don't know Limassol very well at all - in fact we haven't been more than a handful of times and not recently so we were pleased to accept John and Liselotte's offer that they would come with us and act as navigators - they used to work in Limassol so know it really well and Liselotte had somewhere in mind for lunch which we would never have found - in fact we wouldn't have known anywhere particular to go.

Some of the back streets of the Old Town are fascinating and beautiful - it was a little too hot to be able to take it all in - I would like to return when it is cooler so that I can go and check out all the fabulous street art and old colonial buildings.  I have a feeling we may have been somewhere near the area where I would have gone with Jeanette's craft group years ago when she would organise a trip to Jumbo followed by a trip to a beautiful little shop where they sold tiles and beads for mosaicing. 

Fortunately most of the car sales places we wanted to visit were located on the same street so we went down one side calling in to those that we could access as parking is a bit of a nightmare and then went down to the bottom and turned round to do those on the opposite side.  At the bottom we were at the Port and were able to see the grey top of the Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier which is currently on exercise in the Med.

We ended up having a fabulous lunch in one of Liselotte's favourite eateries from her time in Limassol - a place called Pi which specialised in sandwiches and salads which were out of this world.  Anyone who knows me knows I love a good salad - something a bit out of the ordinary and this was right up my street.  The sandwiches and salad were ENORMOUS and we ended up having to take half home!!!

We left after lunch as we were hot and bothered.  We had passed a fire on our way which was near Pissouri and then we passed another larger one on our way home which was somewhere near Acheleia which was filling the skies with black black smoke and then when we got back to Droushia there was another fire just to the back of us which was swirling around in the wind and filling the estate with smoke.  

We had a nice day - we didn't really come to any decision about the car but perhaps we had a better idea of what we didn't want!! 

A Walk around Smygies

Today I was walking with Liselotte - I had planned a walk around Smygies which I hoped would afford us some shade as today was going to be a hot one.  We were meeting by the little church at 8.00am and from there walking towards the Picnic Area and then bearing left and walking up, up, up on one of the nature trails.

I had not been looking forward to this walk as I thought, in the current heat, it would be a toughie but we did have shade and the ascent was nearly all at the beginning when my legs were fresh and when we got to the top the view was unbelievable.  This picture does it no justice - to the left we could see the bay at Chrysochous and the the right was a view reaching down to Lara - it was beautiful.

There were a couple of times when we took a wrong turn but fortunately we did not stray too far and soon realised our mistake then got back on the right road.  We took another nature trail which was rugged and downhill through some stunning trees and we were grateful for the shade.

It was a fabulous walk - tiring but worth the effort and I know that Liselotte will have walked much, if not all, of it before but she never minds and her enthusiasm makes me want to push and challenge myself further.  I get a tremendous sense of achievement when I have completed a walk and, even more than that, I know this has to be good for me and it is free!!

We had a sit down at the Church and used the water from the well to cool down and wash the dust off and both had one of those "Ain't We Lucky?" moments when all the niff naff and trivia that the world can heap upon us just melts into insignificance.  Liselotte went on her way to Polis shopping and I returned home to John for a swim and a freshen up before going down to the Doctors to collect my blood results.

I wanted Dr Manolis to explain the results just to make sure I was reading them correctly and didn't have anything to worry about but he wasn't going to be back on duty until 4.00pm which was a bit of a bugger so we decided not to go back home but go for a bit of a wander and waste some time and then return.  We had seen that the old illegal and ramshackle camp site just beyond the Baths of Afrodite had been dismantled and had now been replaced with an official camp site with teepee's and a bar and restaurant.  There are differing opinions about this but we decided to see for ourselves what had been done.  The Baths of Aphrodite were absolutely packed - you wouldn't know that there was any difference in tourists numbers from any other year looking at the numbers there.  The old caravans and temporary makeshift holiday homes have indeed gone although there is still some evidence as to where they had been and the new site is there although I would guess it still needs finishing off although it would appear to be open.  It looks new, it looks a bit bare and in the heat looked in need of much more shade but I guess in time it will soften and develop into quite a nice looking place to go pitch your tent.

We stopped at the Souli to take a table in the shade by the beach and while away the time remaining before I could see the doctor.

It was lovely sitting there and to see Frixos and George and have a chat about life, tourists and Covid.  They have people in although not as many as they would like.  

The eagle-eyed amongst you will spot John with a Keo and not a Leon but that is because he was hankering after a shandy and for that, sometimes, only a Keo will do.

We sat there for a while before piling back into the car and off to the Doctors where I was first to be waiting for Dr Manolis.  There was a girl before me but she was waiting to get a Covid injection and a guy came in after me like the walking dead but Dr Manolis put him in his place saying that I was first and he was to sit and wait!  Dr Manolis went through my results and told me there was nothing to worry about and to go home and have a nice evening.  This was my first experience of using my GESY Doctor and I am suitably impressed.  

A busy day

We were up and out early this morning because I was going to get the blood tests done which the dentist had asked me to do before he does my treatment - this is to eliminate any other medical underlying cause for the periodontal disease.  I knew that one test was covered by GESY and the other had to be paid for privately but had no idea quite how expensive the second would be so they nearly had to scrape me up off the floor.  The procedure itself was quick and easy and my results would be ready to pick up tomorrow afternoon.  Having said that I received a text an hour or so later confirming what I had had done under the GESY scheme and informing me that the results would be on-line later that afternoon.  I still have to pick up the privately paid for result as obviously this isn't included in my GESY record.

Today was one of those days when things just went WRONG - Mum wanted me to send a parcel to Kaye as Lilian had kindly knitted a cute little baby cardigan for Matthew and Loren's baby when she arrives but now you have to go on-line and sort out a shipping notice beforehand.  Try as I might I couldn't get the bloody form to accept my details and register the fact that I wanted to post a gift of limited value from here to the UK.  John and I did eventually fathom it out so when I go and get my results tomorrow I will nip into the post office and sort it.

It was so hot down in Paphos that although I had got up and had a shower and washed my hair before setting off for Mum's I arrived looking like someone had thrown a bucket of water over me.  To say I was leaking was an understatement and I couldn't wait to get back home and jump in the pool!

There was a lot of traffic going up the Mesoghi Avenue because, once again, there were the tell-tale signs of a big fire with the water bearing helicopters making their way to the fire and a string of emergency vehicles racing along.  If you take the road less traveled, as I like to do you get to see things you might otherwise miss.  I turned off to go in and around Tremithousa for a change and came across this beautiful white house on one of the backstreets but very close to Paps Bakery.

We were meeting up with Di and Rob this evening - having something to eat at Finikas in the village.  We had been in and asked for salad, chips and souvlaki, both chicken and pork and we were really looking forward to it.  As a result of Covid and restrictions and lockdown we really haven't been able to see as much of Rob and Di as we would like and now that we do not meet at Pickleball and have found alternative and different hobbies and sports getting together is proving more difficult but tonight was the night and John and I walked in through the village passing trahana drying out in the sun.  This is most definitely an acquired taste!

We are hugely interested in a little old village house which is having a complete facelift - all the old render has been removed to expose the amazing brickwork and inside there have been some real man-sized beams installed.  We cannot wait to see what the finished article is going to look like.  It is really good to see one of these traditional buildings being restored as all too often they are owned by so many people that no-one can get a concensus about how to keep it from falling down.

OMG it was hot in Finikas' garden last night and both Di and I were leaking.  We had a lovely evening catching up and we were pleased to see that some foreigners came in to eat as we were finishing.  Poor Philippos was up against it though because the electric cables in that part of the village are being put underground and the Electricity Board have put in new breakers which kept tripping when Philippos put on the cooker!!!

We all walked home as far as Savvas the Tyreman's house when we went our separate ways and John and I decided we would sit out in the garden and cool down before calling it a night.  We have a new mirror in the garden behind the outside sofa - Charlie is very bemused by it!!

Discovering Pikni Forest

It was going to be another hot day today but we were determined that we would get our walks in.  Nicky and I left at 7.30pm to get to Pickni Forest.  The Forest is not huge and it is criss-crossed by a network of tracks which are wide enough for cars to negotiate - at least if you have a car like Kenny so you are unlikely to get lost.  However, some of the trails that appeared on my map either no longer exist or are not maintained so we started out and Narky Nora got Narky straight away!!!

Although we are in Forest the width of some of the roads meant that we were actually not particularly shaded by a canopy of trees which was a bit disappointing but there were opportunities to grab some shade and cool.  The very furthest part of the walk takes you to a precipice that overlooks Peyia 'village' which is no longer a village but a huge sprawling mass of properties.

This photograph will give you some idea of what I mean.  It is a shame that I do not have a photograph taken from the same spot from years ago when we first started coming.  I do somewhere have a photograph of Mum and Dad in the forest collecting fir cones for some project or another I was embarking on!

Shortly after standing on what felt like the edge of the world we went slightly off piste to take in more of the view and then made our way up through the trees back to our planned route - from here we could hear voices - the unmistakable sound of John laughing and as we turned a corner we bumped into him and Liselotte who had completed half their walk (which started on the opposite side of the road) and were now on their second half.  They too had had issues with the paths not being where they were supposed to be but were winging it!

A small section of our walk, towards the end, took us across the road which was much cooler as there are fewer roads - we did not negotiate the ravine which is to the left of Nicky (John and Liselotte had and said it was beautiful but with a steep descent and steep ascent on a very loose surface which is no good for Nicky who is nervous walking on unstable surfaces since her fall).

We returned to the car via the edge of the picnic area where there was a local fire engine with the driver sat out in the shade, he gave us a cheery wave.  John and Liselotte also saw him and spoke to him.  He had been involved with the massive fire at Tala two days previously where people had seen their houses go up in smoke and I dare say he was to be in action later on today when there was a massive fire in Akoursos and the whole village had to be evacuated to Kathikas.

The remainder of the day, prior to putting ourselves through the pain of watching England playing Germany in the Euros, was spent at home dipping in and out of the pool before taking a little trip out to check where my walk is going to be on Thursday - I am desperately seeking shade for this one and hoping to plot a second shorter one for Nicky and I next week.  We met a load of donkeys en route - bless them they at least had food and shade and looked quite well including the little baby one which was running around with its mum.

Unbelievably England beat Germany 2-0 - not entirely sure how that happened but the game was so boring I nipped across to see Sonia for the second half, accompanied by Charlie and Boris who wanted to give her house their seal of approval!!

Getting Back in Touch with our Best Man

We were thrilled to hear back from Andy - my email had gone to the right place and he filled us in with a little of his news.  I hope that in the future we can do better than one small email every five years because we have known each other for a very long time - nearly 40 years I think!!   Anyway he had told us that he had recently been on the TV taking part in a series on BBC2 so before it disappeared from IPlayer we managed to find it, and watch it.  Andy was our best man and John was supposed to be his best man until the RN had other ideas and John was halfway round the world on that day and Bez (Andy Berry) had to stand in.  Andy has replaced his black hair with grey and his North Yorkshire accent for a West Country one.

The TV programme provided a welcome distraction to the increasingly oppressive heat outside and we decided that any jobs we had planned for today could just wait as nothing was that important.  John settled down to catch up on some sport and await the opening match for this year's Wimbledon and I fiddled around with some ideas for this week's challenge which is 'Seeds and/or Seed Heads' - I have some cracking pictures I did previously but I just wanted to try and do something new.

We are both walking tomorrow - John with Liselotte and me with Nicky and we had both planned routes in and around the Pikni Forrest in the hopes that the trees will provide some welcome shade.  We just needed to get clear in our minds where we were starting and to check some of the paths because we cannot be sure that the ones which are shown on the map are still there.  To be fair most of the paths are drivable in Kenny but we didn't have time to do them all - we were satisfied that there were walks there to be had and the forest isn't so big that we cannot 'wing it' if necessary.

Our lovely lazy day was rounded off with a lovely meal at home.  Some pork chops and pork tenderloin pieces cooked on the barbeque with the remainder of the sauce we had left over from Friday when we had steak and a lovely fresh salad.

P.S.  Apparently we have readers in the Middle East - how exciting is that - anyway if you are reading and you know who you are because you will have an attachment to Droushia then, if you are on Facebook, checkout our Droushia page.