The aftermath

After really awful weather overnight which included a massive thunderstorm and power outage for five hours we were going down to Paphos and calling in on Mum.  The morning wasn't as bad as they had forecast - I had told Mum that if the forecast was correct not to expect us.  Little did I know that it was about 12 hours out - but more of that later.  

We had several things we needed to get done today and our leaving time depended on whether the establishments we needed were open on a Wednesday afternoon because it is still traditionally half day closing and some businesses, despite all the disruption of roadworks and Covid, hang on to that tradition for grim death along with the two or three hour breaks for lunch.  Fortunately the DIY shop, Glass Shop and Butchers were all staying open so we did not have to rush down - we had a leisurely brunch before setting off.

Our fabulous butcher Naz (Shukrou Meatmarket) kindly takes my order via text and has it ready for me - it started out as being a small order for two local fillet steaks and a pig's liver for the cats but during the morning John added pork neck and braising steak!  I suggested to Naz that I just hand my little pension straight over to him because that is where it seems to be going!!!  He is such a nice guy and his meat is wonderful and the shop is clean and modern and inviting.  Today my pig's liver was a gift from the shop - the cats will be pleased!!

When we arrived at Mum's we could see how much rain there had been overnight and this lake in the front garden was receding at this point!  I am amazed that ducks haven't moved in!  We had a few jobs to do for her - she needed a draught excluder fitted to the door from the garage into the house as the wind was whipping in through there and we put the edges on her new jigsaw right so that would leave her something to do when we had gone.  I am in the dog house because I have forgotten to do her on-line banking - she has a reminder set monthly, the account actually only needs accessing every three months but she gets a bit twitchy if I don't remember to do it!

Driving home the skies were getting quite angry and the waves were whipping up along Banana Bay.  I didn't get to capture it on camera but there must have been a circular break in the clouds and the sun came through casting a ring of lights onto the sea like someone was either going to be beamed down or beamed up Scotty.  What we didn't quite appreciate was that these clouds were the precursor to the bad weather that had been forecast and which arrived later in the evening - yet another scary thunder storm and this time it was Nicky and Mark's TV box that got wiped out.  We remembered to unplug ours this time.

We managed to collect and transport home our big mirror without incident thank goodness.  it is back in its rightful place over the fireplace and that was 20 euros very well spent - I am pleased because I didn't really want to replace it with something else.  We didn't have a bevel put in the replacement - we didn't think we needed it and we do actually prefer the mirror plain.

It was another cold night - we are so glad we have the woodburner although we are rather pissed off by the fact that the government is giving residents of Mountain villages a one off hardship payment to help with heating and because we are British we don't get it although we are permanent tax paying residents who live in a Mountain village.  Even though the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement has a section that covers non discrimination and we should be covered by this it would appear that this is being ignored.  I wouldn't mind but that will be over 700 euros we have missed out on and that would go a very long way to keeping us warm.  Our bedroom with a heater on for two hours was only 9 degrees.  The bedroom with the aircon unit that also heats was warmer but we don't currently sleep in that one.

Anyway enough of that as there is nothing we can do other than put in a formal complaint to the European Commission which we have done and it is being looked into apparently.

I finish with this picture of Miss Minnie who is a bit upset because Boris decided to squeeze himself into her basket.  Really he is too big to go in there but guess he found it nice and warm!

As I said a wild night followed - it was already snowing by the time we went to bed and the temperatures had dropped to just above freezing but obviously went lower as the night went on.