Big Changes on the Cards...

I read on social media last night that Cyprus has created new administrative areas and that Droushia will come under Polis and that will mean no Muktar in the village but an elected representative on a much larger council (I think).  In the 11 years that we have lived in the village there has been next to no development save for the cobbling of the streets.  I know that during this time there was the banking crisis and covid but other villages seem to have weathered those storms and invested in their communities.  Brexit has exacerbated things because we British, regardless of the fact that we might be legal permanent residents who own our properties and pay our taxes here, are now regarded as Third World immigrants and have next to no rights.  It is a shame because in many villages like Droushia the British residents contribute hugely to the economy and help to keep the villages alive.  I am guessing that the move to come under the wing of Polis will mean even less investment in the village which is a shame.  I hope I am wrong - time will tell.  I just wonder what will happen to the huge municipal building we have in the village which remains more or less unused save for the museum and some agricultural meetings even though there is a theatre and was supposed to house a library.  I wonder if we will still be able to go and pay our municipal bills there and if Marianna will still be in the office?

We are transfixed by the events in the Ukraine.  Those poor people have suffered so much.  Some years ago John was going to watch Sheffield United in the play-off finals against Burnley and on the coach he sat next to a girl who supported Burnley - they struck up conversation and she was reading this book and suggested John should read it.  Lvov is now referred to as Lviv .  

Yesterday it was reported that the Russians had hit the Ukranian holocaust memorial in Kyiv.  This book had a profound effect on both John and I - we had to get an ex-library copy because at the time it was no longer in print.  It makes you realise why hitting the memorial was such a terrible thing to do. 

Also in the news was a report of the untimely death of the legendary Australian cricketer Shane Warne.  At 52 he was younger than John.  A larger than life character who made cricket way more interesting.  Very sad.

Today we continued with the freshening up of the downstairs toilet.  This is going to be a longer job than we anticipated because of the rebar problem and the fact that it has been so cold the filler is taking forever to dry.

I did cutting in on the right hand wall in readiness for it to be painted.  I have cleaned everything and so now it is just a matter of time.  Whilst I was in painting mode I finally got round to giving the back door frame a lick of gloss paint.  It wasn't perfect but it will at least protect the wood for a bit longer.

We did what we could before packing everything away.  We were going out this evening with Nicky and Mark.  Nicky's birthday was on Wednesday and two years ago she and Mark renewed their wedding vows.  Four years ago tomorrow we buried Dad and next Wednesday it is my birthday.

Nicky and Mark asked if we would like to go to Finikas in Polis.  We have been planning to go with them there for about two years.  When they moved up here we had recommended it to them as somewhere to go for special occasions and then circumstances prevented us going together.  They have been now several times and it is there go-to place - they love it and they have taken friends and family who have loved it too.  

We had a lovely evening - the food was fabulous as always and they don't seem to have increased their prices as a lot of the establishments have done.

I had my favourite starter, salmon tartare - this will be the first time I have had fish for months but what better way to test whether or not it causes me a problem?  I followed that with Finikas Chicken which was absolutely delicious.

It was good to see the restaurant was quite busy and that it hasn't changed since we last went which is often a problem here.

We drove and left The Pug parked up and got a taxi back so that no-one had to worry about having a drink - just as well really because we found out that they had a bottle of oak-aged zivania on the shelves which has become a favourite for Mark!

A lovely evening - my beautiful necklace was a gift some years ago from a very special friend - I hope she reads this and sees that we are thinking of her.