Billy Brassic today

It was brassic today - the weather forecast said it would rain and it did rain and it was grey and freezing cold all day.  We started out with a good breakfast to compensate.

I can't tell you how much John's tastebuds have changed in the 30+ years that we have been together when he was very much a 'meat and two veg (carrots and peas)' sort of guy but all those years globe trotting in the Navy and my love of cooking has changed all that.

This morning we had freshly squeezed local orange juice to accompany some freshly brewed coffee and then toast, poached free-range eggs and some local asparagus picked from just over our wall.  It was delicious - really delicious and John has now declared himself a lover of asparagus which is just as well as we bought a whole load and will be having that for breakfast for a few more days yet.

John was going out for lunch later with the boys, The Bobster, Marky-Mark and Das.  First thing Das wasn't going to be able to make it but in the end he did and Marky-Mark had an appointment and thought he might be late but was on time.  This month The Bobster was driving which left me free from my normal Chauffeuse duties so Nicky had suggested that she and I do something together and we had decided to go into the village for something to eat and a bottle of wine.

I had some time to kill before Nicky rang to say she was ready.  I have a project on the go to create a gift for Isabel to take with her when she returns to Scotland.  I wanted it to be something which reminded her of Cyprus and during lockdown I had got myself some box frames in one of our Ikea deliveries so inspired by the pebble pictures I had purchased for Christmas presents I thought I might have a go at one myself.

It is a lot harder than it looks I can tell you - trying to get the right coloured, right sized, right shaped pebbles to represent a woman and her dog is nigh on impossible - well at least on your first trip to the beach.

I had assembled some of the pebbles together but then John came and moved them around and substituted some so I know that the finished article will be different to what is in the picture.  As John pointed out Isabel is very slightly built so she probably wont appreciate me giving her fat legs!!!

As John got ready to leave the skies really got dark and it started to rain - deep joy as Nicky and I were walking into the village.  I had had the foresight to contact Andri to ask if her Dad could have a fire lit in Finikas.  We know it is going to be chilly in there but at least looking at a fire helps to make you feel a little bit warmer.  Well that's the theory anyway.

It is so unusual for me to go out for a girlie lunch and to be able to have a drink because I don't have to drive so I was really looking forward to today and we had ordered exactly the food we wanted.  Salad and taramasalata followed by eggs and courgette, halloumi and hand cut chips.  Bless Marina she actually remembered that previously I couldn't eat tomato and cheese so checked first.  The food was gorgeous and exactly what we wanted and we washed it down with a bottle of Vasilikon.  Bless Philippos he kept the fire well stoked for us although it was still cool in there - fortunately Nicky and I had dressed accordingly.