An Early Start

Today we were up early because we had to take Mrs Nicky the Nissan to the service centre at Agia Varvara to have a tyre and brake check.  We both drove down so that Mrs Nicky could be left and John and I could go to the Mall for a bit of retail therapy.  I was relying on Google Maps to get me there.  Clearly the road system has changed a bit since it was recorded because there were large swathes when Missy did not tell me where to go and at a roundabout she did not mention the roundabout at all simply telling me that I needed to bear slightly left.  In the end we got there in one piece and we left to have a wander around the Mall.  We had contacted Dip (who arrived yesterday) to see if he was about so that we could catch up and he did a detour and swung by to have a bit of lunch with us.

We bought a few bits in Jumbos but they are currently stocking up with Halloween tat which will then be replaced by Christmas tat.  I am being a little unfair because you get some really lovely decorations at Christmas and next year when The Crew come out they will be here later and therefore should be able to fill their boots (and suitcases) with Christmas goodies as they just missed out this year.

The car was not going to be ready until around 3pm so we had to kill time.  There aren't many shops in the Mall that we buy from now - a couple of my favourites have gone and been replaced by super expensive ones so we wandered across the road to have a look around the Begonia Garden Centre which has been there years.  I am looking for a pot (without drainage holes) that I can use to house my fishpond as we think we need something bigger than what I currently have.  We didn't see anything but will continue looking.

At around 2.30 we set off back to get the car.  The brakes had been sorted and the tyres checked and as we had suspected the tread was such that they need to be changed sooner rather than later.  We asked for an approximate cost for changing them.  John asked for a price like for like - they are currently Michelin - which came in at a staggering €450 EACH because like everything else for whatever reason the price of tyres has rocketed.  I think John nearly got severe nosebleed so the nice girlie gave him a range of tyres to chose what he wanted and he has now some homework to do before we take out a small mortgage to replace them.  Bloody hell it is not a bloody formula 1 car!

We actually spent some time this evening having a sundowner up on the roof.  We are starting to cut back the summer plants but want enough colour to make the garden look attractive if Dip and Karen come over.  If we do a little at a time it doesn't feel like hard work.  Tomorrow the weather is forecast to be quite changeable and cooler - I don't mind as I am going down to Paphos with Gail and Jan to show them where several of the second hand furniture shops are located.