Monday 13th March

Sadly our weather forecast was not wrong.  For huge portions of this coming week we are to expect storms, heavy rain, thunder and lightning and, apparently, localised flooding due to the Coptic.

The weather had started to change yesterday before Mum drove home from having lunch with us.  This was to be her very last drive home from us, in fact her last drive ever.  I have to say I felt quite sad for her but if she was feeling sad herself she hid it well.  She has stuck by her decision that even though it will be a bit inconvenient now is the right time to give up driving.  Her insurance ran out at midnight last night and today we were going to sort out transferring ownership to me - it is my birthday present from Mum.

In the early hours of this morning the weather went from bad to worse with heavy heavy rain and high winds, fortunately no thunder and lightning.  I had set the alarm because I wanted to speak to Atlantic Insurance before we set off today.  As the weather was so awful I wanted to make sure that Mum did not have to come to the insurance company with us although she and I would need to go together to the Citizens Advice for the transfer of ownership and issuing of the log book in my name.  I had already made an appointment to do that by phone at the Centre which is housed in the main post office because I think access to the one on Butcher Boy Road might be difficult if not impossible.  Atlantic confirmed that she did not need to come and so I let her know.

You could not see your hand in front of your face when we set off - it was quite scary to see just how many drivers had only side lights or worse no lights on at all.   We would suddenly come upon a vehicle which had been totally invisible until we were about 3 yards away.  I am a nervous passenger at the best of times but this was awful.  It did improve as we got down nearer the coast but it was clear that Paphos had experienced some pretty heavy storms.  

We managed to get to Atlantic in one piece.  The roadworks along there are now completed and they have installed lots of official short stay parking spaces which makes things an awful lot easier but you have to hope that your business is completed within 30 minutes or you run the risk of getting a parking ticket!

We went in to see the lovely Joanne at Atlantic who has dealt with all our insurance needs for the last 19 years and she had everything ready so the new insurance was sorted quickly and I had the covernote for the Citizens Advice which they need for the log book.

I had to smile because as we left from sorting out car insurance Joanne kindly presented us with not one but two bottles of red wine as a gift from Atlantic - our house insurance is paid at the end of the year and had we gone into the office to pay it we would have been given the wine then but I had paid it on-line.  

I have to say irrespective of the wine, Atlantic have always been a good company to us and Joanne is amazing, you have to speak as you find.  An insurance company is only as good as it is when you have to make a claim.

We then shot off and picked up Mum and John parked up and waited whilst we were doing the next part of the car handover.  I had made an appointment for 11.30 but we got to the Post Office before 11.00.  I was asked if we had an appointment, which we did, and then I had to login with the computerised touch screen where you say which service you want.  At this point Mum disappeared into the bowels of the building in search of a loo.  

When she returned we were called, the woman dealing with us was very efficient but not very talkative and although I thought I had thought of everything I had not actually got a copy of the actual official ownership handover form (which is all in Greek anyway).  Anyway we had everything else and the transaction was done quickly at a cost of €8.25 (I think).  I thanked the girl for making it painless and she said that these things are easy if you bring the correct paperwork which we had done so really she had not had to do anything other than her job.  She then smiled and wished us a pleasant day.  I bet sometimes she is faced with some right old problematical customers particularly some curmudgeonly Brits so when we pitched up she was fearing the worse hence she was everso slightly officious at the outset.

We did not rush off, we took Mum to lunch at Tea for Two on the Tombs of the Kings as she likes it there although the waiter she has a chat with was off today so the atmosphere was a bit flat.  I had a chicken Caesar salad as the weather was brightening up at the coast and it must be salad weather soon surely?  I have got weight to lose before my nephew's wedding otherwise people are going to be asking who the fat grey blob is.

We stayed with Mum for a while making sure she was ok and then I took the key to Margarethe (named after the Aunt who left Mum some money which Mum used to buy the car) and drove back to Droushia.  

I felt sad and guilty but I have promised Mum that I will make sure that on the day I come down we do something nice and she also has her lovely friend Lilian looking out for her.  But she looked so little as we left and although she is made of strong stuff I do wonder how much longer she will be with us.

As we got closer to Droushia the weather deteriorated and in Kathikas it was back to zero visibility and it was cold.  We sat in the conservatory as there must have been a little sunshine to warm it.

We decided to watch the last two remaining episodes of Unforgotten - although a bit different without Nicola Walker it was excellent and we are now faced with the problem of chosing something else to watch.

We had the remains of the excellent Sunday lunch yesterday for our supper when we felt a little peckish and decided to have an early night because last night's storm had spooked the cats so they were up all hours and therefore so were we.