MRI day

April so far has been a real disappointment weather-wise.  So changeable and cold but today it was bizarre with sunshine, cloud, a shroud of red Saharan dust and rain - all at the same time.  We are due one final coptic of the season at the end of April and it is just possible that it has come early but that would be very early.  Anyway I had to go down to Paphos today for MRI's on my dodgy shoulder - after 30+ years I have finally had enough of the pain and hope to get something sorted.  After having a car accident (not my fault) I put my pain down to poor posture when I was a work sitting at a computer.  When I retired it did seem to be much better but then during COVID when I started to walk the motion aggravated it to the point where I couldn't stand any pressure on my shoulder.

I went down early to get a bit of shopping done - I had worn easy to remove clothing but even so it was so muggy and sticky down there that I was a right old sweaty mess when I got to the MRI place on the dual carriageway (VORKAS).

This is a stock photograph and obviously not me but it is to give you an idea of what I had done, in fact this was the second of my two scans, the first being on my left shoulder, the photograph is of a neck scan.

So I didn't need to have worried too much about what I was wearing as I only had to remove my bra - I could leave everything else on, no glasses and no jewellery obviously and I had to declare that I have metal wiring in my jaw after an operation.  

You have to lay absolutely still, not even move your lips which is bloody impossible when the total amount of time of the scans was about 25 minutes.  From the minute she told me I had itches and wanted to swallow and wanted to cough.  She gave me earplugs because she said it was noisy - she wasn't joking so all ideas of drifting off went out the window as I was faced with a barrage of sounds which I guess might have not been dissimilar to attending a rave (not sure as I never did).  I had sounds like a pneumatic drill, the alarm at A&E when my heart rate went above what they had deemed safe, a demented chicken, someone shouting mum, mum, mum over and over and then another shouting dad, dad, dad.  I stayed as still as I could but had to swallow at one point otherwise I feared I would choke!

Job done, payment of 10 euros per scan made my results will be back tomorrow apparently!

I returned home for a quick change as we were off back down to Paphos to celebrate Kirt's 50th birthday at The Pelican on the Harbour.  The works there are not complete but complete enough for the restaurants to function.

We did start out with a table by the water's edge but as it got later it got colder, the patio heaters weren't man enough and we did get given blankets but eventually we had to admit defeat.  Fortunately they had reserved a table for us indoors!

Actually indoors is a beautiful building with an amazing tiled floor with the original tiles from when it was something other than a restaurant I would guess.  The Pelican is famous for having a pelican - Kokos was there - we had mixed feelings about seeing such a magnificent creature in captivity but he/she seems loved and looked after.

Apparently Kokos even has a bedroom indoors!!!!

This is Kirt getting a birthday greeting from Kokos - his/her bill looks pretty fearsome but even though you might get a little 'nip' it wasn't done in anger or painful.

The restaurant was relatively busy with hardy souls sitting outside - I think if you are not right by the water but in the middle underneath the awnings surrounded by the heaters it is probably not too bad and tourists are hardier than those of us who have got soft and accustomed to the sunshine - even those of us who live up in the hills!!!!

We had a very relaxing evening thanks to Kirt's wife Donna who had, from the UK, organised everything which is amazing seeing as she had never been to Cyprus prior to this visit so only knew that Kirt had been to this restaurant before and liked it and this was before they decided to pull down a lot of the harbour and rebuild it - it was touch and go as to whether it would be open!

We started out with 'picnic tables' of dips and olives and pitta bread and introduced Kirt and Donna to another of our favourite wineries - Tsangarides.  They know and love Vasilikon - they have actually found somewhere in London where they can buy that!  They were equally as impressed with Tsangarides and we have said we will take them there when they come back in October.

It was when we came to order our main courses that we decided we would be better to move indoors because if nothing else your food goes cold very quickly outside and I am not a lover of lukewarm or cold food which is supposed to be hot.

We moved in and got ourselves settled down - it really was a good move as Karen was struggling with her bad back as the cold air had been blowing onto it and my feet were cold even though I had proper shoes on.

Kirt and Dip had decided to go for broke and had each ordered a lobster!  I had gone for prawns, John sea bass, Karen lamb chops and Donna a t-bone steak.  Sadly her steak was a bit of a disappointment which is sod's law as she had gone to so much trouble to ensure Kirt had the best 50th birthday celebration she could organise.

Donna even organised a magnificent cake from Love Island Cakes to round off the evening.  Kirt was over the  moon with the whole thing which is brilliant.  Hat's off to you Donna!!!

I wasn't drinking so drove home - we got in around 11pm which is way past my bedtime normally but the Less than Mighty Blades were playing and John wanted to watch but after a catalogue of errors even he threw in the towel.