Thursday 8th March 2012

So that's it until 3rd April when we will return to welcome our next set of visitors and hopefully some more sunshine.  I am writing this before the day has really started but there are things to do.


As usual jobs to do before setting off.  A bit of cleaning and sorting inside and the last few bits in the garden.  Car cleaned of all the mud from the road, which will hopefully be dry on our return.  Will there be a permit to build an actual road?  Some how I doubt it.


It has been a great month here even though the weather has not  been great.  Highlights have to be the two trips out when sister-in-law Julia was with us.  The snow in the Troodos and looking out to sea at Cape Greeko.  We have got to cement our friendships with people in the pub and bowls club and look forward to representing the club the first time in a Charity Bowls match on 7th April.

I have taken lots of photos during the last month and only use a couple to illustrate the 'words of the day'.  


The attached are my two favourites.  The picture of Lillian and Julia, although it is a little blurred I was at least 80 yards away using the telephoto lens.  It just caught Julia waving and I am pleased how she is silhouetted against the snow background.  The picture taken across the salt flats at Meneou is great.  I saw this opportunity as I drove and quickly stopped by the side of the road and and clicked using the pocket camera not 'the big one'. The light changed within seconds of taking this picture and those that I took those few seconds later were nowhere near as nice.  It just seemed to capture the moment.  I am going to get some photo editing software whilst away and start photography for real.


BA flight at 1620 to London Heathrow Terminal 3 where hopefully Steve will be there to pick us up.  Already I am looking forward to being back here and the idea of working for the next three weeks is not appealing even though I will be in Washington DC.  Nice city, but I've done the sights and its now a place where there are other things to do.

Wednesday 7th March 2012

Picture taken at 0700 - this is why we love it so much.

Back to summer days ......... from 45F in the morning to 78F in the afternoon.  This is more like it!

So shorts on and T shirt and most of the day spent on garden related tasks, including sitting in the sunshine.  

3 trips to the beach for stone collecting although restricted t one bag only as the second, whose handles had broken last week completely disintegrated with a huge hole in the bottom.  Too much weight I fear.  This means I did not make the far corner as i intended but the black underlay is down and pinned so it just means a couple of more trips when I return in April.  To complete that section anyway.  There is still the pool wall to go and some of the ‘front garden’ wall.  Collecting the winter dead leaves that have fallen between the stones is a time consuming task, however with all the time in the world and the sun shining there is no hurry.  It is quite therapeutic and satisfying.  Everything looks neat and tidy

The last four bamboo poles were cut and fixed and the fencing is finished.  Little disappointed that some of the poles that I cut were slightly bent, but I think I got all of the best in the first two rows when I had no intention going to four.  Anyway its complete and now I am hoping to see lots of new leaves shooting on our return.

Lillian spent time on the phone with the complex maintenance company.  It seems it was not them that switched the electricity off but the electric company for non payment of bill.  As a number of owners on the complex have not paid their fees their are insufficient funds in the account to cover.  I help by firing off two assertive and stroppy emails to the two Brits that own houses but are yet to put in an appearance or pay any money!  There are too many that have not paid at all. This is of course worrying but I am sure with Lillian on the case we will get it sorted.

It was ‘Greek Lesson’ night so for the last time I dropped Lillian in the car to the Pervolia school.  Last lesson for nearly a month but also it will be back to walking to the village when we return in April.  Home for a while and then back to the village to meet Lillian in Bar Coast for what is now a ‘traditional’ weekly curry.

Tuesday 6th March 2012

The summer day of yesterday turned into an early dawn with today being grey and overcast with a couple of very heavy periods of rain.  This rain has returned our entrance roadway to a gooey, sticky mass once again and we will not be sorry to see the ends of the rains for this year.  I guess the rain cam because I cleaned the car.  It will need to wait now until Thursday morning for a clean before our departure.

Not much to do on such a day so a trip to the garden centre in Terrasfanou.  A good one to go to as it is virtually all under cover.  €25 was enough to buy 5 large daisy type flowers  ostespernum, which were set amongst the fencing and stones, 3 low climbing rockery type plants with a pretty white a purple flowers, 6 petunia which are now in the feature garden and a bowl with some garzinea.  All suitably placed late afternoon when the grey skies turned to blue and the sun shone.

Apart from watching 3 episodes of Prison Break that was about it for today and early to bed only to be woken a 12 midnight by a text message from Chris Plastow (A West Ham season ticket holder)  “Well done the Tractor Boys”.  This meant I had to get up, switch on the internet to find the score.  Ipswich had drawn 1-1 away against Southampton, who are top of the league.  Just as I had ‘predicted’ which take me to the dizzy height on the Ipswich Website Predictor league at 20th out of 386 people who are registered to predict the score of each game.  Next match away to Hull on Saturday, now let me see.  What will the score be?

Monday 5th March 2012

The fence - not finished but you can see what I'm doing!

Blue skies nothing but blue skies.  A lovely day which made us think that summer had come.  

Shorts weather and off to bowls, although I was the only one who thought that summer had come and my shorts brought a few comments.  First game finished in a defeat  with very little contribution from yours truly.  The second game was my first ever draw 10-10 with the opposition getting two points from the last end to secure a draw.  It felt like a defeat as we had been in the lead throughout.

Back home I continued fencing and made one trip to the beach for stones.  First such trip in a week and now there is pressure to finish the side wall before we leave on Thursday.  i don’t think I will make it as I estimate four or perhaps five more trips are required.

Whilst I was out in the garden Lillian spent a couple of hours working at her greek homework and preparing a ‘vocab’ book.  I admire her dedication to want to learn as I still cant get please and thank you correct.  

When we return in April we both will need to get back into the habit of walking into the village which takes no more than ten minutes but due to the bad weather and dark nights we have got into the habit of the car.  I drop Lillian at the Pervolia school for her lesson, returning home to do a bit of work before heading off again to the pub to wait for lillian to arrive.  In the pub I chat to Gareth and Jackie, new friends of a sort.  I say this as we only seem to see them in the pub!  Jackie works for Marcus Evans, the owner of Ipswich Town FC in his offices in Lefkosia as an accountant.  She tells stories of moving money around to pay the players which I always find intriguing.

Back home, after really one drink too many its a meal from the freezer and an episode of Prison Break, although I fall a sleep half way through, waking at the finishing titles.  Will need to re-run during the day.  I put the sleeping down to being woken at 0405 by the dust cart and not the extra drink!

Sunday 4th March 2012

View over salt flats at Meneou taken at 1630

We woke to a very overcast and grey sky which brought a short rain shower however this soon blew away on the wind leaving blue skies and sunshine.

Out in the garden for a couple of hours working on the ‘fence’ and then to sit in the sunshine, although still a need to wear a sweater.

Sunday lunch at Zephyros Beach Tavern on Mackenzy Beach.  It was packed and as we had not booked we had to wait for 15 minutes for a table.  Looking around there must have been at least 80 people in the restaurant and we were certainly the only ‘non-local’ guests.  Always a good sign for any restaurant if its full of locals.  We were not disappointed when it came to the food.  A fish meze with salad, humous, tazekie, and taramasalata to start followed by cuttlefish, prawns, mushrooms, calamari, octopus, crab and a variety of local fish including whitebait.  The highlight was a sea bass.  All washed down with cold local white wine and finished with gleeko, the local preserved fruit in sugar.  Truly a feast.  It will be a place to take visitors and we picked up a card as we can see a reservation is recommended.

After a drive through Larnaca along the coastal road stopping to take a picture of the sun shining through grey clouds and reflecting on the salt lakes near the airport at Meneou.   Back home and like all little piggies who eat too much we both dozed on the sofa.

Saturday 3rd March 2012

Last Saturday I wrote that you did not have to support a winning team to have a nice day, but its great when you do!  A 3-0 home win for Ipswich and a great win at bowls in the morning!  All for a very good day.

There were only a few at bowls in the morning as a match had been played the day before.  Only three lanes in operation but two very good games in which I played OK after the first few ends of getting my ‘eye in’ so to speak.  The most exciting was the first game where my team won on the very last bowl never having been in the lead throughout the game.

A quick trip into Larnaca to collect the laundry and visit Lidl for supplies.  When we looked at the trolley the majority seemed to be wine and beer!  Stocking up for the run of visitors we will have when we return here in April after the work trip.

Some more fence weaving which has taken complete priority over stone collecting and at 1630 a walk into the village to the pub for Saturday afternoon football.  A large cheer erupted as I walked through the door, making me think my popularity had reached new levels, only to see on the big screen that Arsenal had just scored against Liverpool.  The pub was quite full and banter flew across the room between the two respective sets of supporters.

An enjoyable couple of hours chatting and football score watching whilst two games were shown live on the big screens.  Lillian joined later having stayed behind to make up the bed in the blue room ready for Hugh and Rosemary who arrive on 4th April.

A nice evening meal in the village and one episode of Prison Break before bed.  A nice day.

Friday 2nd March 2012

Giant Ball of string - hardly used!

The wind has gone although not a lot warmer with temps barely reaching 60F. With forecasts into the mid upper 60s at the weekend and higher after that perhaps our last few days in Pervolia will be good before returning to the world of work.

With at least the sun shining it was back into the garden for ‘fence building’.  I have quite taken to cutting my own bamboo and weaving it between the bougainvillea and leylandi hedging.  It is taking time but It is making for a sturdy hedge / fence even though I am cutting and scratching my hands with the sharp thorns on the bougainvillea.  As I tie I remember being in the Boy Scouts and learning how to tie a clove hitch and complete a round turn and two half hitches.  Those skills learnt so long ago are coming into use.

A walk into the village was needed to the hardware store for some more string.  You have to imagine the scene with me with no greek and the man in the shop with no english.  “I want some string”.  Hmm he has a worried look.  This soon turns into a game of charades as I rush around the store, followed by the man, finding anything but string.  At last I find some nylon cord which I grab, give a thumbs up but then a frown and say ‘No’.  ‘Oh’ he says in greek ‘You want string!’  Well that is what he must have said as he goes behind a counter and appears with a giant ball of string!  ‘Got anything smaller? I say  ...... a worried and puzzled look appears on his face .... thumbs up .....‘That will do nicely’ and I pay for the giant ball of string.

Back home Dan the Plumbing Man from Essex has called and is in the middle of knocking a hole in the wall to change the single plug socket to a double.  He does a good job and even fits a new disposal tube to the dishwasher.  We will get him back when we eventually sort our lighting for the lounge and replacements for above the mirror lighting in the bathroom, which are fairly cheap looking plastic.  Which is what they are cheap and plastic.

With Dan the Plumbing Man gone, Lillian armed with a paintbrush not only touches up the filling around the new plug fitting, but scours the house looking for areas to dab.  She says she is looking for perfection.  If anybody can make it she can.

As the afternoon turns to dusk we realise there are no street lights.  With all the ‘antics’ at the residents meeting yesterday it seems to save costs the maintenance company have turned them off!  There was discussion about the pool lights but this is a step too far.  I will need to report it to my newly elected committee member.  

I sit and look out onto our garden whilst having an early evening beer watching our solar lights come on.  I like to sit and watch the colour flowers changing, which I find very relaxing.  We have one new light which is a dragonfly which Lillian bought for me in the hardware store in Lefkosia earlier this week.  I sit and Lillian reads although getting up occasionally to sort the dinner.  She reminds me that I haven’ t even made her a coffee today.  Opps will do better tomorrow.  With the coffee that is ..... not the dinner.

Two episodes of Prison Break - Season 3.  Such a good series.

Thursday 1st March 2012

Bamboo that grows nearby.

March already, but it was just Christmas?


A calmer day, although not as yet the blue skies that we so love.  Watching the weather forecast on the few channels that we have it would seem that the whole of the eastern Mediterranean has been hit by similar weather.  Somewhat annoying to find that it is warmer in London.

With the beep, beep of the text message to say that bowls was on we set off in ‘winter wear’ to join a small gathering who were huddled under the shelters as the wind whipped across the fields.  The bowls club is situated just outside Kiti next to a small industrial estate, but has open fields on both sides.  It was freezing!

The draw was made with Lillian and I playing next to each other on adjacent rinks with only  four in operation due to reduced numbers. A good game for me, acting as skip against Jim who I skipped against last week resulted in a very creditable and easy win.  I would like to say it was down to my leadership but Rod and Bob, me team members bowled well and I even gained a couple of points myself!  However the wind was so cold we, along with about half the members decided not to play a second game and we hurried our goodbyes and made for the warmth of the car.  

A stop at the bank in Dromelaxia to pay the complex maintenance charge and a quick trip into Larnaca to leave two big sheets for laundry.  They take too much time to iron for the few € charge.

Back home it was some work on-line and then out in the garden for repair work to our bashed hedging after the winds. What was ‘unique’ for me that I was able to go across the road to cut my own bamboo poles that are growing in a nearby field.  It had fortunately become slightly warmer.

A young plumbing man, whose card we had picked up in Bar Coast called to fix the washing machine and inside I was pleased that it was not me that was the cause of the leaking but the miserable Quality Group worker who called when we first took over the house to fix the leak.  He had left a plastic shut off valve in the pipe!  Dan the plumbing man from Essex, said that he would call again to change a single plug socket in the lounge to double as he ‘does electrics too’.  It was interesting to hear his ‘life story’ and he and his girlfriend arrived here with €350 to their name and how he was now getting work and his girlfriend had just opened the small hairdressers in the village.

A meeting was held for residents with the maintenance company in the gym.  Only 5 houses were represented and all of the talking was virtually in greek.  Arguments flared over the charges being made for cleaning and maintenance and it was no way to run a meeting! Perhaps its the greek cypriot way to just speak louder?  In the end Lillian was elected on the committee.  We actually think the costs are reasonable as we want the complex to stay nice, although the inside road is a mess currently due to the main road.  I have to say that so much was spoken in greek I lost interest Lillian though seemed to pick up the gist of what was being said.  We will see what can be achieved.

Message from Stephanos in Quality Group in response to our email.  Still awaiting the Road permit!

End of Season Two of Prison Break.  Great stuff.

Wednesday 29th February 2012

Faros Beach taken two days ago before the storms!

Another pretty grotty day weatherwise.  Rescued the remaining patio furniture from across the garden in the rain early morning and stored it under the car port.  Hope its not too long before it can return to its correct place. Throughout the day strong winds blew and it wasn’t until late afternoon there was any sign of sunshine.

Due to the above we spent the day indoors in the warm.  Time on internet completing some work, (I really am thinking this will soon be at an end) and some jobs around the house.  I demonstrated that I am a rubbish plumber having ‘fixed’ the leak to the dishwasher for it to be worse than when I started (We will need to get a man!).  Fixed a in-cupboard under the sink tray, purchased in Ikea yesterday and a black curtain rod for a very nice ‘cream silk hanging thing’ that Lillian bought in Dubai in our bedroom.  Both I add successfully. 

Lillian spent time on emails to family and friends and then two hours or more on her greek homework ready for her lesson.  Very impressed that she started it more than an hour before she was dues to leave as per the last few weeks!

A quick car ride into the village to drop her at her lesson as it was still too windy for her to walk and a meet later in Bar Coast for an Indian meal.  The food there is so good!