Busy doing nothing

working the whole day through.  Hmm don't like this sitting at a computer all day and making / taking telephone calls.  Much better to be on holiday!

Artichokes almost ready

 Still there has been times to relax and do not very much over the last few days when the 'phone allows'.  Clear blue skies and sunshine made for a lovely weekend with legs strained and bums 'ached' as a far too long a cycle ride reminded us that we had just spent 5 days dragging a golf cart up and don fairways (and in the bushes).  A total of 10 miles cycled proved to be a bit excessive for a first trip out for a while and after a stroll to the pub for the normal Saturday afternoon football watching we staggered back home and the staggering was not from the drink!  With a day off to recover we have paced ourselves with two hour long brisk beach walks stopping to talk to the local beach vendor on Faros Beach setting up his pitch for the summer months.  A new canopy to his palm leaf covered hut is going to make a nice place to sit for some sun downers in a couple of months.

Time to rest aching legs

There is always things to do in the garden and at the moment the challenge is picking up leaves.  The milder winter meant the bougainvillea did not lose all of its leaves and now as the new are growing the old are falling.  Its like painting the Forth Bridge as you just clear all of the leaves from between the white beach stones and  they are back the next morning.  Still it passes the time.  We have ventured to get the padded seating out and set on the swing and loungers.  The sure invitation for rain. The weather was lovely here until Monday  night, when we had an amazing thunder storm!! It lasted for hours and the lightning really lit up the whole sky. Still, the garden needed a bit of rain, so we are not complaining, and at least it has the decency here to rain at night! Ha ha.

Monday morning gave a chance to go to bowls.  Our bowls is just like our golf -some great shots mixed with some absolute rubbish. Still fun to meet everyone after a gap.  Have only played once in about three months. Annual subscription paid 25 Euro for a year!  Cant be bad?

A great week of golf and fun!

Back home after a great week away with 3 sets of friends from Dubai days in Belek in Turkey playing 5 rounds of golf interspersed with the normal banter, accompanied by lots to eat and drink.  Our fifth year of the annual April trip although the first for three years all eight have been able to attend.

The flight across to Antalya is short, only 40 minutes from Ercan in Northern Cyprus where we were met by the ever efficient Billyana Golf rep for a 30 minute drive to Hotel Voyage.  Highly recommended all inclusive hotel with good rooms, excellent food and beverages, breakfast buffet being first class and a range of a la carte restaurants when you want something different.  The Steak House was very good.

Five rounds of golf on four different courses.  All are very well kept with some challenging holes.  The most difficult being the National.  We played twice on the Montgomerie Maxx course which will host the Turkish Open this coming year.  It will be interesting to see how the pros demolish it in November. Geoff, who was taking his turn at being trip organiser, selected a mix of teams each day and pairings brought a range of scores.  Some good, some very good and some just awful from all players at different times.  In the end it all came down to the last put on the last hole.  Last year I sank a huge put to win by one shot.  This year I missed the final put from 3 feet to lose by one shot!  However I did win nearest the pin 3 times with Lillian once.  Lillian and I were 'married pairs' winners for the first time and Lillian was the Ladies champ.  Jason and Kim to organise next year so who knows where we will go?  Its down to them.

Throughout the time we were blessed with lovely weather with hardly a cloud and only one day of strong winds.

Walking and biking

Days when you just please yourself what you do are always the best.  With minimal 'stress' dealing with work related emails that come in overnight from the USA the day soon  becomes our own.

Both Lillian and I are well into 'pottering'.  We flit from the garden to household chores (well Lillian does) to the biggest decision of the day do we bike or walk?  This compares very well with the other big decision each day ....... white or red wine? A local supermarket is set to close and wine is currently heavily discounted with good local wine at under €3.

Over the last couple of days walking and biking have both featured as a way to pass a couple of hours.  The walk was the longest we have taken for sometime.

The fields are a mix of green and gold with many barley fields ready to be cut.  There is always something different to see.  Frequently we pass a cypriot fishing from the beach.  They use long poles casting lines out with a deft flick of the wrist.  It is always exciting when we actually stand and watch in awe when something is caught.  However you don't often see the fisherman equipped as in the picture to the left.  We waited for a while watching him snorkel although didn't see a success story.

Another unusual sight today was an army transporter plane flying low over the coast and then heading inland and much to our surprise dropping from it parachutists!  Three times it circled and each time 8 more appeared.  It seems that they would land in the hills not far from Teresafanou where the golf course that never was built should have been.

Hot but cloudy

Two really warm days but no sunshine!  Temps have climbed and its warm with 28C / 82F the highest part of the day (mid-afternoon) but a complete grey cloud cover and a slight but warm breeze means T shirts are still on for the moment.  I will not gloat over family and friends who are experiencing such rotten weather in UK except to say ...... bet you wish that you were here.

The last few days have seen two more bike rides both of an hours length and one long walk to to the beach at Faros.  Lillian goes into a 2-0 lead in falling from her bike with a lace caught in the peddles.  Fortunately no bloody nose this time just shaken but not broken!

Saturday afternoon was the normal football score watching a prayers were answered with an Ipswich home win 3-0 against the much hated Leeds Utd.  This year will see the 52nd year since I saw my first Ipswich match at Portman Road against the famous Manchester United.  With Ipswich winning 4-1 that day how could you possibly support any other team.  After recent seasons of despair we at last have a manager who knows his business and things are looking up even though he has not yet saved us from relegation.  Important game today!

The garden continues to provide pleasurable time.  Our activities complete each other.  Lillian pots, clips and trims whilst I collect fallen leaves, tie back where needed and generally sort.  Lillian is far more persistent than I on an activity whereas I seem to change every twenty minutes or so.  However we get things done and its starting to look nice.

The banks are open!  We have seen some queues outside some but have been able to go to the cash machine and although there is a restriction to withdrawing €300 per day, that is plenty for our needs.  Laiki Bank, which we are with is to close down and be taken into the Bank of Cyprus.  Not sure how it will work as yet.

Bike riding

A beautiful day, warm and sunny with temps in the mid 70s F and ideal for a bike ride.  Routes that we have frequently taken before but always enjoyable as we get to see the sea!  The colour looks wonderful. Even time to sit on umbrella beach and just enjoy being there.  We pass through a number of fields that are showing already their first crops of artichockes and potatoe plants are in flower.

Plenty to do in the garden too.  It becomes addictive and we collect leaves, cut and trim.  Its so good to see everything coming to life and sprouting new leaves.  The bougainvillaea are just starting to show their first flowers.

An evening in the village with a stop in the Cottage Pub which is really quite empty.  The landlord Ken has been badly hit with the Cyprus 'problem' with the breweries no longer taking cheques and wanting cash payments.  Business is not good for him and it will be a real shame if he goes under after 8 years.  How will business be good when his prices are so cheap? I like it in the Cottage Pub!

Quick trip to Doha

Good morning

 Good morning.  Once again back in Cyprus after a quick 4 day trip to Doha, once again staying at the St. Regis Hotel.  Certainly live sup to its 5* billing with a lovely room with true sea view.

This trip was not without its moments with to flight changes on the way via Amman in Jordan, then Bahrain and finally Doha, meaning 10 hours all told. However I arrived safely but my case did not and for 20 hours I was without a change of clothes until eventually heading for a shopping mall for replacements.  It was 36 hours before my case eventually re-appeared.

HRH Prince Michael of Kent speaks with students

This meant I missed lunch on the first day at the Islamic Museum with HRH Prince Michael of Kent who had come to Doha to perform the opening ceremony of the new teaching block at one of the schools.  Couldn't go to lunch with members of the British and Qatari Royal families in jeans and T shirt! I have been working solidly to get this project finished for the last 6 months so it was good to see it eventually opened.  I did get to meet the Prince (we have met before at school openings) on day two when he officially cut the ribbon when I was suitably attired.  As ever he was delightful, interested and really excellent with the children.


Day three was a trip to our school in Al Khor, a 40 minute drive to the north of Doha.  We need to build some more classrooms. Not sure if it shows very well but it is the northern settlement on the picture to the left just to the north of the inlet in central of the picture.  I took the picture from the plane on the homeward journey. Currently only a few thousand people but it is expected to have 0.7 million in ten years time!

The building between Doha and Al Khor is immense and even though only four weeks since I was last there the changes are noticeable.  Al Khor will be one of the centres for the World Cup in 2022.

Flights back were fairly uneventful and I arrived complete with case.  A quick SMS to Lillian for the 'taxi service' and home.  Now here for a whole week.  Watch this space.

Charity Bowls

The semi-finals start ..... should have been my team.  Fix

The annual Kiti Bowls Club Charity Day.  A day when bowlers from all clubs on the island descend for a day of 'mixed' bowls.  Mixed in the terms that all names are put in a hat and drawn into teams of four which means players from all club teams are mixed.   As it happens I was drawn with three ladies from our club whereas Lillian was in a truly mixed team with one member from each club.

Throughout the night the strong winds from the day before had brought heavy rain and so for a 0930 start the mats were wet and a slight spray shot up as the bowl rolled along the mat, but a strong breeze and some sun soon dried everything out.  It was an enjoyable day with two wins, a draw (against the eventual runners-up) and a narrow controversial defeat 6-8 saw my team eliminated in the group stages.  The controversy surrounding a bowl being moved too quickly when deciding the points on the penultimate end.  Whilst I kept out of the arguments that ensued had we got the 7-7 draw we should have our team would have moved into the semi-final. Oh well it was an uncharitable moment and there will always be next year for glory.

As the day went on the sun disappeared and a cold wind blew.  The coloured shirts from the various tam members disappearing as more and more sweaters and fleeces appeared. We did well to stay to the end supporting three of our bowlers in the grand final as i was freezing having gone in shorts!  All a bit of fun.  Whilst there was an evening function it was down to the village to eat and some time in the pub.  

A blustery day

and the waves crashed

Wow ...... strong winds, cloud interspersed with the shortest moments of warm sunshine.  The garden was well and truly bashed today with chairs and sofas whipped from the patio and sent spinning across the garden.  We braved a walk to the beach which was fine when the wind was blowing behind you but head on was a struggle.

The waves crashed and provided the perfect example of longshore drift with even the largest stones being washed up and sent moving along the beach.  We ventured for long as we could but only an hour such was the battle against the elements.  With grey clouds beckoning, looking to bring rain we head back home to find a power cut which lasted some four hours.  Good job we always have candles and like the atmosphere it brings.  Once the power was back on it was a night at home with the DVD.

Thanks to all of our friends and family who have expressed concern about our 'wealth' with the problems that Cyprus is currently facing.  Its nice that our little sunny island gets a mention on the world stage, it's us you think of!!!   It's all a bit of a bummer really, but since we can't do anything about it we'll just have to see what they all eventually decide.....luckily we have most of our savings in UK; and of course, there was meant to be a guarantee by the EU that 85,000 euro in any country is always safe - obviously unless you are a sunny little island with no clout on the international stage!!!!   But as they say - whatever!!!!  Lets wait and see.

So good to be back once again after almost three weeks ‘on the road’ and away from home comforts not least Lillian.

Whilst away I was asked on three separate occasions if I liked traveling? Each time I told the story of how 12 years ago I was so envious of people who travelled with their work, especially my sister-in-law Evelyn who seemed to be here, there and everywhere with her job with  IHG hotel group.  At that time even Lillian was ‘away’ with trips to to ‘exotic’ Dubai earning some cash. Now its ‘ok’ but one different hotel, different room, different bed, different bar and different airport after another takes its toll and the novelty has worn off a bit.  My passport shows this as my 29th trip to the USA in the last 30 months.

Boston Common

In terms of work the trip was fine and achieved virtually all that I set out to complete.  At one time it seemed dogged by the risk of flight cancellation due to snow.  There were severe weather warnings in Washington whilst there, even causing schools to be closed.  Hundreds of flights were cancelled but somehow I managed to get to New York where it started to snow just as I arrived and was very soon quite deep. (Well be UK standards anyway) Fortunately in the last 12 hours before I was scheduled to leave a sharp rise in the temperature changed snow to slush instantly and so it was on to Boston where 12 inches of snow had just fallen.  A walk across Boston Common watching children tobogganing and families building snowmen of all shapes and sizes was probably the most pleasurable time of the trip.  The invite to play golf at the Myers Country Club in Charlotte was also well received and a good time.  Bright, sunny but cold and good company made for a very enjoyable 4 hours and light relief from continual meetings.  A fine course with lovely club house and facility in general.  The course was sown with bermuda grass which whilst a beautiful lush green in the summer months changes to dead brown in the winter months.  Only the greens were green!  I was inwardly pleased with my score as its some time since I have played.  Needed to have putted better to have been a winner.

Back In Pervolia Lillian had been busying herself keeping the garden immaculate with two new pots displaying petunias and other patio plants.  I was pleased to see the two pots I had planted whilst ‘home alone’ a few weeks ago had also been tended and are now in full bloom.  Its good to be back together but sadly a short time as its off to Doha, Qatar on Sunday.

With a late arrival flight on Wednesday it was Thursday before we could really get out an about and a brisk 90 minute walk along the beach and the Faros headland soon blew cobwebs away.  Needed the walk as wining and dining at times and just eating too much at others has meant the scales are tipping the wrong side of what I call  ‘fat man weight’. The sea looked fantastic.  It was as clam as a millpond reflecting afternoon sunshine.  Temps in the low 20’s C but next month will go to mid consistently and then bring on the summer!  As ever work is not far away and a three hour evening phone call to the USA on international dialing rates finished the working day at 11pm

Red Sky in the morning

Red sky in the morning 0615

Ok let start with the normal introduction.  Let's talk about the weather, the favourite of Brit conversation openers.  "Isn't it lovely?" "Really quite warm today - perhaps summer is coming at last?" "Wow that wind was so strong!" 'Did you hear the rain last night?" "Real storm blowing, I could hear the waves crashing on the beach all night".  The last three days have been all of these with temps into the upper 70s and down to 40s at night.  We've had lovely blue skies and the strongest of winds which on teo occasions whipped the two seater from the patio sending it flying across the garden.

Bike ride looking to Faros

Today is one of the lovely days, and really quite hot, rather than warm and I've come in from sitting on the patio to write this to get a little cooler!  With it being such a lovely day this morning was an hour bike ride on our favourite coastal route and new roads inland bringing us back to Pervolia via Kiti.  The fields look good and many are full with wheat, oats and barley growing to heights of 2-3 feet.  Still green but growing fast.  Every space is filled and the crops grow right to the road edge.

We have learnt to recognise some of the more unusual crops and there are a number of fields with artichokes, which are  showing their large green heads.  Some fields are planted and have rows and rows of large plastic cloches warming a protecting the young growth.  What is in them remains to be seen although some look like peppers.  We passed one farmer planting small plants of what I don't know but he had a huge tray and was stopping every couple of strides to plant.  It was a big field so clearly had a days work ahead.  Last night as we walked back from the village at 9 o'clock another was ploughing a field with only the lights of the tractor.  The farmers work hard.

The fields look great (so does Lillian!)

Today is football watching day and soon its off to the Cottage Pub for the normal Saturday banter.  Come on Ipswich ..... just can't bare the comments that will come with another defeat.  'Your boys aren't looking too good Chris.  Division 1 next year?'

And so a week has passed with some time to relax, but far too much computer based work and its time to set off again on travels, Washington, New York, Boston, Charlotte, Miami and London ..... all in 18 days.