Saturday 13th August

Even at the weekend my day starts with my my task of making Lillian coffee to help her awaken to the world. LOL No peace for the wicked so they say. After our disturbed sleep from the alarm at House Number 03 coffee was much called for.

Bike ride today following the coastal route past what we refer to as Kite Beach as it is there that the wind and kite surfers gather each evening to perform. It is a lovely route cycling close to the sea, although the track is very bumpy for the backside! I must take a camera for some pictures as it really is worth sharing.

Once back we pottered about before having a skype call with Mum in Clacton. Great invention skype as I could hear loud and clear, although not sharing video because of the high cost of data via the dongle. Glad she is feeling better and sounded OK. A quick trip into the village to go to internet cafe a we need to have some printing done to send a document home about the sale of Emily's Cantebury house. Unfortunately the printer there was not working so it means a trip into Larnaca on Monday.

Afternoon of lazing and swimming in the pool. I managed 20 lengths and then four more after a rest. Real pleased with myself as 4 was as much as I could do only 12 days ago. A walk into the village for what I think will become a tradition for Saturday football viewing. The Cottager pub was quite busy with Wales v England rugby, Liverpool v Sunderalnd and Fulham v Villa games showing on the 3 big screens. Ipswich losing put a damper on things after the great start from last week but we started chatting with a couple Trevor and Rose, about our age who have been in Cyprus 5 years. We left the pub with them and shared table at Pyrgos restaurant to eat, drink and continued chatting. It was a nice evening.

Friday 12th August

Not much happening today except being lazy ...... two visits to the pool (Lengths done - even more than Lillian who spent more time book reading) and a long beach wlak in the evning to collect stones for the garden.

Lillian is doing a great job making a footpath from the pool gate to the back door with flat stones to match the other pathway. She also spent a couple of hours tending the plant and together we weeded and sorted the 'comunual area' which was becoming overgrown. We have time.

It was extremely windy today and the wind broke the string I had fixed to keep the bougainvillea upright. An evening meal on the patio but as it was so windy we went upstairs and watched a video whilst sitting in bed. Sleep by 1030 only to be woken at 0230 by the alarm ringing on House number 3 which is empty. There was no sign of a cause but as it rang for 20 minutes it was some time before we could go back to sleep.

Thursday 11th August

Shock horror - we awoke to a grey sky with 90% cloud cover. This was not in the forecast, however by the time we had coffee and got ourselves organised the clouds had gone and blue skies resumed.

Early morning bike ride lasting an hour with yet another new route. Up to Faros lighthouse and then along the cliff top coastal track to Meneou, inland across the fields to the village and home. A great start to the day.

Today we received our first visitors. Wendy and Martin Dacre who we have visited a number of times on our visits here. Wendy was my secretary when I first went to Dubai and we have been friends ever since. After time in the house and hatting we went for lunch at Santenous, the most popular of the many restaurants in Pervolia. It has a great location on the cross-roads of the village opposite the church. Food was excellent, beer and wine good and we passed three hours in no time at all. Back to the house for tea, more drink and they left to make the journey home following our directions so they could take the coastal road. felt good us directing them as they have been so helpful to us mainly in encouragement that we will love life here.

Swim in the pool - I am getting better and as we were still stuffed from lunch a glass of wine, sit on patio and early bed.

Wednesday 10th August

Another day of blue skies but with it temperatures reaching 42C according to the car 'outside temp' reading. The morning was spent with me on the internet doing some 'work' and Lillian on the phone to Quality Group tackling them with the 'outstanding issues'. We still wait somebody to re-plaster the large whole in the downstairs study / bedroom where the air conditioning unit was moved as we could not open the cupboard where it was positioned. Where are the bins? The letterbox? The bell does not work. When will there be equipment in the gym? What about the access road that needs making up? Lillian is so good with her approach on the phone especially with her bit of Greek compared with me who gets frustrated and then stroppy!

So once sorted we decided to drive to Lefkosia (Nicosia). I love the new car, sitting higher than a normal saloon car it seems to glide along. The gear change is great and although acceleration is a bit sluggish as a 1.6 engine for a big car if you move through the gears quickly with your foot down it goes OK. It was a nice trip but for the second week running we forgot about early closing on a Wednesday. We wandered the streets through the traditional market area and went to the border crossing which had changed from the last time we had visited on our first trip to Cyprus when there was a soldier complete with gun on duty. Today there is just a box where you show passport and then wander through. Something to do in the future. So having left Lefkosia we went to the shopping mall 'Mall of Cyprus' on the outskirts of the town. This was certainly not a mall of the sizes we have become used to in Dubai and Doha. Two floors, very small with a food court where we had our first Cyprus MacDonalds! easy drive back.

If we count wandering the streets of Lefkosia in temps of 42C our first exercise the cool of the pool was our second with lengths completed and a laze on the lilo. We need to get another one as I'm not too good at this sharing lark. Once lilo lounging was finished is was move to the new swing to dry off and watch the sun go down.

We had decided to eat in tonight so as Lillian was preparing dinner all of the power went off. This was the first power cut we had experienced, which are still hitting all of Cyprus following the explosion last month. So by candlelight we sat on the patio, drinking gin and tonic and eating crisps for our evening meal. After star gazing ........ bed. We are very happy with this life style!

Tuesday 9th August

Another bright, sunny day with blue skies started with an hour bike ride with Lillian leading the way through the village, across the fields to the coast road. We really are getting the hang of this and now can ride at a quicker pace. We estimated that we cycled 10Km this morning.

Back at home breakfast, a swim in the pool and a laze on our new garden swing. This is such a hard life.

After a couple of hours WCL work on the internet connecting via an exoensive dongle an afternoon car ride to Zygi with a stop over at Alaminos Bay. Lillian is pictured here. Very secluded with a small bar. The car ride is possibly our favourite that we have found so far.

Back home for another swim (lengths completed) and a movie under the stars, watching 'Sentinel' starring Michael Douglas. Quite a good film.

Monday 8th August

The day of arrivals that make our new house more of a home. New patio set - table and six chairs, a very posy swing for the garden that converts into a sun bed and a 3-2-1 white leather sofa set. We were very disappointed when the 2 seater sofa was damaged on unwrapping and would have to be returned. Imagine this in the UK ....."It will be another two weeks sir" ..... but not here, tele call and back to the wharehouse and withing the hour back with the new. Nice one Kleima.

Looking forward now to the arrival of our 15 boxes from UK, some of which have not been unpacked since they were sent from Qatar to London so it will be 'like Christmas' not knowing what is in the box. It will be good to get the pictures for the walls etc.

The morning was shopping trip into Larnaca with such exciting purchases as a wok, a trowel, showerhead (Lillian doesn't like the one we have) and of course some food and wine.

Afternoon in the pool with lengths duly done although Lillian extended hers which nearly killed me as I have to in my mind complete at least 50% of hers! And an evening walk into the village for a beer and an Indian Meal at 'Coast of India'. It really was very good.

Sunday 7th August 2011

Blue skies, nothing but blue skies. Sunday a day of rest LOL

We have agreed that each day we would try to have a go at two out of three activities on our fitness campaign. Walk, ride and swim being the three until the gym is operational. So it was bikes first thing in the morning and a lovely ride it was too. We found a gravel track leading to the beach and rode for about forty minutes only 10 m from the sea. Certainly a path for the locals as we met a number who had large 4x4 cars who had driven across the fields for secluded spots. Some had camped the night in small tents. The sea was calm and blue and when we had gone what we thought was far enough, not knowing where the track would take us, we sat and threw stones and just talked about how lucky we are to be here and what we have achieved. Lovely. We took an inland route back cutting across a field and then the coastal road that we have driven a number of times in a car. Although the road is 'in the middle' of nowhere so to speak going to Zygi it surprisingly has a bike path. Just as well as it had been 80 minutes by the time we got back to Pervolia residences and I was knackered!

Our new neighbours had a 'house warming' for family and friends which we kept clear from as the pool was full of children between the ages of 3-16ish. So later it was a beach walk for activity two. Lillian collecting white flat stones to make a pathway across our garden gravel. They look good.

The evening was a unique experience. A movie under the stars as I set the laptop on the table and we watched a DVD starring Sandra bullock. Rubbish film 'Searching for Steve' or similar but nice nevertheless. Bed at 2200 our earliest night.

Great day

Saturday 6th August

On the road by 830 bike riding inland across fields although finishing at the coast at Faros beach then heading back into Pervolia village. Truly lovely - we are getting more steady and are starting to get the hang of changing gear without wobbling all over the place.

Lilo lounging ...... I'm good at that although have lost the technique of spreading suntan evenly and now have some red bits. LOL

1700 hours and start of the football season following Ipswich. Went to The Cottager pub where I followed the scores via a mixture of BB and Sky Sports. A 3-0 win, what a start to the season. The Pervolia Golf Sciety had been on an awayday to Secret Valley Golf Club and were back in the bar presenting their prizes for the day. We will bring our clubs back and join them as they meet once a month.

A lovely evening meal in the square. It was great watching the world pass by. Good food, good value and walk back to the house wondering about so many stars in the sky.

A perfect day.

Friday 5th August

An early morning beach walk was just lovely. It is only five minutes to the water and our new open beach sandles are great for walking in the surf. This was followed by shopping trip to Kleima in Arridipou that was just to browse ended up with three major purchases. A table and six chairs for the patio. A garden swing that converts into a sun bed and a 3-2-1 white leather sofa set which seemed very comfortable and just the right size that we wanted. To be delivered on Monday.

A laze in the pool (although of course completing our lengths – I am currently running at 50% of the number Lillian does without stopping!) and then an evening on the patio. Lillian spent time trimming the fast growing ficus bushes and spraying the hibiscus plants which are being attacked by ‘white fly’!

A guy came to cut away the cables which were for a non commissioned cooling unit. Pleased about this as they were sticking our the back of the hot tub.

Here at Last

Monday 1st August
Back to Cyprus via BA 662 from London Heathrow to Larnaca. Thank goodness we are able to carry two suitcases each only one of which is full of clothes – the remainder household items from bedding to our bedside rug purchased in Dubai.

Car hire via Auto Direct was efficient and it was ‘home’ to see how the garden has settled. It looks great with only one plant not taken at this stage. Many are showing good growth much to Lillian’s delight although it looks as if the hibiscus have an attack of the white fly. They need a squirt of something quick!

A quick trip to Carrefour for basic supplies – local beer Keo and Athrodite wine. Oh and some bread and milk and a sit on the patio in the warm summer breeze.

Tuesday 2nd August
Exciting day. After a couple of phone calls to confirm our insurance it was off to Nissan to collect our new car. A white Qashqai. It looks great and drives very well. Purchased with visitors in mind as it will easily seat 5 adults and has a huge boot for cases. Took the hire car back although a bit miffed they would not return one day payment for early return. I had ordered for two days as I thought the Qashqai might not be ready.

Our first swim in the pool today which is lovely and warm, just like Dubai, although like Dubai it will be cold in the winter as it is not heated. Lillian was even brave enough to swim in the sea when we went for early morning walk to the beach. I watched! This could be the start of a fitness campaign as we have made a promise to swim each day and try to improve on the number of lengths without stopping. I am not confessing numbers as Lillian is such a better swimmer than I.

A trip into Larnaca to check email at Starbucks and a visit to Cyta. There is still no news of the installation of cables to our ‘new development’ as Quality Group need to do some electrical work. However found out about a ‘dongle’ which although expensive at €32 a month for 3GB download this is a must to be able to keep in touch with US schools re Engage. As with Dubai lots of paperwork needed to sign a contract which we did not have so must return.

Drinks on the patio playing ‘Beat the intro’ with tunes form our ipad. Being as all of the songs are ours we were not very good!

Wed 3rd August.
Up early this morning. 0615 – hard to believe we could be so early. The sun was already shining in clear blue skies. A walk followed by a swim in the pool – the ‘keep fit campaign’ continues but not at a pace. My swimming is very leisurely.
Lillian also got chatting with new neighbours from house number 5 – they have invited us for coffee tomorrow.

A wasted trip into Larnaca – its closed on a Wednesday afternoon. I do mean closed – everything including the Cyta office so no internet dongle. Fortunately the bars along Pine Tree Avenue( This is the main beach street) are always open so time for a beer.

Walk in the evening to the local fish taverna (about 15 minutes) for a very enjoyable meal of locally caught fish. Red Mullet and ???? very nice whatever it was washed down with Keo and wine.

Thursday 4th August
An early start into Larnaca and the Cyta office. Success and we now have internet access be it a costly method.

Coffee at number 5 Skevi (Mum) and Margaritta (daughter, 21 years). George (dad / husband) was at work. They have a house in Larnaca and will only come to Pervolia Residences at weekends and during holidays. Margaritta is at university in Nicosia studyin business management. Nice people although with their little English and our non-existing greek made for interesting conversation. Lillian, as ever makes a good effort at language but for me it is forgotten so quickly. Skevi was able to show us on a map a bike shop.

So off we went to the bike shop and now are the owners of two bikes. The owner of the shop was helpful and delivered in the evening in his van. My blue and yellow machine is the first bike that I have owned since I was 17 although Lillian did have a bike and cycle for a while when Emily was little. Excited by our new acquisitions we immediately took them for a ‘test run’ to watch the kite surfers at the beach. 30 minutes was enough for the first time.