Once again too much work .............

Beach visitor

Another week has passed since having sufficient time to update on our life here in Cyprus .... well when we are here that is!

Saturday last saw a return to the Kiti Bowls Club for the Saturday roll-up.  Well they must have heard that we were going to put in an appearance after almost three months of not going.  Hardly anybody was there as all of the serious players had gone to Paphos for the weekend to play and then stay over.  However it was good fun and a couple of games played.  Both defeats for me as it took some time to get back into line and length.  I was complimented on my play on the second game ..... just shows how bad everyone else played 'cos I was rubbish!  An afternoon beach walk, the weather is lovely and to the pub for the normal Saturday banter.  Lots of humour and mickey taking at my expense as Ipswich go to a 0-6 defeat.

Sunday and back to the UK for the quickest trip ever, but at least Lillian came too.  Arrive Sunday night, leave for the London Office at 0630 Monday morning for a trip on the Metropolitan and Jubilee lines.  Meeting starts at 0800 and finishes at 2010.  Back to Harrow and up again at 0600 on Tuesday morning for taxi to LHR T3 to go back to Larnaca.  All in a days work LOL.  It was good to see Emily and Steve, be it briefly.

Wednesday ... a day of work attached to my computer whilst Lillian and friend Val have their greek lesson from Cassie.  Sounds they are doing well to me.

Thursday .... a good day taking a trip to the north of Cyprus to play golf at Korinium Golf club with friends Geoff and Hazel who are members there.  Oh that we too would have a course just up the road.  We had travelled in shorts and T shirt but no such warm weather there and Lillian needed to borrow a jacket.  The game was played under very black skies with a huge electric storm in the distance.  By the time we had finished it started to rain, and then pour and we were witnesses to a huge storm.  If this what not bad enough Geoff found that he had lost his car keys somewhere on the golf course!  Fortunately the car was open and Lillian went with Hazel to their home for the spare.  The rain poured and poured and the storm raged during the height their home was subject to a power cut.  So we drove for about 15 minutes to a local restaurant to eat, during which time the storm continued to rage.  Saying our goodbyes we set of home only to find the roads totally flooded with water rushing of the mountains and it at least two foot or more in places.  Everywhere we turned roads were blocked and cars that had tried to go through the ever deeping water were stuck.  There was no choice but to return to Geoff and Hazel's for the night.

So another early start choosing to drive to Farmagusta and cross the border there than risk the Nicosia road.  Home in 2 hours for another day on the computer whilst Lillian has washed, shopped, tidies the garden and cooked dinner.  We have very distinct roles.

A drive along the coast

Sitting watching the sea

A fairly relaxed and late start to the day after Lillian's early trip to get the car serviced the previous morning.  Another clear and sunny day with afternoon temps certainly reaching 75F although a reading in the car gave 77F as we drove inland.

Without telephone lines because the road is still not completed by the local council, internet is only obtainable via a dongle which is inserted into a USB slot in the laptop.  This is slow, very frustrating when it continually drops, unusable for Skype and expensive.   A 'friend' that Lillian has got to know through Greek lessons had suggested that we visit their house for coffee to test the speed of their internet connection which is via a satellite dish on the roof of their house.

So a  drive along our favourite coast road to Zygi and then inland up a track to a lovely house sitting on a large plot, high enough for great seas views.  A pleasant couple of hours were spent chatting and admiring the lovely gardens and testing internet.  Fine for email and surfing with OK speed, not great but worth considering.  A call to the supplier on return says they are so busy they do not know when they will be able to supply!  A good idea but we will need to continue to be patient.

Drive inland and then back home home via the airport to check long term parking prices for our quick trip back to London for one day.  We ventured along  'new roads' for us passing many orange groves ready for harvesting. A stop at a small copse of fir trees allowed Lillian to collect a huge bag of very large fir cones.  She says they are for Xmas decorations but I am yet to see a design.

The day ended with a residence association meeting at our house although most of the meeting was spent on the phone to non-attendees.  The final episode of the 'Killing' - brilliant.

Beach walking

 

Lillian jogged up the hill!

In typical British style of loving to talk about the weather I find I have slipped into referring to it immediately on starting this brief blog.  It's because it is so lovely at the moment and I guess there is an element of wanting the small readership of this blog immensely jealous as the 50F of the UK seems to be the norm.  Imagine the nice UK summer days, you know the few that seem only to appear in May and fleetingly in July and August. Blue skies, some white fluffy clouds, which build late afternoon and temperatures of 75-78F.  That was yesterday.

For me a late morning start but for Lillian up early to take the car for its first major service. Been promised the first slot and a two hour wait. 15 months and 15,000km completed over 50% of which must have been from ferrying visitors around on various trips to see the island.  All good fun.  Good car, good purchase.  For those interested the service cost 171 Euro which seemed OK, especially as it will be another 15000 km before the next.

Faros lighthouse

With the weather so lovely a walk up the hill to Cape Kiti (Faros lighthouse and beach) along the sandy beach and back home.  In all two hours with time spent sitting on an old pallet just looking out to sea watching the sparkling water which reflects the sun.  The pictures today are not great quality as they were taken using my phone but they give an idea of how nice the day is.

A beach walk would not be complete without some stone collecting and with two small plastic bags we stroll the water edge in search of small green, red and perfectly rounded white which are added to the front garden.  I sensibly walk in open beach shoes so can wander into the water to collect any red stones that really stand out.  Whilst the water feels cold.  Too cold for swimming it is fine for paddling.

Back home with stones placed and the sun shining it was time to sit in the hot tub and enjoy feeling very lucky about our life and our day.

Beach made for two

A snack and walk into the village at 530pm.  It is now dark at that time for Lillian to register for her 'official' Greek class at the local school. The registration turns out to be a full lesson which is no problem for me as I am left to wait in the pub to pass the time playing on the internet on the ipad as the pub has free wifi access.  In between 'playing' and researching cars for a purchase when we get back to UK in January there unfortunately are too many work emails to answer.  This is the trouble working with places that have a nine hour time difference from Qatar to Central US time.  However has to be done.

Back home, later than expected Lillian 'knocks' up a quick meal with prawns and egg fried rice and we watch one episode of the Killing.  I will need to watch again as I fell asleep for most of it. Well, ..... its been and exhausting day.

Just being lazy

Another lovely day with blue skies and warm 73F sunshine.  However once the sun goes down it starts to feel much colder and we reach for sweaters if you are going to be outside.

Lillian spent the morning with her weekly Greek lesson with two other ladies and Cassie, who lives on Pervolia Residences as teacher.  I listen in and it would seem to me they are all doing well.  Once the lesson is over they all walk to the village for coffee so they can practice their speaking.  Seems to work and Lillian as ever is doing well.  In typical Cypriot style she comes back home to receive a SMS message to say the official lessons start at the school tomorrow (actually tonight).  One day notice.  I think Lillian will go.

During the lessons two guys arrived to re-seal the swimming pool where the grout had cracked and broken around the tiles.  Another job sorted by the residence association secretary - Lillian of course!

We walk into the village in the evening to eat at Bar Coast.  The food there is really very good and then into the pub so that I can watch Sweden v England football.  England were winning 2-1 when we left.  What went wrong?  An enjoyable and lazy day.

Blue skies

Revitalized front garden

What a lovely day ................ with warm sun reaching 78F in the afternoon and blue skies with white fluffy clouds. The very best of a UK summer day here in Cyprus.  Not bad for the middle of November!

After a morning of internet and work it was bike ride time in the afternoon.  It seems a long time since I have ridden and we took a slow pace along our favourite route beside the sea.  After the strong winds of the previous days the sea was relatively calm and looked beautiful as it sparkled in the sun.  Whilst it looked inviting it is probably too cold for swimming.  A great way to spend a 90 minutes.  7.8 miles cycled with a top speed of 10.2 miles per hour, according to my little gadget that gives me all sorts of data.  It shows the fastest ever speed as being 22.4 mph.  When I commented on that she replied that it was Steve who was the 'Boy Racer'!

Back home it we enjoy more pottering in the garden.  The latest project has been a complete revamp of the front area which had no stones and had become a bit of an overgrown mud patch with many of the original plants not surviving and those that had gone rampant.  So dig out and start again.  With white and green stones from the beach and small red stones to match the existing it is now becoming Lillian's herb garden and starting to take shape and things grow.

Darkness arrives now at about 5.30 pm so G&T as the sun goes down becomes earlier each day!  A lovely end.  Dinner at home followed by two more episodes of 'The Killing' - two to go!

Bright and sunny

Firing the Smith & Wesson 500

After the heavy rain and some very big grey clouds since my return to Cyprus, yesterday was one of sun and clouds.

Too much work makes for 'dull times' so it was a drive to Nicosia for lunch and a stop at IKEA for some small purchases the majority of which were candles!  Lillian persuaded us to stop on the way back so she could rush into nearby fir tree woods, coming back with arm fulls of fir cones. Xmas decoration making time.

An evening in watching a DVD series called The Killing - Danish film with English sub titles.  This is season two and highly recommended.  10 episodes to watch! 

Once again its been a long time

 
I can't believe how the time has gone since my last writing.  Eric and Marion left and I returned from a trip to Doha to be welcomed by friends Les and Joan who were already 'At home'.  Unfortunately I was laid low most of the time here with a a real 'bug' which I can only think was some form of food poisoning from a meal on the plane (Gulf Air!).  We did go out a bit and but generally just sat with me in bed for most of the time.

Before Les and Joan left it was off again on work travels.  This time Larnaca - London - New York - Houston - London  - Larnanca.  A two week very tiring stint of work, hotel rooms and occasional eating by myself.  Not that I did very much eating as it took a full two weeks to get over the 'bug'.  I managed to escape Hurricane Sandy hitting New York by 36 hours.  In Houston the highlight was going to a shooting range with friend Ian McPhee and as well as firing a range of pistols, including a western replica six gun and a rifle with infa red sights, I fired a Smith and Wesson 500.  It is the most powerful production revolver in the world today, and it is being marketed as being "the world's most powerful handgun" by the manufacturer.  The shell was as big as my little finger and it sure had a 'kick' blowing a two centimeter hole in the target, which I hit.  Not really being into guns it was actually all good fun and I was pleased with my accuracy.


Sadly being away for the two week period meant that I missed the visit of Steve and Emily who managed to get some sunshine and seemed to enjoy their stay.  Like Les and Joan they contributed to the stone tradition and so four more are shown here.

I have been back now for three days enjoying the garden which is so lovely, a beach walk and visit to the pub to watch rugby and support a long awaited Ipswich win!  However it has not all been sunshine and there have been tow days of very inclement weather with high winds and some torrential rain.  Swimming in the pool is definitely finished for this year!

Two more visitor stones

Time to say goodbye to Eric and Marion after their two week stay.  they have certainly been the most travelled of our visitors and Eric in particular has enjoyed the historical artefacts and places to visit.

As ever a stone laying ceremony with each chosing the place for the stone to be to become a histroical artefact in their own right. Marion placed hers under the bouganvillea and Eric the hisbiscus.  What great additions they make.

For me ............... its off to Doha again, a two day visit and be the time I get back there will be more visitors.  This time Joan & Les from harrow.

Where has the time gone?

One week has passed since I have had time to write on this blog ............... such is ou busy lives.  I seemed to have spent most of the time either on the phone or in front of this computer or travelling.

Last week saw a hurried thee day trip to Doha to meet with sponsors and get an update on pogress of projects that are falling behind.  As ever when you travel at the last moment you don't always get schedules made that suit you, especially when the starting place is Larnaca. So having spent ages trying to sort flights, prices et  new experience in terms of airlines.  This time to Doha via Beirut, Lebanon with Middle East airlines needing a five hour wait on the way out in the middle of the night.  Once again sleeping on a bench in a departure lounge!  Having said that I was quite impressed with MEA, especially as the flight to Doha was a co-share with Qatar Airways.  Probably the world's 5* airline says theor advert and for me they live up to it.   Oh for some of their cabin crew to abscond to British Airways!  Nothing is too much trouble for the continually smiling staff of Qatar Airways.

Doha, as ever was hot and frantic.  As I needed to get around a bit a hire car saved the day, however I had completely forgotten how driving there is not for the feint hearted.  A lot of nutters in big cars.  Don't hesitate on a roundabout or your no claims bonus will be gone in a second.

Its back again this week, but this time the trip is booked with Gulf Air via Bahrain.

Back at home Lillian continues to be the ideal hostess running Marion (Lillian's sister) and Eric here and there to ensure they see all that has to be seen on the sunny island of Cyprus.  Some new places in a trip to Salamis in the north and to the Tomb of Kings and mosaics of Paphos.  I went on the latter which was a very full day, although did feel that I had 'seen old stones' by the time we had finished.  I do wonder how all this was achieved so long ago.  The mosaics are truly beautiful.  Pictures to follow.  A couple of nice meals out means the waist line continues to expand nicely ............ hmmm I weigh the heaviets of my life.............. is it the food or is it the beer?

The weather continues to be warm and sunny with temps in the low 80s although there was a huge rain storm whilst I was away 

It rained!

Can't believe it.  Huge electric storm mid-afternoon follwed by some heavy rain.  Whilst it soon dried up once it had stopped the rest of the day reamined cloudy and dull with a high of around 78F.

For me a day of work, although some time spent in the garden clearing away fallen bouganvillea flowers and some work in the front garden which needs attention.  The project is to cut back the 'herbs', especially the lavendar which has gone made and lay black underlay and stones.  More visits to the beach beckon.  The garden though is looking good.

Lillian , Eric and Marion went off to the shops and a trip into Larnaca whilst I stayed on the phone and on the computer.

Evening meal at home