Travelling starts

First walk of 2013

Well as shown in the block on the right handside its 'Travelling time' and today we leave Cyprus for almost 5 weeks.  This morning is the usual rushing around that is before any trip.  Lillian to the bank, empty the hot tub, button down the hatches etc etc.

The weather has been wonderful throughout our stay although last night there were heavy rain storms accompanied by huge claps of thunder but today is once again bright sunny and warm.  A quick check on the Chicago weather shows it currently 12F which is 20F below freezing.  Sure will need to take my winter woolies but at least no snow forecast for there .............. yet!

Need to go .................. but will be back soon, well soonish

Happy New Year

Sun sets for the last time in 2012

Happy New Year Everyone!

2012 shows a total of 115 posts documenting our life here in Cyprus.  Each one is a happy moment sooooooooo

New Year resolutions:

to have more happy times here and make more than 115 posts!

Welcome more visitors so that our stone collection grows.

Work less and walk, bike and swim more!

What wonderful weather

It feels kinda smug knowing that the UK has such terrible weather at the moment when it is so lovely here.  Just like UK summer days - mid 70s and blue skies.

So the last few days have been 'make the most of it' with beach walks and bike rides.  The 'gadget' (bought from Lidl) fixed to the wheel of the bike not only tells distance travelled, speed, average speed, time cycling etc but it also shows temperature which has been showing a steady 76F even when cycling close to the water.

A nice evening walking around Larnaca brought a stop at Ocean Basket for one of the best fish meze / platters that we have tasted here.  We will go again taking visitors in the future it was so good.

A walk into the village for Saturday football and yet another Ipswich win brought smiles on faces.  Good times!

Xmas Days

Hanging decs by Lillian

We had a lovely Xmas day. The weather was absolutely beautiful, as it is today with glorious blue skies and sunshine. We walked the beach, showered, went to the pub which was jolly and then home the one of Lillian's best ever Xmas dinners. The goose and all the trimmings were fab .............. so good we had exactly the same yesterday. The scales this morning have showed the impact of lazing around.

However the outstanding news of the day was to receive a text from Andrew to say that he had proposed to Eve who had accepted!  Totally taken aback and completely unexpected. However congratulations to them both.

Where's the dinner gone?

Yesterday was more of the same with a morning bike ride and time to sit on the beach watching a very brave swimmer going back and fore.  Talking to him after he eventually re-appeared on land we were told he was a triathlete who lived in New York but had  a villa on the beach which he visits 4 /5 times a year.  On Xmas Day he had cycled to Limassol and back as part of his training! 

A quick visit to the pub to watch some football as our new internet, via a great big satellite dish was not working and early to bed .............. eating and drinking is exhausting!

Well almost a month has gone

Since the last post.  And what a busy month it has been with more travelling during which time we have been ...............

Cyprus to London to Washington DC to London to Cyprus to Dubai to Doha to Dubai to Cyprus.  It has been a hectic time and its good to be back here for a while before returning to the UK for the New Year and then off to our long awaited cruise.

Highlights of the last month has been the visit of Sarah, Lillian's niece who had the honour of being the last visitor of the year.  Sarah state with us for five days at the end of November, when the weather was just lovely and she was able to sit, enjoy the garden, some walks and read.  Wow what a quick reader.  I think the count was four books in five days.  It is always good to have time to relax.  As ever there were times for eating and drinking in the village and people watching in The Cottage Pub.  Sarah left her stone commemorating her and Lillian jogging up to Faros lighthouse and one for her Mum Vivien who surely would already have the most stones laid for visits.  Vivien had at least made the trip to the house before we moved in so it was fitting to have that visit commemorated evermore.

Washington was fine but a busy trip but we were at least able to do some Xmas shopping although both Lillian and I worked for five days.  Lillian doing some support work with teachers while I was there.

Trip to the Uk included sadly a visit to Clacton for the funeral of Uncle Chas.  It is always good to see the family, even in sad circumstances and we renewed invites for many to come and visit.  Surely bookings for 2013 will commence soon.

Dubai was surprisingly dull and grey and at times wet, but it was good to see friends Tommy and Eliza and enjoy riding the Metro which had not been completed when we left in 2008.

Back here there has been a mix of sun and heavy rain with some strong electric storms and high winds. The wind whipped the glass from the patio table smashing it into thousands of pieces.  Still we wont need it until the warm sun comes again in March / April.  A new purchase I fear as I cant think where we get a replacement.  There is plenty to do in the garden with the need to trim the bougainvillaea etc.   It still looks lovely.


So a Christmas in Cyprus.  Will try to keep you updated.

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!