1st December 2018
This week I have been cleaning grout between all the ceramic floor tiles, as I noticed when we moved into the house that they were really dirty, the worst area that really needed doing is the kitchen which isn’t taking to long really I found a recipe for baking soda and hydrogen peroxide which is amazing and gets it all really clean and turns the grout back to white again like magic, so far I have only done half the kitchen floor so I will finish it all in the next day or two.
Well here is the usual ramble that I do about food lol.
Nicks new recipe that he made this week was Sweet Potato, chickpea and cashew nut curry which was amazing, he picked the recipe himself and actually made it with no help, and it was so good, I think it’s the best recipe we have at the moment so he is pretty pleased with himself and hopefully it has given him the confidence to try another one next week.
My new recipe that I came up with this week is vegetarian meatballs, so I am excited to try it out later in the week, one afternoon I re did my recipe book that I made and printed out all of the new recipes, hopefully soon I will have a four week rotation going on, and just to be ultra-organized next to each weeks menu I want to write the shopping list down with all the ingredients, it’s something I have wanted to do for ages so it’s nice to have a bit of time now and again to do things I have wanted to do but never had the time.
I have also been trying to research roses, as we have quite a few in the garden and they are huge, and taller than even Nick, so trying to find out when to prune them has been a challenge, at the moment I think its February in Cyprus that everyone prunes but I will do more research I think.
Maggie went to the vets twice this week, it’s really strange that we don’t have to make an appointment to see the vet, you just go when you need to, and apparently you don’t wait more than a few minutes, I thought it was strange but it seems to work, her arthritis had gotten worse and when she was walking she was really splaying out her paw and I was getting to the point one of the days where I just dreaded walking her poor thing, anyway they gave her an injection and we had to take her again the following day for another injection, they said it will help her as it’s a boost of anti-inflammatories, we have to take her back again this morning as they want to see how she is doing and thankfully I can see an improvement, they have also changed her pills so hopefully they might work better than what she was on., I have to say I am really impressed with the vets over here so far and the price, to see the vet twice and have two injections was 40 euro’s which is about 35 pounds….in Ryde it was 35 pounds just to see the vet once without any treatment, I did read before we came to live in Cyprus that the vets were a lot cheaper, but what I really like about them is that they really seem to care about the pain that Maggie is in which is nice.
We are still having sunny days and cloudy days but I think I am nearly ready to get my jeans out of the closet, in the house my legs get cold in shorts, but then if it’s sunny outside you can feel really to warm in jeans, I am finding Cyprus weather a bit confusing at the moment.
We had another wander around the village one of the days this week, exploring some little roads that we haven’t walked along, and we actually found a few walnut trees, we only managed to pick about a dozen walnuts but it was pretty exciting finding them, it seems walnut season is virtually over as there were only a few on the tree’s, but I will remember for next year where to go to pick them, I think walnuts are my favourite nut apart from cashews, which by the way are really quite expensive over here.
One of the evenings this week, it started to rain with lots of thunder and lightning, it was pretty impressive and the lightening was like a huge display in the sky, we had to go and sit outside under the porch as it was just amazing and the rain was torrential, at one point after we had gone inside the rain actually started to seep under the front door so we had to put a towel in front of the door, we did try to take some videos of it but it didn’t really capture how impressive it was, it really was a sight to see, and when we woke up the next morning the sun was shining and then within an hour the storm was back and really bad again for a few hours, I think we were both glad when it was all finally over, apparently the storm came from Greece and had weakened by the time it got to us, I dread to think what it was like over in Greece if they said it was weakened here lol.
I made a cake in the week it was called Apple and walnut cake, and oh my goodness it was awful lol, I read the recipe, it had 64 reviews and everyone was raving about it and all the reviews said it came out perfectly, in the recipe it said it took one hour and ten minutes to bake, but after two hours in the oven mine still was wet in the middle, I had the temperature in the oven at the right setting, it ended up being burnt even though it was covered, it did smell amazing though lol, the only thing I did differently was instead of putting the mixture into two loaf tins I put mine into one, so I think it was too big to cook through properly, sometimes I could smack myself on the head lol, anyway I am going to make it again in a few days and this time I will make sure I use two smaller tins.
December 6th
We actually met some english people this week which was good fun, we had gone on a walk and stopped at the taverna in the village for a coffee beforehand and an English guy was sitting at the next table and so I got talking to him, at some point his wife turned up and then a friend of theirs turned up, it turned into a lovely afternoon, their friend that turned up had been in Tsada village for fourteen years, and the other couple had been here for nearly three years and they still totally love it, mind you it is easy to see why as there we were sitting outside in the sunshine and it was the first week of December! anyway it was fun meeting them and hopefully we will bump into them again.
After having some lovely warm days last week and at the weekend we then went into some really bad weather, we had torrential rain every day, with the biggest thunder and lightning storms I have ever seen in my life, the storm just kept going and coming back, One of the days Nick had to go into Paphos and within five minutes of him leaving the house I went through the worst thunder and lightning storm I have honestly ever heard in my life, I actually thought the lightening was in the living room as it was that bad, and the thunder was the loudest I have ever heard, I think for a few minutes I couldn’t move, it was like I was stuck in the middle of the room, I think it was shock lol, I actually enjoy storms but that one was a bit too much, we lost our internet that day and it didn’t come back on until the following day, and then we lost power twice, thankfully I always have candles on the coffee table so that was handy, I think I will keep them there just in case lol, although I have been told that the storm we have just been through isn’t typical for this time of year so that was good to hear.
A lot of people have been really happy about all the rain we have had as they apparently don’t get any rain in the summer, I kept hearing people say that the reservoirs need filling up, of course I wasn’t happy about the rain lol but it did seem weird to me that everyone else was, I guess I have to experience the hot dry summers that they get over here to appreciate the rain.
With all the rain going on I started putting the calor gas fire on during the day, rain always makes you feel damp and chilly, and we bought another calor gas fire for upstairs as I find my bedroom to cold, so we put the fire on for an hour upstairs before we go to bed just to take the chill off which is working out well.
Thankfully though the storm eventually passed and we are back to blue skies and sunshine again, so it was just one week that was really awful, but it felt like the storm was just never going to end, Friday morning when we woke up we were so happy to see blue skies back again and by the afternoon we were outside sunning ourselves lol.
I thought it was very odd when we first moved into this house to see the washing line is in the car port, and since moving in I have been told it’s the best place for it as during the summer it keeps the sun off the clothes, apparently the sunshine in the summer is so intense that it rots your clothes really quickly, especially things with elastic in them, so I guess I am ok with it being where it is, but we went out one of the days in the week and bought a big clothes airer, so I now have the choice of hanging things in the sunshine, it will also come in handy for damp clothes which we had last week with all the rain we had. It has felt odd though since we have been here hanging the washing up in the shade in the carport lol.
On Friday we went out with Linda and Graham, the venue included a buffet and a free drink and was quite a laugh and there was even dancing which was fun, both me and Linda had a lovely evening dancing, we seem to be going out a bit more than usual which is nice, and its lovely to go out and get dressed up and have a laugh.
I bumped into our landlord one of the days at the weekend, they only come up every other weekend in the winter so we don’t see them very often, anyway I asked him about chopping the roses down in February and he said yes that is the time to do it in Cyprus, I did feel pleased with myself lol, I am looking forward to buying some plants in the spring to have in pots everywhere, and as we are out walking it’s interesting to see all the different plants that they have over here, which I have no clue about lol, the only plant I recognize apart from roses is geraniums, and a lot of people seem to have them in pots and they seem to do well and are all still in flower even in December so of course that is one I will definitely have.
Sunday afternoon we went to Tala for lunch, it’s also in the hills and about fifteen minutes by car from Tsada, it was lovely seeing a lot of the houses tucked into hillsides etc. and the view was breath-taking, it looks a lovely place, after lunch we didn’t have enough time to have a wander around though so we will have to go back one of the days.
December 13th
Our friend Brian arrived in Cyprus on Wednesday, we met Brian on the Isle of Wight before we moved over here, it was a coincidence meeting someone that was doing the very thing that we were doing which was moving to Cyprus, so after we moved over here we kept in touch with him by email, and he arrived this week, everything went to plan and Nick picked him up from the airport and took him to the Airbnb that he had booked, it was an evening flight but the flight was slightly early, we got him a few groceries to tide him over until he could go grocery shopping the following day, we were lucky that the owner of our Airbnb when we arrived bought us bread and coffee, cheese etc as we were starving by the time we got there at gone midnight, so I thought Brian would be the same, as it’s only a four hour flight they don’t feed you dinner on the plane.
The following day we popped down to have coffee with him and take him grocery shopping, I stayed at Brian’s place with his dog as our car is only a two seater so I couldn’t go with them, his dogs name is Molly and she is a cutie, I did have fun with her and took her for a walk, we plan on meeting up with him again next week.
Well I am definitely back into jeans during the day as we are having some cloudy days and some days of sunshine, the temperatures are still good and between 15 and 21 degree’s, but I think I feel the cold more than most people so the smallest cloud has me in a sweater lol, and I have started putting a thin jacket on when we go for our walks, some days when its 19 or 20 and the sun is shining it feels like summer, but then if it’s 15 degrees and cloudy it feels chilly especially if there is a breeze., so to me it’s all a bit mixed up and confusing, is it spring, is it summer or is it winter lol, I have no idea, but I don’t see me going back into shorts again until its proper full sun and over 20 degrees lol.
One of the days in the week when we popped to the taverna in the village for coffee, one of the old Cypriot guys paid for our coffee which was a surprise, he doesn’t speak very good english, but when I asked Joanna the owner why he did it, she said it was probably because Nick had his hair cut in the village and it was appreciated, it was really nice though and sort of meant a lot as the Cypriot guys seem to keep to their own group even though they say hello to us now, I am so happy in this little village, but I have to say it is warmer ten minutes down into Paphos, it’s because we are in the hills that we have it cooler up here, some days when its cloudy and I am chilly I tell Nick that we should move down into Paphos, but then it is so lovely being up here, I wonder why life is confusing and why I can’t have everything lol.
The apple and walnut cake I re tried last week is the nicest cake I think I have ever had in my life, I am so glad I attempted it again, I think the only reason I did was because there was over 60 reviews on it saying how good it was, and it really was, even Nick said it was the nicest cake he had ever eaten,
I also had another success as my new recipe this week of meatless meatballs was really lovely, I had to make it a day in advance and leave them in the fridge, but it was handy for going grocery shopping the following day and just cooking them in the oven when we got home so it turned into a nice easy dinner, I think the only thing I wasn’t too keen on was the pasta, I have never really been into pasta, and wished I liked it a bit more than I do, but the meatballs were really tasty so I might give some thought into having them with something else other than pasta.
I think we are enjoying coming up with new recipes each week, and everything is made from scratch so a bit more time consuming but we are both enjoying playing in the kitchen, I am curious as to what Nick is going to come up with for his new recipe next week lol.
I have to say I am so impressed with the vets here in Cyprus as Maggie’s arthritis seems a lot better since her injections and she is walking better and not splaying out her front right paw, it’s nice to see her not in so much pain, so she is doing well thankfully, I keep telling her she has to live forever as I won’t be able to get another dog, and I honestly can’t see me living without one, so she has no choice but to keep going lol.
Today while I was out walking, I saw one of the Cypriot ladies in her side garden with a big old rooster, so I said hello to her and told her I thought her rooster was beautiful which he was, he was all white and looking very regal, she surprised me by beckoning me into her garden to have a closer look at him, her english was as bad as my Greek but by hand signals and a lot of laughing she took me into a small barn like structure where there were six chickens and another beautiful rooster, it was really interesting watching them all, and when I went to leave and told her thank you, she said something in Greek and made a drinking motion with her hands and said coffee, I am so astonished at the welcoming spirit of these people, they are so warm, friendly and big hearted, Nick was waiting for me on the road and so I tried telling her that I had a husband waiting, and through lots of hand gestures and more laughing she did understand, I hope at some point I bump into her again and get to have that coffee.
Dec 23rd
How can the weather be this glorious two days before Christmas, its days like this when I know in my heart that we made the right decision to move to this amazing country, and it makes me think the only thing I will ever regret is not moving here years ago.
Well today we had to go grocery shopping as the cupboards were bare and it was two days before Christmas, we don’t actually celebrate Christmas anymore so it wasn’t that we needed goodies but we needed proper grocery shopping, how we forgot to do this sooner I have no idea, had we gotten lazier since moving over here I don’t know, but going grocery shopping just before Christmas day is something that that we would never normally do, as we were driving down into Paphos I just kept thinking what a waste of a day to be shopping on a day like today, pure deep blue sky and warm sunshine, so we decided to have lunch at the harbour before shopping, and it was fabulous, we walked along the seafront passing holidaymakers in shorts and flip flops and crazy floppy sun hats, and there was a really lovely holiday feeling, I even felt like I was on holiday and all thoughts of grocery shopping and cleaning and all of those mundane jobs just went flying out of my mind as we wandered along people watching and enjoying the warmth of the sun, we passed through outdoor restaurants and listened to guitar players, we watched little girls dancing to the music, and we watched little boats and big boats bobbing around on the water, deep blue sky and blue ocean what a fabulous afternoon it was, we did get the groceries on the way home but I am so glad that we took the time away from shopping to have some fun.
Weather
Even when the days are warm and the sky is blue, the mornings and evenings are so cold and chilly now, and on those warm days it is better to be out of the house rather than inside with heaters on…..we light the calor gas fire first thing in the morning now on three bars which keeps it fairly warm and now and again we light the other calor gas fire at the other side of the living room, especially if its a rainy or a cloudy day and at four thirty we light the log fire which thankfully has a fan on it which helps warm the room up,
December 31st
Well the year is at an end, and this evening we stayed up as its New Years eve, we wanted to see if there were going to be any fireworks anywhere as I would have liked to have sat outside and watched them, but we couldn’t see anything unfortunately, and for the first time ever both me and Nick missed twelve o clock, we always wish each other a happy new year but this year we forgot lol, I think its because we are two hours ahead of the UK so when we hit midnight it was only ten o clock in England, so even though we had english tv on it didn’t remind us, I did miss watching it all on tv as I do like to see the fireworks in London and Scotland which they always show, I did put the news on the following day to see the fireworks but it wasn’t the same watching them the day after.
2018 was definitely a year of changes for us, we had no idea last new year that this year we would be living in another country, life is funny, although I know one hundred percent that this move was a good one for us as we both really do love it over here, so I am hoping that this next year is as good as 2018 as I really did enjoy last year, we had a much needed holiday at the beginning of the year, I had a lovely summer in my allotment pottering around, and then planning our move over here kept me going for months, and then the excitement of the actual move, so I think for me last year was my best year for a long time, I hope this year can beat it lol, we will see……
Moving to Cyprus 