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Published: August 11th 2017
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Birthday fizz by the pool.?It's happy birthday to Sarah day!
After our exhausting last couple of days all we plan to do is chill. Walked the dogs as normal and once back home John transplanted our melon seeds which after having just been thrown in the herb tub decided to grow and now we have a few melon plants. Also prepared a tub for the front balcony and maybe we will see some suitable plants at this weeks Wednesday market. Gardening done, more tea and shower time. Weather today warm and muggy with still a few greyish clouds hanging around but no rain forecast. More coffee whilst sat on the back patio, Kilroy snoozing and to be honest his parents were pretty relaxed as well. As midday approached and the sun was high in the sky we retired indoors for a bacon sandwich and a film......an hour into the film Gary and Buddy called in to hand over a bottle of bubbly for Sarah's birthday. We agreed to meet by the pool at 8pm for a sundowner and crack open the fizz. Back indoors to watch the end of the film and then decided to be even more of
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Figs from Gary's garden a couch potato and put on another film!
A light lunch of borek followed by some fresh peaches, they really are very good and the rest of the day continued in the same mode. The two day moving back in following the internal refurb really did tire us out and we both needed today to really catch up. No real plans for Sarahs day because she wants to go out to a little cafe set on the seafront for lunch but they are closed Mondays, so planning for another day very soon. After a nice stroll with Kilroy we changed and made our way to poolside for a very pleasant couple of hours with Gary, enjoying the bottle of fizz he bought for Sarah's big day. Managed to also get some nice pictures of the moon this evening rising over the mountains behind Buffavento Village. Home for a Skype with Kayleigh and George to catch up on their news and then supper of tuna salad. Kilroy had his patrol round the block and then it was off to bed.
Tuesday 8th August 2017 Happy birthday to John day. It's only a number as he keeps being told.
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That's my sort of card.......... Day dawned with clear blue skies for the first time since last week and humidity has dropped. All quiet around the camp as we sat and woke ourselves up with a nice strong cup of tea. By 6:30am we were on our walk in the hills with only goats for company. When we dropped Buddy off in his garden on the way home, we did some fig rustling on Gary's tree in his garden - he told us to help ourselves as the tree was laden with them. They are lovely with a bit of feta cheese. Think Sarah may also be making some chutney. We have a fig tree at the end of our little row, in the communal garden but they are about a month behind so will have some ripe figs around mid September. By 8am the morning chores had been done and time to open birthday cards, Sarah had held off opening hers yestready so we sat and opened them together. ❤️ As expected there were some slightly rude and risky cards from relatives and so called friends! Kilroy moved into sofa mode, just a little miffed at first that humans were in his way and
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Will you please move over. taking up all his space, but he soon sorted that out and before very long was snoozing the morning away. We decided on a few hours poolside, so gathered up books, sunscreen, hats etc and picked a spot. Not difficult as we were the only ones there. Lovely quiet few hours chilling. Spot of lunch, which was halloumi and salad in a pitta bread before again relaxing the afternoon away.
Evening came around and it was off for a stroll with Kilroy for about 30mins and now the humidity has gone away the walk is much more pleasant. Home, more tea and then showered and changed for a meal out. No posh hotel or mahoosive birthday party as we are so lucky to be able to enjoy everyday out here in the sunshine and there will probably be a gathering when we return to the UK for a belated 60 celebration. So it was just a short drive down the hill and 5mins later we were enjoying really good meal down at Happy Valley restaurant. A nice surprise as some friends joined us for the meal and we had a really great night chatting and generally putting the world
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This is not comfy you know. to rights. Also a free Efes from Riaz as well! Back home by 11pm, Kilroy walked and then off to bed. A really nice day, lots of greetings from friends on Facebook - some rude of course but for each of them came a memory of where we met or how we knew them. Looking forward to a family gathering when we return to the UK later this year to celebrate again!
Wednesday 9th August 2017 Usual time surfacing and off for the mornings constituition with the dogs. Home for tea and toast before heading off to the Wednesday market in town. Weather hot hot hot. For some reason traffic very busy today which made for interesting viewing, especially the traffic jam in town, lots of irate hand waving and horn sounding......we just sat in the jeep quietly laughing. Got to the market, parked up and a stroll around to suss out the best prices. Then it was the interval and we retired to our favourite coffee shop for cold drinks and carrot cake. This spot is right on the road and again provides an excellent people watching, traffic observation post. The road is a little narrow and
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Much more comfy now! as the Cypriots do, they just park wherever which doesn't help the flow of the traffic. So often it causes more chaos. During our 20 minute rest we saw irate taxi drivers jumping out of taxis and remonstrating with other drivers, people pulling up and abandoning their cars only to be given some verbal and told to move them, someone reversing out of a space and nearly into a moped as well as a couple of people struggling with their groceries across the road again holding up the traffic. It was great - free viewing of a disaster that was about to happen. All this accompanied by announcements in Turkish giving out car numbers who were blocking others in or causing issues......no one rushes back to move the car tho! Comedy show over we picked up some fresh peaches, tomatoes and peanut nibbles and then jumped in the jeep to head homewards. We were looking for a few plants for a tub, but short supply today. Back via Eminaga garden centre....they also didn't have what was required but managed to call in at the garden shack on the main road out of town and they had the very thing -
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Sandouka beach 5 plants for £1.25p a bargain. Called in at Supreme for a few bits and then home by midday. We pulled up outside our place and were unloading just as our kitchen fitters rocked up to rehang a cupboard door, secure a shelf and give a final check of the work - perfect timing. Unpacked, cold drinks and then chilled for a few hours as it was to hot to do very much more. Late afternoon and Gary messaged John, just needed a hand putting up a couple of new umbrellas poolside to replace those that had gone beyond there sell by date. Job done it was home for tea before Sarah took hound for his early evening stroll whilst John busied himself by catching up on emails. Showered, changed and by 6:30pm we were off to the Club Tropicana quiz night, where our team of four did very well scoring 40points and coming a close third. Good effort. Home by 9pm and whilst John walked Kilroy Sarah busied herself making a quick salad to be enjoyed with some very nice peach and helim sausages. A bit of chilling and then time for bed said Zebedee.
Thursday 10th August IMG_1204
Sandouka beach 2017
Usual routine first thing, home for breakfast and another look at some log cabin companies and there offerings, think we are beginning to narrow down the field in readiness for our return later this year. Then it was showers and changed into beach gear, load up the jeep and off to Sandouka beach - we were so impressed about 10days ago when we called in we decided to make a day of it. Nice hours drive along the coast and we arrived. This really is an unspoilt part of North Cyprus and well worth the effort to get to. We found our spot and had a quick coca cola - complete with Greek writing before reclining on the sun beds and just admiring the view, chilling and reading. This place is owned and run by a Maronite community who speak Greek and live in a small village in North Cyprus. They have the advantages of both sides we think.....in fact all the cars in the car park were south Cyprus registered. Very welcoming and chatty - they were pleased to see some foreigners. You would think that all the years we have been coming to Cyprus that there
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Taverna at Sandouka beach would be nothing more to explore, this is so wrong - we are finding new places each time. Yes, since John was first out here as a teenager in 1970, plus our two army tours here in the 80s and 90s (Thank you HM the Queen) and many many holidays, we have seen huge changes - but the island still can produce hidden gems, away from the tourists! The morning went on with John setting off to do some snorkelling and Sarah swimming around in the shallows - the sea was crystal clear and lovely and warm. After drying off we strolled the 5mtrs to the taverna for a late lunch. John opting for the mixed kebab and Sarah the pork chop all washed down with a cold KEO beer and water, accompanied by a nice mixed salad, olives and pitta bread. It was fantastic. Followed by chilled water melon for afters. Back to reclining and reading mode for another 40mins and then it was time to pack up and head slowly home. Busy road on the way back....not cars but sheep traffic jam!
Home via Supreme supermarket - only wanted wet wipes for the dog, yes the dog.
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Greek coca cola He does really enjoy having his face wiped down with them after he gets in from his morning walk, must be the smell or the softness of them or maybe he is just a big wuss. Kilroy had been very well behaved whilst we were out so had a couple of doggie treats as a reward. Chilled for an hour and Sarah took hound for his evening walk whilst John went up the pool to help Gary with the lights. By 8pm our work was done so it was now time to relax again, it's been a hectic day! No supper tonight as we were both still stuffed from our late lunch and after a bit of reading, final dog stroll we retired indoors to watch a DVD - I Daniel Blake - very good it was to, before time to snooze.
Friday 11th August 2017 Cooler on the walk this morning, thank goodness. So much so that we have decided to push back the getting up time from 5:30am to 6am....woop, woop an extra 30mins lie in. Home, garden watered, checked on the herbs and water melons which are doing nicely. Kilroy adopted his favourite position on
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Our view at Sandouka beach his sofa for a snooze. What to do today, not a lot we thought. John decided to make a chilli and put it in the freezer - always handy for a meal after a quiz night or a long day out. A quick tidy around, not much to be done as we had a real good clean up after our reprint indoors then it was breakfast, showered and a quick drive to China Bazaar, Supreme and Tunc Housewares to track down some storage jars. Tunc won out in the end. Home via the vet as we wanted to book Kilroy in for his annual injections - they are much cheaper out here. Tomorrow at 10am, he will enjoy that! Home, cup of tea and a film before lunch of beans on toast.
Relaxing afternoon doing absolutely nothing before a hound walk and then getting ready for the big Friday night out at the Club Tropicana quiz.....we know how to party! A team of just 3 of us again tonight so chances of winning were slim but we did fine and it's not the winning apparently. Nice chat with Gary before we headed home for supper of chicken with honey
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Watersports plus a nice crisp salad. A bit of relaxing under the stars followed by end of day hound walk and then bed time for us all. The end of another lovely week.
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