'Tis the season.......

.....to be slightly less miserable. Now those of know me well, know that, contrary to popular family opinion I'm not a miserable bugger - I'm just not one to get over enthusiastic unnecessarily. However there are certain times of the year when it is almost compulsory to get all togged up and smile like a Cheshire cat whether you feel like it or not!
Now Beccy may well have written about the couple of mess do's we've been to over the last couple of weeks - to be honest I've not really read what she's written (but I promise I will sweetheart honest!) so she may have mentioned that I've donned my penguin suit twice already - I think that's as many times as I did in the whole of my tour last time. And just to prove it....

There's loads of stuff happened since I last blogged, the boys have been and gone, the migrants have been and some of them have gone, then come back and are still here, we've been to our first proper formal dinner as the Colonel was "dined out", got hammered at the Mess Xmas Party and were the last to leave with our new drinking buddies Ian & Anita (that's what happens when you invite retired sergeants into the Officer's mess). Abbie has arrived for an unexpected visit - it was £53-00 return from Stansted to Paphos - so how could she not come out and visit at that price? 

 Now Paphos is around 85 miles away from here, which isn't far, but when you ask anybody who's been in Cyprus for more than 10 minutes, how long do you reckon it'd take to get there - they say something like "Paphos all that way, I'd allow at least two hours, maybe two and a half" - now bear in mind it is motorway all the way - which at most has about 12 cars on it, except for around Limasol when there's about 20. Anyway I'd forgotten this Cypresian (I know that Cypresian isn't a real word - but it should be) peculiarity and allowed at least two hours - we got there about 45 minutes early and I only speeded a little bit....

We've had several meze's one for the dive club Christmas Party, one for the office Christmas Party held in Greek Cypriot taverna in a nearby village. As ever the Turkish Cypriot contingent of my team outdid themselves - at the risk of criticism for not being very PC, and proved once again that they really are rubbish muslims! They got absolutely blatted on whisky and zivania, ate at least half a pig and had a fantastic time celebrating the birth of Christ! I reckon if we inserted a couple of Turkish Cypriots into ISIS the whole organisation would fall apart in a matter of weeks - and Syria would be a much more relaxed and generally happy place. Maybe I should mention this to Obama next time he's round for tea.

Gladys at Cape  Grekko

At CESSAC

Gladys with bear

Gladys & Dusty

I've mentioned in a previous post about Cathy's mum being here with us until Mr Jif and Cathy come over at some point to lay her to rest. We've been looking after her, she's been in our spare room quite happily sitting with her bear on the armchair - but I thought she maybe needed a day out - just to stop her getting bored with her own company, so last weekend we took her to a few of her favourite haunts.

We are back home next week for Christmas, then on to France for New Year - not sure when the next blog will be - but if it's not before then and we don't see you we wish you and yours ALL THE BEST.

Sometimes.........

When I take a step back and have a look at where we live and how we are living compared to this time last year it all goes a bit wobbly and feels rather odd.  Last November we were struggling with frozen ice on the livestock water, making sure the animals were warm and well fed and beginning to think about mating the goats ready kidding in the spring.   We miss it, miss all the hard work and all the joy we got from the smallholding, but we remind ourselves that we have all that to come again in 2018 when our time in Cyprus will be over and the next adventure will begin.  For the time being though we have no problems with frozen water but oh my we did have a problem with the pool which in a matter of days transformed itself into a wildlife pond.

Slowly and steadily we lost our pool, as the pump stopped working, the pipes started leaking and the pool liner sprung a leak.  Before the remaining water was pumped out it turned an incredible shade of green, the mosquitos laid their larva and the wagtails moved in to feast on the insects.  Oh and the dragonflys, we had a zillion of them, beautiful red dragonflys who were particularly camera shy.

Phillipos arrived and drained what was left of the water, then lifted the patio tiles and dug enormous holes to replace and repair pipework.  Then the pond liner was removed, it was all a bit dismal having a big concrete hole in the garden, I much preferred the wildlife pond and the dragonflys.

Phillipos returned and a magnificent blue liner was fitted, the garden started to cheer up again.

I was assuming we would pop the hose in the pool and turn the tap on to fill it, but no, here they have tankers that deliver water, an enormous amount of water which filled the pool in less than half and hour, the hose option would have taken days.

And there you have it, our lovely pool it back to how it should be, and the good news is the wagtails are still visiting.  The temperatures have dipped here and the water temperature has dropped considerably but boys will be boys and yesterday I was sat crocheting in the garden and Andy emerged from the house in a small kinda wetsuit thing with a big grin on his face declaring that he just had to have a swim, test the pool out!!! I think his brain was still suffering the effects of the huge amount of beer he consumed the night before at the pantomime, so I quickly picked up my camera thinking to myself that this could be fun to watch!  He jumped in the deep end........................and squealed.................loudly............and then tried to run across the pool whilst telling anyone who could hear him that it was freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezing , teeth chattering he climbed out and got dried off quick smart, speed was of the essence .................and this from the man who insisted on wearing shorts to bonfire night!

So it looks like Andy will have to wait until atleast April to resume his early morning swim.

Beccy xx

Fireworks on the Beach

Everything about Bonfire Night in Cyprus is a little strange.

It is November, its Bonfire Night, so you need to get wrapped up in boots, hats, scarfs and gloves..............well atleast that is what every instinct is telling you to do but the reality is this bonfire takes place on a beach surrounded by palm trees here.

Now it wasn t really really warm, the temperatures are really beginning to dip, especially at night,  but hats, scarf and gloves weather it wasn't but I did still wear jeans and my Doc's the whole idea of shorts to a bonfire wasn't working for me.

Then we arrive and my head is telling me we should be eating hotdogs and warming my hands around a lovely hot drink of soup, well we did have hotdogs but with lovely refreshing pint of beer, and there were plenty of folks pootling around in shorts and t shirts, including Andy!

It was all a little bizarre but we had a great night.

The other thing that feels a little alien is Christmas.

It is apparently not long until the big day, well I know it isn't because we have British Forces telly so I ve seen the adverts and there are a few signs of Christmas here but nothing like you will all have in the UK.  So sitting here in my shorts and a t shirt watching some chaps repair our swimming pool while pondering about Christmas seems all peculiar too.

We will be back in the UK for Christmas and then nipping over to France for the New Year so I imagine the whole Christmas bandwagon will hit me at some point but just at the moment even considering dressing in a seasonal party frock seems a little alien to me.

Dressing in a party frock I will be doing though as we have a few 'do's' to attend, the first of which was last Friday, we donned our glad rags and attended  the Colonel's retirement party at the Officers Mess.  The whole evening was fascinating as we observed and learnt about military pomp, splendor and traditions, I loved it, but then I love history and traditions so it suited me.  The whole idea of only being allowed to leave the table at an allocated time for a comfort break did throw a few folks into a whirlwind though!  I was a bit rubbish on the picture taking front too and this is the only one I managed to snap.

The refugee situation is progressing slowly so hopefully normal service will be resumed shortly and Andy will be rambling on at you.  In the meantime though I should get the sewing machine out, I need to make a party frock, I ve already bought three formal evening dresses so am giving the finances a chance to replenish by whizzing up a little black sparkly number on the sewing machine.

xxxx

Long time no post.............

Sorry for the absence folks but it has been a busy few weeks.  Andy is very preoccupied with 115 refugees, it is complicated, actually, really really complicated and probably not for blogging about so I ll just say the chances of him blogging any time soon are remote so you ll have to put up with me.

So our car eventually arrived, and just in time too, it arrived 2 days before the Reed Boys flew in so the timing was perfect.  Sam and Matt jetted in on the Saturday and I think one of the first things they commented on was how hot it was!!!! During our journey to the airport Andy and I had been discussing what a shame it was that the weather had cooled down!!!!!! I guess its all relative.

So we spent a whirlwind week being tourists, think the boys went back to the UK a tad exhausted. Most of our days out were in northern Cyprus.   The following pics were taken at the ancient ruins of Salamis just north or Famagusta, where those Reed boys became small boys again resorting to climbing the ruins, walls and exploring............... As an aside, the Turkish name for Famagusta is Gazimagusa, I much prefer Gazimagusa it just rolls off the tongue and is a fantastic name!  Anyway, on to the piccies...........

We walked, climbed and wandered around every inch of Salamis, and were relieved it wasn't as warm as it had been the previous week, sightseeing in August would be a terrible plan!  So we left Salamis and parked up in the old town area of Gazimaguza (Famagusta), we will be going back there regularly, it was beautiful and so 'untouristy' I could sit in the square drinking Turkish coffee to my hearts content listening to the call to prayer.  Those Reed boys though, had more climbing plans.

The boys having a 'mother's meeting' 

One of the highlights for the boys was a trip to Agia Napa and Hokkaido's.
This restaurant serves the most wonderful Japanese food which is cooked in front of you in a manner that can only be described as pure gastranomic theatre.

There are flames, egg juggling, magic hats, customer participation, food, more food and more egg juggling.  I must also add the food is delicious and really unique, it definitely is the place to go for a celebration.

Sam and Matt both remember the restaurant from when they lived here and had requested a return trip, apparently it hasn't changed atall and was just as good as they remember, and they even cracked a smile a two.

We finished up the week with another trip over the green line and into northern Cyprus.  This time to Kyrenia to do yet more castle wall climbing.

Having taken a precarious journey up and over the mountains we realised the Turkish Cypriots were even more erratic and mad drivers than the Greek Cypriots in the south!!.  Apparently the thing to do is to overtake at speed going downhill on a blind bend, and this rule doesn't just apply to cars, lorries do it too!!!!!!!!!!

So having gawped at the view and being gobsmacked at the driving we arrived in Kyrenia, a bustling city with an incredible charm and an amazing castle.

Sorry Sam I couldn't resist posting this pic, its just funny !!!

They jetted off again leaving us to sleep and recover for a day before Andy returned to work.

xxx

Το αεροστρωματόχημά μου είναι γεμάτο χέλια

After the last post full of pictures it's time to go back to the waffle......

 Now contrary to the belief of the Greek Cypriot majority on the Island, Nicosia isn't actually the centre of the known universe and the vast majority of the 7 or so billion of the World's population, don't go to bed at night worrying about whether the Cyprus problem will be solved by Christmas - in fact it's almost unheard of for Cyprus to be mentioned as the second news story on the BBC! But this week it was - this week 100 or refugees or migrants depending on what they are being called this week landed on Cyprus. They skillfully managed to navigate their way past the a huge chunk of coastline belonging to the Republic of Cyprus to by sheer chance end up on one of the little bits belonging to the UK. Good planning or just a fluke - I'll let you decide. Whatever their reasons for landing here it's caused bedlam at work. It shouldn't have been - the SBA have an agreement with the RoC for them to take refugees that land in the bases - but agreements are great in theory but if one side decides it doesn't like the agreement.......Anyway the refugees are still here - I have suggested that "Mr Jif" be called for - but I'm  not sure there is enough money in the overtime budget.
Aside from the excitement of the refugees - which to be honest I've managed to miss most of by virtue of being on the other side of the Island - it's been a good few days. Our stuff has arrived and is now fully unpacked and is currently being moved about and put in a variety of different places to see how it goes. Why stuff which is neither new or particularly great causes so much excitement amongst people it doesn't belong to is a mystery to me.

 When people here know your stuff has arrived they say things like - "it's like Xmas when your stuff comes" - no it isn't it's not new, it's not a gift and you know what it is! Or "you'll feel much better your stuff has come" - I kind of get that one, but only kind of - I didn't feel any better but it is nicer to have pictures of the kids around but I'd not missed much else. Except the computer and the telly - sad I know but I'm a bloke give me a couple of gizmo's and a big telly and I'm happy. I've managed to work out how to fix the computer to the telly and download a thing called Kodi and can now watch as much telly from wherever as I want, whenever I want. It's very cool - the only issue is that we didn't really watch telly at home - so have no idea what is good and what isn't - I had to ask Dave what was good telly. He was useless - only suggested Breaking Bad - that might be good I don't know - we've not really ventured past "Death In Paradise" yet!

The biggest emotion we felt when everything was unpacked was relief - Gladys has arrived in tact and nobody has asked why we have the ashes of somebody else's mother in our stuff. I believe witchcraft is still a crime in Cyprus so the importation could have led to an interesting interview with Cypol - "So Meester Reed why are you planning to resurrect this Gladees woman and who is she to you???" - Anyway she seems happy in her new home - that's her in the photo in her armchair - the bear is to keep her company when we are out. - Gladys by the way is Cathy Brown's mum (wife of the aforementioned "Mr Jif") - her ashes are to be scattered off Cape Greko at some point in the future when Jeff and Cathy come and visit.

Speaking of people who I thought may have been in need of resurrection, "Diver Dave" was on Island last week (diver Dave taught me and Mr Jif to dive last time I was here) - why might Diver Dave have been in need of resurrection - well because since deciding due to bad ears that he couldn't dive anymore he's decided that doing triathalons is a good idea - and he was in Cyprus to do one. I went to see him at the end of it expecting to be laughing and pointing at the daft old git barely being able to stagger over the finishing line. Imagine my disappointment to see that not only did he manage it without the need for an oxygen mask, he looked like he could do it all again! It was good to see him and Lynne - we'll hook up again when they move back out to Cyprus early next year.

Our car arrived this week, having completed numerous bits of paper and handed them to the RoC Customs officials who all looked like they had either just arrived from or were going to a nightclub - there it was in a container at Limassol Port barely wider than the car - so who did the movers send to drive it out of the container - a big fat bloke who couldn't get the door open wide enough to get in and had to climb in through the window - once in he tried starting it to find it had the flattest battery in the history of flat batteries and a tyre that was almost as flat. Eventually we got it out and running - it's a relief to be able to go where we want - being in an Official vehicle all the time does make trips anywhere further afield than Larnaca difficult.

Lastly and definitely the best bit - the boys arrive today - can't wait to see them.

Cheers

Andy

PS The title of this post translates as "My hovercraft is full of eels" (google it)  -  our Greek lesson was tough this week!

So it's my turn.....

I believe that Andy has a knack at the story telling which I don't have so I intend my posts to be more picture based.  This may also reassure Wendy who is slightly worried about my typing skills and whether or not anyone will be able to read anything I type without correcting all the spelling mistakes first. Well I ll have you know Miss Wendy that I got a distinction in my RSA Typing many many many many moons ago, its just texting I have problems with lol

So on to the pics, we were less than a week in and Mr Reed brings home a dog, just temporary he says we are fostering him just for the weekend, but just look at this little man, how could I not fall in love immediately and never want to give him up, so as you all know we didn't just foster him, we adopted him!!!! This is his 'after' pic, when I first set eyes on him he was a scraggy, skinny, very very dusty mutt covered in fleas and ticks, poor little soul needed us to take care of him :-)

So on to the cat situation............................... so there I am having my morning coffee (only 2 days after we arrived) and Puss appears,

As the days pass it appears that Puss has some kittens in tow, Dad has also shown an appearance, he is a big long haired grey cat, and a bit of a bruiser!

So on to our new home, it is a traditional concrete built villa and now our 'stuff' has arrived is beginning to look and feel more like home rather than a holiday villa, a few pictures on the walls and photos of the sproglets makes all the difference.

The all essential big telly has arrived, which makes watching football and rugby all the more enjoyable for Andy especially when Newcastle hammer those goals in :-)

Rather a large pile of empty boxes and packaging making a fantastic wall to keep Dusty in the back garden!

This is where Dusty and I hang out when we aren't wandering all over the village practicing our Greek greetings with the locals.

Finally we have a small selection of herbs, I managed about two weeks before needing to get my hands dirty, so pootled off to buy compost and basil, marjoram, chives and thyme and found some largish pots to transplant them in.  Think Andy then had a yearning to  potter on and off he pootled to lift some aloe vera plants which I had found growing like weeds out of the pavement round the corner from our villa. 

We also have four mature citrus trees, 2 lemon, 1 lime and an orange. This is the lemon tree which I m, reliably informed is the only tree to flower and fruit at the same time, you can just make out the flower on the left, its a delicate little thing but the fragrance is fantastic.

Now off to finish the unpacking, Sam and Matt arrive on Saturday so I need to find the spare beds which are buried somewhere underneath mountains of Andy's clothes and diving stuff.  

Beccy xx

This Is Cyprus My Friend

Words that either make you shudder or smile knowingly depending on whether you still live here or have left for the "normal" world away from the relaxed chaos that is Cyprus!
There's quite a bit to get into this post - so bear with me, it'll bring you up to speed with our first month or so back.
Week One - Arrived at our new house, it's in a village called Oroklini, known as "Little Britain" to many because of the number of expats who've settled here. We are very pleased with our house it's nicely furnished, not too big but not too small and has everything we need until our stuff arrives. We had been worried - choosing somewhere to live from photos on the internet and from a "Whatsapp" video made by Dave (a colleague) is a bit scary! Why do we not live on the base I hear you cry - well basically because we aren't married so the Military won't let us live in married quarters - but will quite happily pay for us to live in a nicer property off camp - go figure, but we aren't complaining. Monday brings my first day in the Office - I'd already met Dave and Harry, when they picked us up from Akrotiri - but how would the Cypriots take to Andy the Roster Monster coming back? Well to my relief the natives seemed friendly - they all welcomed me back with smiles - they all looked exactly the same - like they'd all been locked away in a cupboard and stored away for the last six years and wheeled back out again to greet me!
Went to the Dive club on Tuesday - what have they done to it?????? I'm not going to expand on that at the minute for fear I go off on one and offend half the diving expat population of Cyprus! But the goods thing was I met Ian and Anita and little Ralph again - it was genuinely good to see them.
Tried to get the internet connected this week - tried to it online at work - now this should be easy, you fill in a form, have pay some money and a few days later you have telephone and internet don't you? Not in Cyprus, you pay some money, fill in a form, print off the form which tells you to take the form to a shop. On the way to the shop somebody rings and says because you are foreign you need another 150 euros before they will connect you, you get to the shop and a very nice girl completes the form you'd already completed, says she's sorted out the 150 euros and I don't need to pay it, asks you to take a photo of the phone box thing on the front of your house and e-mail it to her and then in 24 working days time they will connect the internet. I asked why it took so long, got a shrug....this is Cyprus my friend
End of week one I find a dog at the checkpoint - Jo the office clerk runs a rehoming charity place so through her find said dog a home - but we have to keep him over the weekend. Fatal mistake - Dusty turns out to be cute as a cute thing, doesn't bark, plays nicely and generally behaves himself - he hasn't left us yet!

Week Two - No idea what happened in week two - I met loads of people who's names I can't remember now, went to umpteen meetings about stuff that isn't really important and to which I will delegate a deputy and Beccy walked around the village and sunbathed around our pool.

Week Three - still no internet - but a man has been round to inspect the box at the front of the house, He scratches his head a bit because it hasn't got a label in it - makes some calls and goes away. Our car is due to arrive this week - I give it a few days after it was supposed to be here then ring up and ask when it's coming. Imagine my surprise when I'm told that it hasn't left England yet (by e-mail mind because the girl dealing with it was "on the other line" when I rang) - apparently there'd been a strike which had delayed it. I checked - no there wasn't they just forgot to put it on the bloody boat. Still haven't changed the roster - the Cypriots are still asking though - they are definitely worried! I just smile it worries them more.

Things I've learnt this week - I'm not very bendy - yoga (yes you read that right yoga) might not be my thing.I struggle with standing on one leg holding my toe with my leg stretched out in front of me - my arms simply aren't long enough - Beccy is happy I'm going with her though.

Week Four - Meetings continue unabated, I've now met all the dignitaries within the SBA and reacquainted myself with Nejdet the Muktah of Pyla - he still won't look me in the eye! The internet has been connected, no idea why it took so long but it's sorted now. The car should be here on 18th October - I'm not holding my breath though. Went diving with Ian at Konnos Point, I was a bit nervous to be honest six years is a long time but after a couple of minutes back in the water it was like I'd never been out of it. There were more fish than I remember which is good. Greek lessons have started -  learning the alphabet frazzled Beccy's brain - not sure she'll make it to the next class - Bs pronounced V, H that is EE and about seven other combinations of letters that are all pronounced EE blew her away! Numbers next week - that'll be fun!

Right that's more or less up to date - so off for a home made version of Brandy sour made with lemons off own tree - cheers