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