So Christmas and New Year are over. We had a nice break, went back to Barton,( where it rained) over Christmas and then on to France for New Year (where it rained). We did all the Christmas stuff, spent time with the kids and house sat for the olds while they jetted off to New Zealand and generally chilled out a bit. We managed to fit in a visit to John & Marlene - where we saw a male goat with the most magnificent set of horns and generally got a "smallholder" fix. It's fair to say we both miss it! Had curry with Jeff and Cathy, I drank too much beer with colleagues from Hull and Beccy drank vodka with Winteringham Fields staff.
In France we watched the rain, in the breaks between the downpours I cut down trees and cut them into logs - a boy needs a bit of chain saw action every now and then! Beccy emulsioned the kitchen walls and we made lists of things we're going to need when we come here permanently in two and bit years! So far it reads
1. Goats
2. Pigs
3. Chickens & ducks
4. Rabbits (?)
5. Cream Seperator
6. Log splitter
7. Aga with ability to heat water.
It was all exciting stuff - we know how to have a good time me and Beccy! All the while Beccy worried whether Dusty would remember us. He came back all freshly showered, brushed and smelling sweetly, he just about acknowledges Beccy's presence but is all over me. Which to be fair is a bit wearing and I thinks miffs Beccy just a bit - but he obviously know who's boss!
We also came back with a Cyprus plan - we already had a plan but being away just confirmed it - we fully intend to "do" this Island, there's heaps to see here and in the region generally and we fully intend to see it. So to that end - last weekend we drove up to Lefkara (famous for lace) and kept going on into the foothills of Troodos, then this weekend drove up to Nicosia, did the bling and glitz of the South side before crossing at Ledra Street (where my passport was fully checked by the Republic authorities and Beccy was just grunted at and waved through) into the sleepy backwater of the North side. It really is like two completely seperate cities. Beccy will no doubt blog at sometime soon with a shedload of photo's of the two trips.
We plan to go to Istanbul - cash permitting this year - with further plans to visit Beruit, Jerusalem and Bethlehem (we aren't religious but if Jesus had been born in Exeter I'd like to think we'd have travelled a couple of hundred miles to visit his birthplace) all of which are within easy flying distance of Larnaca.
Workwise Cyprus continues as usual, I still have a migrant camp full of people - it blew away sometime while I was away and a new one had to be built and below is an extract of a conversation between me and PC Elena of SBA Police.
PC Elena - Do you know where Jim Whittle and Mike Richter are?
Me - Yes in the UK - why?
PC Elena - The court says you have to get them to a video link for the SBA Court
Me - Me? When?
PC Elena - Now
Me - Laughs, firstly I have no idea what shift they are on, secondly it is highly unlikely that a video link is available at the stations they work and thirdly what for?
PC Elena - Because the court needs them - defence has asked for them.
Me - How long have you known you might need them?
PC Elena - Since October, but we thought because they were in the UK it would be alright.
Me - So now you want me to get hold of them and try to get them to contact you because you didn't bother doing what you are supposed to do and ask the defence whether they would be required or not.
PC Elena - Yes please if you could.
The Police truly are clueless. Attempts were duly made - not surprisingly no video link was available.
The other big bit of news on the work front is Beccy's news - she lasted three months but now has a job - but it's her news she can tell it in her blogs.
Lastly we are on a diet - in a fantastic bit of planning before we came out here, we both lost some weight - fully expecting to fill out somewhat due to the copious amounts of food and drink that it is complusary to eat. As expected I put the weight I'd lost back on - it's an actual medical phenomenon the "Cyprus stone" - annoyingly despite being with me when all this food was eaten and drunk Beccy somehow managed not to put anything on. Anyway we are dieting - which makes Beccy grumpy - she actually doesn't really want to stuff her face with chocolate - but the fact she can't really annoys her!
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