Ruminations.

Yesterday after buying enough leather belts to last the rest of my natural life I asked the shopkeeper to recommend a restaurant for lunch and following his directions I found myself the only foreigner in a Cypriot establishment, needless to say the food was tasty and plentiful and half the price of the tourist traps up the road.

Today I went to the British cemetery in Larnaca to tidy up my brother in law’s grave, whilst there I visited some of the other inhabitants who I had known during my time in Cyprus and I realised that the majority of them were younger than I am now when they died, now do I take this as a sign that I am on borrowed time and make the most of what I have left or - no, there is no or, I  am going to carry on enjoying life.

Another of today’s contemplations was Cyprus. I have been coming here for over thirty years and the place has changed in some ways beyond recognition, really it is just the same place with better roads and some shinier buildings but compared to the Costas and the Algarve etc it is scruffy, it’s continuing saving grace are it’s people and the food.

Back to the sun.

After a nause with hotels.com over a B&B booking I made for Llandudno on Friday night before I flew out here to Cyprus everything else went smoothly, I am now sitting in the back garden of the apartment I rented in Alethriko in 24C of sunshine before I head up the road for this afternoons’ Hash at Ayia Nappa. The apartment occupies the whole of the ground floor of my hosts Nikos and Vassillia’s home, it is far too big for me, it has a comfy bed and all mod cons but I do have to shower and shave before my hosts family drain the solar heated hot water tank in the evening.

I met up with Paul and Teresa yesterday along with Pauline and Jim and John and Gill as well as some new friends Roger and Mia at Dora’s, a very old fashioned Cyprus bar in the back streets of Larnaca. I was advised that the food was not of the same standard as the beer and the company so I settled for a couple of Cyprus sandwiches last night when I got back to the apartment.

My plan this trip is to relax and recuperate so there will not be too many reports on this blog unless I do have something special I feel I need to communicate.