We’ve spent the last two days largely around the villa.  The weather has been absolutely glorious.  Blue, blue sky, lots of sun and temperatures around 28/29C.  We’ve been swimming a lot both days.  The pool is quite warm, around 29C.  So refreshing enough to get in, but not refreshing enough to make you pause on the way down the steps, if you know what I mean!!!

We’ve been continuing to do small jobs around the house.  Bob’s been painting the pool gulley with special waterproof paint.  We’ve been moving water from the balance tank to the garden tank so that he can get down into the balance tank to replace and enhance the ballcock valve.  The garden has been getting a great watering!

We have also been making some more update plans.  Umbrellas are the bane of our life around here.  Every year, despite all warnings and advice, guests write off about 3 umbrellas.  The problem is, no one really believes that the wind can suddenly get up to violent gusts, so they go to bed and leave the pool umbrellas up, and then the next morning find them shredded down the hill or in the pool.  Sometimes having taken the dining table with the umbrella.  Bob has mended more umbrellas than you can imagine.  And they’re expensive.  Maybe £100 each for the larger ones.  Last year’s 3 umbrellas are the usual story.  One has a big hole at the top.  Another has rips, and luckily one is unscathed.

Finally, we have given in and we’re going to build a pergola over half of one side of the pool terrace which will have the same woven sunshade roof as our dining terrace, plus tie back curtains on the end panels.  It will cover the poolside dining set and have room for 2, maybe 3 sun loungers.  The carpenter came up yesterday and measured up and he should be back to install in about 10 days.  We will be able to hang an electric light down into it too which will be an advantage.  Am excited to see it set up.

We’ve bbq’d both nights, steak last night, chicken the next.  It’s so nice to sit out and it be so warm.  My “handcrafted” yoghurt pot candle holders are still doing sterling service LOL.

Today, Habibi came and did some gardening.  I was excited to realise that two large trees in the garden that I thought were jacaranda (we have also got jacaranda) are in fact pink pepper trees and the berries are currently on the trees.  If you dry them, they make a delicious pepper.  Another lovely crop, quite apart from all the other fruit and nuts.

Fabulous sunset tonight.  Sat out on the dining terrace and watched it disappear behind the westerly mountains whilst sipping a local brandy.

Today was Mother’s Day in Cyprus as it is in quite a few countries, but not the UK.  It was nice to get a second round of good wishes.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you wherever you are!