Rather an exciting day!  I have been meaning to try and grow my nails for years but never got round to it.  I don’t bite them or anything but they are quite soft so they get to a point and then split off and break.  My eldest daughter has similar nails and she’s managed to grow them beautifully having regular shellac manicures.  I’m quite jealous.  So, with a bit of a window ahead now where I won’t be delving in the earth, pulling supertight wetsuits on, plastering or whatever, I decided to give it a go.  Booked a manicure down at Amore Tanning and Beauty in Lapta, a salon which I like very much.  They are super friendly and approachable and the décor is lovely.  They have all the kit as well: IPL, CACI facials, tanning stuff (which I definitely don’t need), hairdressing and a nail and feet bar.  I got a really good manicure which I hope is the start of having lovely nails.  I also got the chance to eavesdrop on the other ladies in there and catch up on all the goss!!!!  Well….. who knew that our area’s ex pats were quite such a lively lot!!!  Especially as most of them are pensioners!  Divorces, shacking up, change of partners, ritual burning of an exes belongings…. oh its all going on out here!!!!  Most enjoyable.  Better than a book.

And then, to come home and find the newest copy of the English language newspaper, Cyprus Today, waiting for me.  It’s a lovely read.  The highlight today had to be the crime page.  One stunning misdemeanour stood out: a man convicted of a second occurrence WITHIN 9 DAYS of raping a goat!!!!!  No mention was made as to whether it was the same goat and they were in a steady relationship or whether he was having one night stands with different goats – chance met.  It sounded as though he was working his way through a nearby goat farm and the owners took exception to his attentions……   not so much Lock up your Daughters as Lock up your Livestock…..

This afternoon we put the curtain track and curtains up on the ends of the pergola.  It was a very fiddly job.  I wish we had bought a rail but we bought track…. Jolly fiddly.  Anyway, we are incredibly delighted with the result.  It just looks beautiful.  We also have new covers for the wooden sunloungers.  Gosh, our terrace is beginning to look very glamourous.

Tonight we ate dinner in the pergola.  Bob bbq’d shevlaki and we had them in warm pitta with salad and chillis….. yum.  It was so nice to sit out there as the darkness grew and the lights came on.  The moon is almost full and there is a lovely view as it rises over the hills behind the pool.

We rounded the meal off with chocolate and cherry ice cream from Mardos and some brandies.  What a lovely end to a lovely day.  Hard work… but beginning to see great results….