We have had a reasonably quiet couple of days, just enjoying being beside the pool and reading on the terraces. It’s getting hotter now beginning the rise to the high heats of July and August when those activities plus the beach are all you want to do. Or maybe that’s just me. We have plenty of guests who come in those months and undertake a full programme of sightseeing activities. I salute their stamina!
Our house move at home has reached a frustrating pause where everyone in the chain is ready to exchange contracts but the company that own the leasehold on the shared areas of the estate where we live are dragging their heels on the Deed of Variation we need to make to the houseowners contract with them before exchange takes place. They’ve already approved it and the wording, so it’s just some jobsworth needing to digitally sign it off….. meanwhile the rest of us wait and sweat…. oh and it also has to go through the Land Registry before exchange. That process will be expedited but it’s still subject to the same sort of bureaucratic delays…. None of this would matter beyond irritation if it weren’t for the fact that Bob has a total knee replacement on August 14th and we are desperate to have moved into the bungalow by then. It’s getting a bit tight. But, fingers crossed…..
We had a lovely dinner out on Monday night at a restaurant in Alsancak called Mimosante – The Lemon Tree. It was a special music night also with a belly dancing performance. We went with Pamela, Lee, Sian, Roger and Ann – Ann organised it. What a lovely night! We’d not been there before. It’s got an inside area but this time of the year you eat in the large garden under the lemon trees. It is next to the garden centre so it’s a very rural atmosphere. The owner is a really lovely man who just was so eager to please and so sweet with it.
We were welcomed with a free cocktail – a mix of raspberry vodka, soda and melon juice. Yummy. Then a 2 course dinner from a special menu. I started with Haloumi Kebab, Bob had Spring Rolls. For main, Bob had pork chop, I had Smoky Chilli Chicken. Bob had the better choice of main in my opinion. The chicken was nice but not very special. His pork chop was mega. However, for £20 each for all the food and drink and entertainment, it was very good value.
The music was provided by an interesting couple. A young African woman who played the saxophone and also sang amazingly and an older man on guitar. They played an eclectic mix of reggae, 1930s torch songs, general pop, Sade…. really good. The belly dancer came on at about 915 for a 20 minute performance. Not the best I’ve seen by a long long way and she encouraged people to put tips into her clothing which gave it all a slightly seedy air…. hmmm …..
We had a super time though in a great atmosphere. There were local family groups there celebrating birthdays and of course great chat on our table. We would certainly go back again and just eat there. It’s very convenient from the villa, about 8 minutes drive across the new little road the crosses the ravine to our right.
Yesterday we had a quick trip into Kyrenia to arrange our car for the last bit of our stay. We only paid till the end of June on arrival as we didn’t really know when we would return. We have now booked our return flight for late afternoon on 11th July so we could safely extend the contract and pay for the car and for the taxi transfer back to Ercan.
On the way back we called up to Green Hills Cemetery just below Karmi. It is a lovely peaceful spot in the hills with beautiful pine trees shading the graves all neatly laid out with stone paths and walls. The only sound is the chirp of the cicadas. Our dear friend Eddie, who we miss very much both here and in Patnem, is buried there and we went up to pay our respects and take him some flowers. They have to be artificial here really. Fresh ones wouldn’t last much more than a day this time of year. Pamela has done an amazing job with the memorial stonework and it was so nice to see his face again. We had a little chat and came away reflecting that there are worse places to rest for eternity.
