Yesterday we had a busy morning around the villa. We mended a few of the squares of the poolside pergola awning that had been damaged in the winter storms. It’s so hard to work in the heat. We had to keep having dips in the pool. Then we hung up the pergola curtains and they look very nice. Lovely ivory cotton voile that drifts in the wind.

John and Wilma, who look after the house and pool for us, came up and we had a good catch up. It looks like our shipment from the UK is not going to arrive before we leave on Saturday, so they will see it in for us. Most of it can go into the mancave under the pool till we come back for a flying visit in December, but the new oak tv cabinet will have to come into the living room and the adirondack chairs can join the others in the garden. KMR, the shippers, have not covered themselves in glory to be honest and I don’t think we’d use them again. First they hummed and hawed from late April till the middle of May about which ship to put it on. Then they said it was too late for a ship and it would have to be a lorry… then… the reverse…. then finally they picked it up on the 2nd of June, the day before we flew here. To be transported by lorry. And that lorry has apparently been stuck in customs in Mersin, Turkey for about 3 weeks now. It is barely believable. They cant give us any firm idea of when it will arrive. I dont know what to think, but for sure, it is not at all impressive. No… we wouldn’t use their services again.

We also had a lovely coffee morning with Alan and Lesley our neighbours on the hill. Had a good catch up with them too. Good to see them looking so well and much better than when they arrived from the UK.

Today has been a great day. We spent it down on the beach at Golden Bay. The sea was glorious. About 30C and clear. We had a ton of dips interspersed with reading and the day went by very pleasurably. We were amused to see the sports car motor boat out and about. It looks so funny speeding across the water. Shared a lunch of burger and chips which was very nice.

Came home about 4 and jumped in the pool to sluice off. Shortly after that we had messages from the estate agent to say that things were moving with the Deed of Variation and it was highly likely we would be exchanging tomorrow or Friday, meaning our move day of July 31st will be on. We need to wait for confirmation tomorrow from our lawyer but this is fantastic news, better than we expected.

We also had good news from Daisy that she’s been offered a new job which she has accepted and will start at the end of July with a Swiss dairy company based in Putney. Sounds really good and we are very pleased for her.

Now if only that shipment would turn up……