A Week Of Joy

We flew out to Cyprus from Stansted on the Thursday afternoon and Peter and Wendy met us at Paphos Airport and took us to their new home. So good to see my friend again since she left England last November. We were tired! I was amused by the Greek/English handwash sign in the airport loos. [look at the Greek in #2]

Wendy has just had knee surgery and Bob did not want to do too much walking. So Friday was relaxing around the pool. I haven't really swum for years - but on the Friday I did thirty lengths! Each day we spent some time reading, relaxing and swimming, and some time going out, sightseeing, shopping and eating. It was a good pattern and we enjoyed the sunshine, and the freedom to just chill out.

Saturday evening we went on a lovely sunset boat trip from Paphos Harbour. Not on the Jolly Roger, but on the Wave Dancer [a former car ferry] 

We sailed out as the sunset, then further along the coast, they anchored so people could swim - entering the water off the back of the ramp. I actually went into the Med and splashed around for a while. Then they served a BBQ on board followed by a fascinating acrobatic display. As the boat returned to Paphos Harbour I stood and watched the twinkling lights. So much beauty, so much history. The Apostle Paul came to this harbour too. I felt so privileged to be there.

Sunday we went with Peter and Wendy to their Church and were made very welcome. Afterwards we had coffee and visited a beautiful bakery - the selection of breads, pastries and cakes was quite overwhelming.

Monday was a shopping day, we visited the Market to buy some gifts for the Grandchildren- after four days of swimming in the pool, I wanted to buy a new costume to celebrate. Wendy is a good friend and helpful fashion adviser!

Tuesday we visited Akamas - a cape which includes the blue Lagoon, an National Park, and stunning views. At the top of the hill is Viklari "Last Castle" restaurant, P&W's favourite eating place. We watched the quad bikes racing up the hill 

It is tradition to have your photo taken under the arch!

Wednesday P&W had a meeting at their Church, so Bob and I visited the nearby Museum and Roman Mosaics - a UNESCO World Heritage site. These mosaics were mind blowing! I was particularly taken with the "Christian House from the 5th Century AD" A large mosaic, regular pattern- but in the doorway a mosaic plaque with Psalm 117 verse 6 in Greek. The sign board informed us they'd made a spelling mistake! [The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man will do to me] In one of the new buildings was a huge display about Crafts in Cyprus - I was in seventh heaven looking at all the boards about different lacemaking/weaving/etc. That will have to be another post! It was very hot - I have great admiration for the Apostle Paul - I would struggle to preach in that heat!!

Thursday - our final day. To  have coffee at La Plage Municipal Beach at Polis, followed by lunch at Santa Barbara. That turtle sculpture on the beach is a recycling bin for plastic bottles! We both swam in the sea, walked round the marina, and had a beautiful final day with our friends. We came back via the Mall and Bob went in a DIY superstore, whilst Wendy took me to another of her favourite clothes stores. 

After getting back to their bungalow, finishing packing, and eating baklava we loaded the cases into the car. These two good friends took us to the airport. Final goodbye hugs and a prayer for a safe journey. 

Their hospitality was wonderful, and their friendship is very precious. I am so grateful to them for giving us the relaxing, reviving holiday we both needed. I hope I can return to their beautiful island again one day,

[Despite the fact that I swam over 200 lengths, there is no photograph of me in Wendy's pool!! And I forgot to take a picture of Jethro and Molly, their two cheerful dogs, sorry!

Wednesday Weigh In

At the start of the holidays, I was with Rosie and Jess in Starbucks, and Liz took a photo of us sipping our drinks. "Oh I am so overweight!" I said. Liz said firmly "Mum, I see a picture of a happy woman enjoying time with her grandchildren - not an overweight woman. You mustn't look at every picture of yourself and beat yourself up"

I suddenly remembered this photo of Jamie Lee Curtis taken 25 years ago. Then in her 40s, she deliberately posed in a bikini, no make up, just as she was - extra fat at her midriff, legs not as slim as they'd been twenty years before...and she looked really happy. At the time, it was unheard of for Hollywood stars to show their less-than-perfect-figures. But she said "This is what I look like now!" And was applauded for it
Now she has thighs, a tum, wrinkles, and grey hair - and celebrates them as part of her authentic life and experience. [she is 3 years younger than me]
Now she is quite a bit taller, which does help. But I have taken Liz's words to heart this summer, and celebrated the shape I am. And for the first time since the 1970s I've worn a bikini. And felt good about myself.

But as this wonderful summer moves into autumn, I have to admit that the comfortable retirement, and change of pace, and more time to prepare meals [and Bob doing more of the cooking, with his generous butter-rich portions] has added slightly more pounds than I'd like. I'm even heavier than I was in pregnancy. My knees are protesting because my thighs are so heavy. I know that I do need to get my BMI down - 5 feet high, 12stone in weight is well into the 'obese' category. This is about health, not fashion. I am going to cut back a on sweets and supper-snacks. And drink more water. Aiming for steady not rapid weight loss.

So I have made a little chart [stuck inside the bathroom cabinet] and every Wednesday morning I am doing a Weigh-In [and my mate Wendy in Cyprus is doing likewise] We will encourage each other [at a distance!] Last week my GP decided I ought to have blood tests for diabetes. If better eating can stave off such issues then it is my responsibility to try harder. 

Watch this space...

Holiday Habits

I have a strange holiday habit - I like wandering round foreign supermarkets, and buying interesting packets to bring home. I think that I may have passed this on to Liz, who brought back some Speculoos Pancake Mix, so the girls could recreate their Dutch holiday breakfasts once back in England.
Bob and I had a happy meander round the Supermarket in Paphos on Wednesday. 

Wendy's favourite shop is Sklavenitis, which she always refers to as 'ScabbyKnees' - its slogan is "As cheap as anywhere else"
Here is what we purchased

1. A jar of tahini, a basic ingredient which I shall use for dips and salad dressings, as well as in sweet dishes.
2. A large tin of Royal Baking Powder. Just because I love these tins*. Now produced in Spain where Royal is a synonym for baking powder, this brand began in Longhorsley near Newcastle, in the factory of Thomas Bell. He called his brand Bell's Royal and shortened it to Be-Ro. 
3. Some Cyprus Delight. Similar to the Turkish stuff, but a little denser, with different flavours. Some varieties have PG status [protected geographical] 
4. White beans.Because I ate a bowl of fasolia . I loved it and want to make some more at home
5. Olive Oil. Bob's choice. Agios Georgios [St George] is a very popular premium brand. And Bob liked the cool cuboid tin!
6. "Premium Nuts" We are not convinced everything in the bag is a nut, there are some rectangular biscuit looking pieces. But it will be portioned out as a TV snack [so someone does not eat the entire bag at one sitting!]

Finally a pot of salt. I know, you can buy salt easily in the UK, and it is not especially Cypriot. But every place where we had a meal had these cute little sailor pots standing on the table. I splurged 30p on this jolly little chap.

Today [August 15th] is celebrated in Cyprus by the Greek Orthodox believers as the Feast of the Domition Of The Virgin Mary  [In the Roman Catholic church it is called The Assumption, and marked on 28th August]  Traditionally it is the day when they eat Arkanata Bread Rolls. 

I did not know about the feasting when I picked a up a bag of these rusks in the supermarket, just that they were uniquely Cypriot. The name comes from the Greek word for labour because their overnight production is very laborious, using ground fermented chickpeas and ginger in boiling water . And they are baked twice- once as soft round roll, and then a second time to make the roll into a dry, long lasting rusk.  Unfortunately despite very careful packing, we got home to find our pack has been reduced to chunks and crumbs! Never mind. We can consume them with dips and dunk them in soups.
Do you ever buy interesting foods in foreign supermarkets?

*this tin has bolos fofos printed on it. I have no idea what it means. I tried various Spanish Translation programmes and got "Flabby Bowling Balls" can anyone out there explain???

THIS Gran Read The Book...

... And The Book Was Good!

NO SPOILERS HERE!

I am usually very careful about spending money - and if it is a book, then most of the time, I borrow from the library first, then decide if I want it. Then try and find a secondhand copy...But not with this one - I preordered [as my delayed plane sat on the tarmac at Stansted last week - it made me feel much happier, and helped calm my fear-of-flying]

Julia does not disappoint [and Axel's illustrations are really good] Twenty years after the mouse first stepped out into the deep, dark wood, the story continues. It is witty, and clever, and full of the wonderful rhyming couplets which are Ms Donaldson's forte. And I love it! I opened the book, and read it through [out loud] whilst Bob was trying to concentrate on something else.
The book is dedicated to her husband, who died two years ago. [he was, by all accounts, a lovely man. A paediatric consultant, his young patients called him Dr Gruffalo]

Thank you Julia - I shall read this to the grandchildren, and anybody else who expresses the slightest interest. Definitely 5 stars

*****

Did It Work?

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Last week, I shared my Sudoku Packing Plan. The idea was to take a selection of separates which would combine to make various outfits. Did it work? Mostly yes. But there were a few mistakes.

• I hadn't realised it would be so hot or that I'd spend so much time I  the pool. One, not two, pairs of trousers would have worked along with the shorts [see below].
• I took a pair of brand new shoes, and developed a blister.
• Having use of a washing machine meant I could have managed with far less underwear and fewer  tops. 
• I never wore the blue sarong/scarf at all. 
• I somehow only packed one pair of socks, but Bob let me borrow a pair of his trainer socks

Good things

• At the last minute I tucked  my shorts in the case. These got worn a lot. 
• I was able to create various outfits - very satisfying. 
• The lightweight cotton robe [for breakfast in pj's, or sitting round the pool] was quite superfluous, worn once.
• The folding M&S sun hat and CS baseball cap both got a lot of use
• The jewellery suggested by my Family  Fashion Advisers meant I could dress things up or down.

I realised I was feeling more confident about my shape than I've been for ages, even though I weigh a little more than I'd like. So I splashed out on a new bikini. I have not had a bikini since 1978!
Wendy took me to her three favourite clothes stores- I came away with a smart top [on my wardrobe wishlist] and a cool linen-mix dress [to wear next time I visit Cyprus?!] She is very persuasive! 

Bob bought a lightweight cotton collarless shirt, cooler than his teeshirts [both in fabric and styling!]. His fleece remained unworn until we got back to England in driving rain, in the early hours of Friday morning.

Main lessons learned 

• I hadn't allowed for the hot weather, which made it was so easy to wash and dry things. Wendy was really helpful, and so I was able to do a final wash first thing on Thursday morning, and therefore had a suitcase full of clean clothes to bring home!
• Next time I go, I will pack two or three dresses - although my trousers were linen, and elasticated waist, they still felt quite hot. My long skirt was cool and breezy.
  

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I will use this method again. 

Other holiday pictures to follow later... 

A Stitch In Time?

Except 24 years is quite a long time for starting&finishing a project! Back in 2002 we were on holiday in Florida with another couple, all paid for by Argos [long story, 4 places won in Prize Draw, and they kindly invited us to join them] 

As we strolled through the huge Mall, I saw a Victoria's Secret store. I grabbed Kathryn's arm "Come on! I've always wanted a garment from this shop!" There was a lot of interesting lingerie, some of it quite attractive. Most of it too expensive. But there in the sale section was a grey nightie sealed in a bag, for $5. It said "Medium" and on the front was embroidered a n g e l in pink.

 "I shall take it home and stitch the final A to make Angela" I declared. I have worn that night frequently ever since. It has taken me till last week to do this task! 

Better late than never! I am pleased with my hand stitching though.

I love this garment, it is really cool in hot weather. But it measures 28" across the bust! Does a 56" chest really count as Medium in the USA? 

What is your longest WIP? (Work in progress)

They have a store in Norwich now - but I don't imagine I shall ever buy anything in there!

Blinkin' Blogger!!

 All good herein Cyprus. Blogger will let me post your comments but not reply to them. SORRY 

A Bit Of A Puzzle

I love puzzles, and do a daily killer sudoku each morning - a 3 x 3 grid into which I have to fit numbers. But this week I have done a different sudoku challenge- one for packing my suitcase! We are going on holiday to Cyprus. I needed to pack the minimal number of garments for the week. Following the example of my daughters I've used the sudoku method. You choose 9 garments which will combine to make 27 outfits. 3 tops, 3 bottoms, 3 pairs of shoes = 3 x 3 x 3 =27

I looked at what was in my wardrobe, and decided that I did not need 3 pairs of shoes - trainers and sandals would be fine. I also wanted to avoid strappy tops- it may be hot, but if we visit local churches, it is respectful to have covered shoulders. I'm definitely 'coastal grandmother' looking at the stuff in my wardrobe

Blues and whites abound. But I am not taking jeans. They are currently way too snug for hot weather. I don't want shorts. This was what I've ended up with-
4 tops - white linen, white cotton tee, blue cotton tee, striped tee

3 bottoms - blue linen trousers, pale blue/white stripe linen trousers, cotton pattern skirt,

2 shoes - sandals and trainers [the latter for clambering over ruins etc]
This should be 4 x 3 x 2 = 24.

Plenty for a week [not that I'd wear the stripes with the floral skirt] 

But I did add an extra outfit for fancy evenings out, a new black cotton maxi dress with heeled blue shoes, and silver accessories [chosen by Liz and Rosie] and a blue cardi in case it gets breezy [ suggested by Steph] 

Plus of course sunhat, pjs, and swimsuit [and underwear] 

The only item specially purchased for this trip was the dress- and that was paid for with my M&S reward vouchers. 

Have you ever used the Sudoku packing method?
Do you buy new clothes for your holiday?

A Case In Point

I remember many years ago reading an article in a magazine about packing to go on holiday. It said this:
Put EVERY thing you think you need on the bed
[clothes, toiletries, personal stuff etc]
Now put HALF of it away again.
You only need 50% of what you first thought.

I think I must have taken this to heart down the years, because when I begin my packing these days, I am thinking minimally from the get-go. I try to pack as little as possible.

Another 'tip' I came across was this :
If you are holidaying in the UK, wear trousers for travel, pack underwear for the remaining days and use a small case. Then pop into a charity shop and buy a dress and a couple of tops. Swap these around through your stay. On the last day, put all but your underwear and travel outfit into a bag, and give it back to the CS

That tip may make for very minimal luggage - but raises too many questions - do you give back the stuff unwashed? What if the top is now damaged? If you fall in love with the dress, how do you fit it into your small bag?

In the past few years, we've rarely had holidays 'away' - we just came to Cornerstones. Since retirement, our trips have been in the UK by car [plenty of luggage room] and our one Paris trip [by train]  was brief and we had minimal packing [as we did in the days of motorbike holidays - three pairs of knickers and a tin of soap, and not much more] But this year, now Bob's back has been treated, and we are flying abroad. So what's essential in my luggage? 
Passport and tickets [keep copies of all important info on my phone as well]
Prescription medications [so many pills...] which should be kept in the original boxes. Customs may refuse plastic bags with strips of meds which have been trimmed to just the 7 days worth, as they cannot be identified. 
Technology - phones, tablets, headphones, charging leads, travel plugs. 
Toiletries -toothbrush, hairbrush, suncream etc [I have treated myself to some little bottles for decanting shampoo etc] 
Random useful bits pen, bite-zapper, tweezers, mini-sewing kit, lightweight fold-up tote
Clothes and shoes - a hat, underwear, swimwear, and a 'capsule' wardrobe
And not much else!

Bob has never quite got over the shock of seeing me unpack teabags, mugs and a flask on our honeymoon in Yorkshire [I was so thrifty, I wasn't paying for cups of tea in Betty's!] These days when I pack, he will watch me and say something like  "They do sell tea in Kent, you know..."
My Son In Law Gaz gave me a very useful tip - if you are staying in a hotel, [especially abroad, or in an unfamiliar city] grab one of the cards from the reception desk and tuck it in your bag or pocket. That way if you go out for the evening and want to get a cab back, you can easily show the driver the correct details. 

What are the essentials in your suitcase? 
What have I forgotten in my list?

Coffee And A Danish?

Thank you to everyone who has recommended The Sommerdahl Murders on Channel 4 'Walter Presents'. We are slowly working our way through the 5 series and enjoying the show. It has really made me want to visit Denmark! Last year, Rosie went on a brief city-break to Copenhagen with Liz, and loved it. 
When I visit new places, the three things that interest me most are the people, the history and the food. 

Denmark ranks 5th in the world for 'coffee consumption per capita' - with a consumption of 3.7 cups daily. [Belgian is 9th, at 2.9 cups. Bob is definitely half Flemish] The phrase 'coffee and a Danish' is so common now. Bizarrely the name for 'a Danish pastry' in Denmark, Norway and Sweden is wienerbrød  which means Viennese Pastry - apparently the recipe was brought to Denmark by Austrian Bakers. However in Austria, they call it Copenhagener Plunder. Crazy!

And as for Smørrebrød, which Danes consider a national dish, that's a whole other etymological minefield. I'm more used to the Swedish term smörgåsbord. Bob told me that this word means butter-goose-bread. I checked it out, and it does. But only if you break it into three. Smörgås  means lump-of-butter. [I mean, we wouldn't translate car-pet into French as auto-chouchou would we?] Smørrebrød and smörgåsbord both mean buttered bread'

Well, now I am just keen to go over there and try some of this stuff sometime [the food, not the crime!]

Initially I thought the O on this poster was a potato [Brunede Kartofler is their popular Christmas dish of caramelised potatoes, which sounds delicious] But closer inspection revealed it to be just a fingerprint!

There's A Mouse In The House!

 

On Saturday, the final full day of their Norfolk holiday, Liz suggested we did the Museum Open Day. So we did. Mouse crafts, Mouse Hunt, and much more mousiness - Rosie spotted that the mice were all wearing the hats and scarves I'd been knitting before the holidays. A volunteer I'd not met before thanked me for all my mouse-making. Then I walked with the girls in p to Starbucks where Liz was waiting. A long cool drink was very welcome.

Do you like their Mouse Ears? 

Not Exactly The Tardis!

A request from Manchester"When we get Norfolk, please can Grandad build us a time machine ?" No challenge is ignored by my Shedman. He worked out a design using the L-shaped box which had contained the new IKEA armchair. Bob explained to me there would be a seat inside, with a control panel and joy stick, plus a curtain to shield the eyes of the passengers whilst in flight. [I found suitable fabric for that] We printed off some stickers to personalize the box. And there would be a selection of items in boxes in the summerhouse - costumes, hats, crowns, wigs, flags, water pistols and bubble swords. 

The time travellers climbed into the machine, and the curtain came down. To give the impression of "Time Travel", a portable speaker played the proper Vworp!Vworp! noises and other ethereal music , whilst the everyone else dressed up in random costumes to represent different times and places. Then the curtain lifted and the traveller met them- friends [with bubble swords] foes [water pistols] or flag wavers [either cheering or demonstrating - who knows?]

Utter madness and mayhem, much fun had by all - Jacob was particularly taken with the red curly wig and the Captain Kirk wig. Jess enjoyed being a Chinese flag waver.  Steph wore capes and hats - I have no idea who I was meant to be. The bubble wands were by far the most successful accessory [£2 each, a bargain] We had a couple of days of riotous fun dressing up, brandishing weapons, and declaiming...

A box of costumes, and a reclaimed cardboard box gave us hours of fun. It was good to watch the boys decorating the box before the others arrived, and amusing to hear them all role playing their characters. And the cousins were so good at taking turns inside the time machine. But that was all over a week ago. The costumes are packed away, the boys are back inn Manchester and the time machine will be going into the recycling bin. If TARDIS means "Time and Relative Dimension in Space" what is ours called? 

How about TIC-TAC ?
"Transportation In Cardboard - Timetravel At Cornerstones"  ?

Parliamentary Matters

Did you know that the collective noun for a group of owls is a parliament?  And furthermore, did you know that every year, 4th August is celebrated as International Owl Awareness Day?  I knew the first, but only learned the second fact this week 

And I discovered it yesterday in Holt. This lovely Georgian Market Town, boasts an "Owl Trail". You can walk round the town and find 24 plaques at interesting sites. The name comes from the ancient legend that some local men found an owl. They put it in the town Pound for safe keeping, whereupon it promptly flew away! 

There aren't too many owls in the town centre nowadays, but you may spot them in nearby Holt Country Park. We went up to Holt to meet my dear blogfriend Kezzie and her husband. We had a lovely lunch together in the Owl Tea Rooms. 

It was such fun to chat together in person. The husbands got on well too. I'm always anxious before I meet up with a blogfriend that our "other halves" might be bored. I am so grateful that this hasn't ever happened. 

Kezzie has been a good friend for a long time -  when I was running 'Grandma's Nursery for Rosie in lockdown, she sent me some great ideas for music lessons. When cousin Gill died, she came over to Romford and took me out for a much needed coffee break. And I love being involved in helping construct her Whovian Cosplay outfits.Thank you K&C for a super time together, and a great lunch. It was kind of you both to take time out from your family holiday to connect. 
The cheerful waiter took a photo for us 

Then we all put on our hats, ready to leave, and decided we needed a 'hat-pic' too!