The last few days it has felt very hot and humid. Yes, we expect this in Cyprus during the Summer, particularly in July, but that doesn't make it any pleasanter! Even at 6.30 in the morning I feel as if I'm damp all over, just walking downstairs to the kitchen. There's a cool breeze outside when I open the windows... but I still feel sticky. I do housework and other chores more-or-less first thing, peel off my clothes and step into the shower around 9am ... and then, even after I'm theoretically dry, still feel damp.
The weather site tells me it's currently 32C, which doesn't sound too hot. But the humidity is 75%, and apparently it 'feels like' 42C. I can believe it.
Air conditioning, of course, makes a huge difference since it reduces the humidity as well as the heat. We run ours at 28C, which seems to be the ideal temperature. Computers don't function well over 30C, but they're fine at 28. People also don't function well much over 30C! I know some people run their a/c much cooler, but if we do that (a) it's much more expensive (b) it feels much worse when going into another room or outside if the difference is more than a few degrees.
So we run the bedroom a/c overnight - sometimes switching it off automatically at midnight, if it's not too humid - and during the day we run it when needed in certain rooms that we're in. My study has a/c on from about 10am until I've finished with the computer in the evening. Tim uses his bedroom one, sometimes, if he's reading or working in there. I run the kitchen one when I'm cooking, and we sometimes run the dining-room one when eating. We're very thankful to have so many units - at the other house we had only one, in the living/dining room.
I spent most of the weekend reading the latest Harry Potter. Tim began it on Friday, and finished it Saturday morning. He reckoned it took him about seven hours. I don't read as fast as he does; I think it took me about ten hours, in all. What an amazing book it was, too. There was Christian symbolism sprinkled throughout, particularly in the ending.
If anyone's interested in knowing more of my thoughts about it, there are plenty of them on my other blogs: a review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at my books blog, and some lengthy ramblings about Harry Potter as a Christian allegory at my abstractions blog, which gives links to several even longer articles on the topic.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
It's arrived!
Tim walked to the beach for a swim this afternoon. He had a quick look in the PO Box, not expecting anything... and there it was. He decided that reading was more important than swimming, at least for today:
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Bi-coloured bougainvillea
We had a lot of success with bougainvilleas at our other house. But the cuttings I made before we moved all died. So on one of our plant-buying expeditions we chose a small bougainvillea. It had a few deep pink bracts, like the huge one at the front of our old house.
Bougainvilleas don't need a lot of care - a bit of water, plenty of sunshine, and lots of neglect. Just my kind of plant, in fact. And sure enough, although the pink bracts fell off fairly quickly, the new one sprouted new leaves and has kept growing in several directions.
A couple of weeks ago I was surprised to see that it had produced white bracts:
I thought I must have been mistaken about the deep pink, but wasn't worried. They were rather attractive, anyway, and I knew we would probably buy another bougainvillea at some point.
Then, about a week ago, having neglected the plant other than the occasional water, I was amazed to see that there were indeed deep pink bracts as well as the white ones. Indeed, the white ones seemed to have turned into a very pale pink:
But there are definitely two clear colours on one plant. Very odd. I've previously assumed that when two colours of bougainvillea were showing entwined on a large plant that it was two individual plants growing together - but perhaps not.
Attractive, anyway.
Bougainvilleas don't need a lot of care - a bit of water, plenty of sunshine, and lots of neglect. Just my kind of plant, in fact. And sure enough, although the pink bracts fell off fairly quickly, the new one sprouted new leaves and has kept growing in several directions.
A couple of weeks ago I was surprised to see that it had produced white bracts:
I thought I must have been mistaken about the deep pink, but wasn't worried. They were rather attractive, anyway, and I knew we would probably buy another bougainvillea at some point.
Then, about a week ago, having neglected the plant other than the occasional water, I was amazed to see that there were indeed deep pink bracts as well as the white ones. Indeed, the white ones seemed to have turned into a very pale pink:
But there are definitely two clear colours on one plant. Very odd. I've previously assumed that when two colours of bougainvillea were showing entwined on a large plant that it was two individual plants growing together - but perhaps not.
Attractive, anyway.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Harry Potter... Cyprus time
'Cyprus time' is a concept people learn about rapidly once they've lived here awhile. It's a warm Mediterranean culture, not far from the Middle East. So people are relaxed, and get around to things gradually. Time is relative. If a show is billed to begin at 8.00pm, it will probably start at around 8.15pm, and if anyone complains they're told, with a shrug, 'It's eight o'clock Cyprus time'.
It's not just about things starting on time, either. If a workman says he'll come 'tomorrow' he actually means 'some day in the future that isn't today'. The word αυριο (pronounced, approximately, AV-ree-oh) is often translated as 'tomorrow' but has a much broader meaning than we understand by the word.
We've got used to it. There are some companies and workmen who have learned a more European way of thinking about time, and others who haven't. No point worrying about it. Our blood pressure is much healthier when we relax and think in Cyprus time. With mobile phones being so popular, anyone delivering something will phone when he's en route anyway, to check we are in. So we don't sit in for days, fuming; we just live life as normal until the phone call comes. Even then, if we're not in, we can arrange another flexible time.
A couple of weeks ago, I ordered - along with countless millions of others around the world - the newest Harry Potter book. Bookshops here don't usually get hardback books at all, and certainly not on publication date. Besides which, they usually charge the sterling recommended retail price... in Cyprus pounds! In other words, a book like this with RRP of £17.99 (sterling) would cost £17.99 CY - which, at the current exchange rate, is about £20.80 sterling. No doubt some ardent fans would pay that much, but we much prefer to pay £9.99 sterling (postage free) from Play.com.
So, we didn't expect it to be here until well after the publication date. But last week, I checked my Play.com account, and was startled to see that the book had, apparently, been dispatched on 13th July! They do allow ten days for things to arrive in Europe, but generally it's less than a week. So we wondered if we might actually get it in advance of the publication date. After all, even if there was a note on the envelope saying 'not to be delivered until after 21st July' we didn't think anyone would take any notice of it, not in Cyprus.
So, we checked the PO Box on Wednesday morning, before we went away. I then left the key with Tim, who walked down to check it on Thursday. We checked it again on Friday, and even drove down on Saturday, despite the fact that the Post Office isn't even open on Saturday so if it had arrived, it wouldn't have reached our box.
No Harry Potter book.
This morning, Tim walked down again.
Still no book.
I looked in my Play.com account, and this time it said it that it was posted on July 20th. A week after it had, supposedly, 'dispatched'. So perhaps the 'dispatch' note merely meant that it was in its envelope, addressed, and awaiting postage.
I doubt if it will be here before Thursday, now. Which, of course, is approximately 21st July, Cyprus time.
PS if anyone reads this with shock, convinced that Christians don't read Harry Potter, please also read this article from Christianity Today, which is an interesting set of suggestions about what might happen in the seventh book, and has a link at the end to a thoughtful blog post about it too. However, if you have already read the book, I don't want to know whether any of these suggestions are accurate or not!
It's not just about things starting on time, either. If a workman says he'll come 'tomorrow' he actually means 'some day in the future that isn't today'. The word αυριο (pronounced, approximately, AV-ree-oh) is often translated as 'tomorrow' but has a much broader meaning than we understand by the word.
We've got used to it. There are some companies and workmen who have learned a more European way of thinking about time, and others who haven't. No point worrying about it. Our blood pressure is much healthier when we relax and think in Cyprus time. With mobile phones being so popular, anyone delivering something will phone when he's en route anyway, to check we are in. So we don't sit in for days, fuming; we just live life as normal until the phone call comes. Even then, if we're not in, we can arrange another flexible time.
A couple of weeks ago, I ordered - along with countless millions of others around the world - the newest Harry Potter book. Bookshops here don't usually get hardback books at all, and certainly not on publication date. Besides which, they usually charge the sterling recommended retail price... in Cyprus pounds! In other words, a book like this with RRP of £17.99 (sterling) would cost £17.99 CY - which, at the current exchange rate, is about £20.80 sterling. No doubt some ardent fans would pay that much, but we much prefer to pay £9.99 sterling (postage free) from Play.com.
So, we didn't expect it to be here until well after the publication date. But last week, I checked my Play.com account, and was startled to see that the book had, apparently, been dispatched on 13th July! They do allow ten days for things to arrive in Europe, but generally it's less than a week. So we wondered if we might actually get it in advance of the publication date. After all, even if there was a note on the envelope saying 'not to be delivered until after 21st July' we didn't think anyone would take any notice of it, not in Cyprus.
So, we checked the PO Box on Wednesday morning, before we went away. I then left the key with Tim, who walked down to check it on Thursday. We checked it again on Friday, and even drove down on Saturday, despite the fact that the Post Office isn't even open on Saturday so if it had arrived, it wouldn't have reached our box.
No Harry Potter book.
This morning, Tim walked down again.
Still no book.
I looked in my Play.com account, and this time it said it that it was posted on July 20th. A week after it had, supposedly, 'dispatched'. So perhaps the 'dispatch' note merely meant that it was in its envelope, addressed, and awaiting postage.
I doubt if it will be here before Thursday, now. Which, of course, is approximately 21st July, Cyprus time.
PS if anyone reads this with shock, convinced that Christians don't read Harry Potter, please also read this article from Christianity Today, which is an interesting set of suggestions about what might happen in the seventh book, and has a link at the end to a thoughtful blog post about it too. However, if you have already read the book, I don't want to know whether any of these suggestions are accurate or not!
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Kakopetria break
On Thursday, it was our 27th wedding anniversary. Richard had been feeling a bit overwhelmed with work, and over-tired, and I had been feeling tired with the heat and humidity. So he decided it would be nice to go away for a couple of days, into the mountains. Many people in Cyprus go to the mountains for the summer; they aren't always cooler, but the humidity is considerably lower.
He booked us into the Mill Hotel in Kakopetria, a small village in the Troodos mountains, on the recommendation of some friends who had recently stayed there. It took about an hour and a quarter to get there, going towards Nicosia and then Troodos. Much nicer roads than going to Troodos out of Limassol!
It wasn't too hard to find, and turned out to be very pleasant, with enormous rooms and a stunning view over the valley from our balcony.
It wasn't actually any cooler than Larnaka - the temperature gauge in the village told us it was 36C - but it felt much nicer due to the dryness, and by evening it felt pleasantly cool. There was no air conditioning in the bedrooms, just a ceiling fan, and that was fine. We were a bit surprised to see that there were very few other visitors in the hotel - only six tables were set in the dining room for breakfast! - despite a huge staff, and excellent service.
We walked around the village - just a few shops and houses - and found the 'bad rock' after which the village of Kakopetria is named:
Not exactly a cheerful story: apparently Pagan customs mixed with Christianity in Cyprus, several hundred years ago. A newly-married couple were celebrating their marriage by dancing around a huge rock to Aphrodite, goddess of love, who (legend had it) was born in Cyprus. The rock fell and crushed them. The rock now takes a place of honour and has a village named after it...
We drove the 16km into Troodos on the morning of our anniversary, and were pleased to find that the road works of previous years had finally gone. Not that there's very much in the village: a small grocery store, a children's playground, and several tourist stalls selling souvenirs, sweets, and so on. Oh, and a couple of small restaurants. We had some cold drinks, and browsed the stalls but didn't buy anything. It was definitely cooler in Troodos, even though it's not much higher than Kakopetria.
It only gradually occurred to us that the general view didn't look very Cypriot. This is partly because it's so green - in the mountains there doesn't seem to be any lack of water - and partly because the houses don't have water tanks and solar panels on the rooftops:
All in all, it was a lovely break - although Larnaka felt all the more humid when we got back yesterday morning.
He booked us into the Mill Hotel in Kakopetria, a small village in the Troodos mountains, on the recommendation of some friends who had recently stayed there. It took about an hour and a quarter to get there, going towards Nicosia and then Troodos. Much nicer roads than going to Troodos out of Limassol!
It wasn't too hard to find, and turned out to be very pleasant, with enormous rooms and a stunning view over the valley from our balcony.
It wasn't actually any cooler than Larnaka - the temperature gauge in the village told us it was 36C - but it felt much nicer due to the dryness, and by evening it felt pleasantly cool. There was no air conditioning in the bedrooms, just a ceiling fan, and that was fine. We were a bit surprised to see that there were very few other visitors in the hotel - only six tables were set in the dining room for breakfast! - despite a huge staff, and excellent service.
We walked around the village - just a few shops and houses - and found the 'bad rock' after which the village of Kakopetria is named:
Not exactly a cheerful story: apparently Pagan customs mixed with Christianity in Cyprus, several hundred years ago. A newly-married couple were celebrating their marriage by dancing around a huge rock to Aphrodite, goddess of love, who (legend had it) was born in Cyprus. The rock fell and crushed them. The rock now takes a place of honour and has a village named after it...
We drove the 16km into Troodos on the morning of our anniversary, and were pleased to find that the road works of previous years had finally gone. Not that there's very much in the village: a small grocery store, a children's playground, and several tourist stalls selling souvenirs, sweets, and so on. Oh, and a couple of small restaurants. We had some cold drinks, and browsed the stalls but didn't buy anything. It was definitely cooler in Troodos, even though it's not much higher than Kakopetria.
It only gradually occurred to us that the general view didn't look very Cypriot. This is partly because it's so green - in the mountains there doesn't seem to be any lack of water - and partly because the houses don't have water tanks and solar panels on the rooftops:
All in all, it was a lovely break - although Larnaka felt all the more humid when we got back yesterday morning.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
New York... in Cyprus?
Mostly, we have our main cooked meals in the evenings. On Sundays, however, Tim likes a traditional British-style roast meal, so generally he cooks it for us.
However, Cyprus summers are hot and humid, and even with air conditioning, he doesn't necessarily feel like cooking during July and August. So sometimes Richard pops out to New York to pick up a ready-roasted chicken, which we eat with french bread and salad (unless Tim has decided to roast some potatoes and cook some broccoli).
Of course, it puzzles some of our visitors when we say Richard will pop to New York... but we've been here so long that, like other locals here in Larnaka, we refer to our favourite take-away place, not the city in the USA. It does have a fake statue of liberty outside:
.. but the food doesn't seem to be very American, other than (perhaps) the excellent roasted chickens. They also serve a variety of pasta dishes, a few vegetarian options such as cauliflower cheese, and various vegetables. It's a very hot place - they don't seem to use any air conditioning - but the staff are efficient and helpful, and the food excellent.
Today, Tim was invited out to lunch with some friends, so Richard and I decided to have something different from roast chicken. We settled on moussaka, which is decidedly Cypriot, or at least Greek. And some salads, which are sold in little tubs in the fridge.
It was excellent, too.
However, Cyprus summers are hot and humid, and even with air conditioning, he doesn't necessarily feel like cooking during July and August. So sometimes Richard pops out to New York to pick up a ready-roasted chicken, which we eat with french bread and salad (unless Tim has decided to roast some potatoes and cook some broccoli).
Of course, it puzzles some of our visitors when we say Richard will pop to New York... but we've been here so long that, like other locals here in Larnaka, we refer to our favourite take-away place, not the city in the USA. It does have a fake statue of liberty outside:
.. but the food doesn't seem to be very American, other than (perhaps) the excellent roasted chickens. They also serve a variety of pasta dishes, a few vegetarian options such as cauliflower cheese, and various vegetables. It's a very hot place - they don't seem to use any air conditioning - but the staff are efficient and helpful, and the food excellent.
Today, Tim was invited out to lunch with some friends, so Richard and I decided to have something different from roast chicken. We settled on moussaka, which is decidedly Cypriot, or at least Greek. And some salads, which are sold in little tubs in the fridge.
It was excellent, too.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Sophia, the organised cat, strikes again....
On most Friday evenings through the year, a church house group meets in our home. We have a meal together (different people bringing different parts), we chat and socialise and pray around the dining room table, and then we move through to the living room to have an informal Bible study. We chose Friday evening when the group started a few years ago because it's Youth Group night; so Tim is usually out. We start the meal around 6.30 and usually finish the Bible study around 9pm or a little later.
Yesterday there was no Youth Group, so Tim had something to eat with us, then went upstairs to catch up with his email while we had the rest of the meeting. Sophia, our highly scheduled cat, usually appears from wherever she was sleeping as we go through to the living room. The owner of her favourite lap is in the UK at present. After sniffing everyone's legs to ensure he wasn't there, she opted for my lap as second best, and ensured my attention was at least partly on her for the next hour.
By about 9.30pm everyone had left, and Richard then had to pop back to the office to switch something off. As he went out, Sophia asked to go out, too. I assumed she would wait for Richard, and come in when he returned. He got back about half an hour later, but she was sitting on the window ledge by the front door and refused to come in.
We don't mind if our cats are out all night - there's no cat door, and only Cleo has figured out how to get up to the next storey to get in by the small bathroom window - but Sophia is a very vocal cat. If she gets shut out when she doesn't want to be, she mews to let us know. Her mew gets louder and louder, sufficient to wake us up. So, since her current routine is to sleep on my legs at night, we didn't really want her to stay out. But she refused to come in for me, or for Richard.
Inspiration struck. She was evidently waiting for Tim to get back from Youth Group (which can be any time from about 10pm until midnight or even later). She hadn't noticed that he was in the house all evening, since he wasn't with us during the Bible study.
So Richard asked Tim to let Sophia know he was home... and sure enough, as soon as he opened the door and called her, she came straight in, acknowledged his presence, and then came up to sleep on my legs as usual.
Yesterday there was no Youth Group, so Tim had something to eat with us, then went upstairs to catch up with his email while we had the rest of the meeting. Sophia, our highly scheduled cat, usually appears from wherever she was sleeping as we go through to the living room. The owner of her favourite lap is in the UK at present. After sniffing everyone's legs to ensure he wasn't there, she opted for my lap as second best, and ensured my attention was at least partly on her for the next hour.
By about 9.30pm everyone had left, and Richard then had to pop back to the office to switch something off. As he went out, Sophia asked to go out, too. I assumed she would wait for Richard, and come in when he returned. He got back about half an hour later, but she was sitting on the window ledge by the front door and refused to come in.
We don't mind if our cats are out all night - there's no cat door, and only Cleo has figured out how to get up to the next storey to get in by the small bathroom window - but Sophia is a very vocal cat. If she gets shut out when she doesn't want to be, she mews to let us know. Her mew gets louder and louder, sufficient to wake us up. So, since her current routine is to sleep on my legs at night, we didn't really want her to stay out. But she refused to come in for me, or for Richard.
Inspiration struck. She was evidently waiting for Tim to get back from Youth Group (which can be any time from about 10pm until midnight or even later). She hadn't noticed that he was in the house all evening, since he wasn't with us during the Bible study.
So Richard asked Tim to let Sophia know he was home... and sure enough, as soon as he opened the door and called her, she came straight in, acknowledged his presence, and then came up to sleep on my legs as usual.
Friday, July 13, 2007
An uncommon concept for Cyprus
Richard was in a local computer shop today, where he buys things for work fairly often. As he was about to leave, the assistant (who speaks no English) remembered that he didn't have a receipt for what he was buying, so she started to produce one.
Richard commented to the owner (a bilingual English-Cypriot) that it was a good thing he had such an efficient assistant, since he would have totally forgotten that he didn't have the receipt.
The owner started translating this comment into Greek for the benefit of the assistant... only to stop after a few words, looking puzzled.
He turned to Richard, and said, 'I don't think I know a Greek word meaning "efficient"!'
(Probably only people who have lived in Mediterranean/Middle Eastern countries will understand the irony of this...)
Richard commented to the owner (a bilingual English-Cypriot) that it was a good thing he had such an efficient assistant, since he would have totally forgotten that he didn't have the receipt.
The owner started translating this comment into Greek for the benefit of the assistant... only to stop after a few words, looking puzzled.
He turned to Richard, and said, 'I don't think I know a Greek word meaning "efficient"!'
(Probably only people who have lived in Mediterranean/Middle Eastern countries will understand the irony of this...)
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Larnaka beach in the evening
We've had two friends from the UK staying in our guest flat for the past fortnight - a mother and daughter. Both helping - greatly - at Richard's office. They've been coming home for lunch and evenings with us, and I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by.
On Monday evening they took us out for a meal at our favourite sea-front restaurant, Alexander's, and afterwards we walked along the beach a short way, the (probably vain) hope of reducing the calorific effect of the meal. There were a few people still out there: reading peacefully, or building sandcastles, or dipping in the sea in the cool (relatively speaking) of the evening.
We don't get much of a sunset here in Cyprus, with so few clouds, but the effect as the sun went down was still quite pretty:
On Monday evening they took us out for a meal at our favourite sea-front restaurant, Alexander's, and afterwards we walked along the beach a short way, the (probably vain) hope of reducing the calorific effect of the meal. There were a few people still out there: reading peacefully, or building sandcastles, or dipping in the sea in the cool (relatively speaking) of the evening.
We don't get much of a sunset here in Cyprus, with so few clouds, but the effect as the sun went down was still quite pretty:
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Cyprus bats
It was almost a year ago (well, eleven months anyway) when we had an adventure with a bat in our bedroom.
We thought it was just a one-off oddity - after all, in nearly nine years at our previous house, where our garden had a huge tree with bats nesting in it (and flying around over the garden at dusk every evening) we never had a bat come inside.
So I was a bit surprised - and horrified - on Saturday morning to discover a half-eaten bat on the floor of the living room when I came downstairs, guarded by two of our cats. Poor little thing. I assumed one of them must have caught it, while exploring the neighbouring rooftops, and brought it inside.
Then on Sunday morning, Tim noticed yet another bat, clinging to the living room air conditioner. It was a very small one:
It was obviously alive, since it moved position very slowly through the day. We thought it best to leave it there while the sun was out, assuming it was asleep anyway. It didn't even notice when we switched the air conditioning on in the afternoon - but then the air doesn't blow from those vents. The bat probably felt nice and cool.
In the evening, Richard opened one of the windows, and managed to catch the bat in his hand and put it outside on the window ledge. It stayed where he had put it for a few minutes, perhaps a bit traumatised, or maybe just waking up. However, an hour or so later it had flown away.
We don't have any trees here so we've no idea how this bat got in the house - but at least it's now free again.
We thought it was just a one-off oddity - after all, in nearly nine years at our previous house, where our garden had a huge tree with bats nesting in it (and flying around over the garden at dusk every evening) we never had a bat come inside.
So I was a bit surprised - and horrified - on Saturday morning to discover a half-eaten bat on the floor of the living room when I came downstairs, guarded by two of our cats. Poor little thing. I assumed one of them must have caught it, while exploring the neighbouring rooftops, and brought it inside.
Then on Sunday morning, Tim noticed yet another bat, clinging to the living room air conditioner. It was a very small one:
It was obviously alive, since it moved position very slowly through the day. We thought it best to leave it there while the sun was out, assuming it was asleep anyway. It didn't even notice when we switched the air conditioning on in the afternoon - but then the air doesn't blow from those vents. The bat probably felt nice and cool.
In the evening, Richard opened one of the windows, and managed to catch the bat in his hand and put it outside on the window ledge. It stayed where he had put it for a few minutes, perhaps a bit traumatised, or maybe just waking up. However, an hour or so later it had flown away.
We don't have any trees here so we've no idea how this bat got in the house - but at least it's now free again.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Buying fruit in Cyprus
When we moved here, in 1997, we bought our fruit at the supermarket, when we did our weekly shop once a week. As we tended to in the UK.
Friends told us that there were some lovely 'froutaria' shops - greengrocers, as we would call them in the UK - and sure enough I found one that was excellent, and would go there perhaps once a week for extra fresh fruit and veg.
Then it closed down.
When we moved, last year, we found a very close fruit shop - just two minutes' walk from our house. It was useful when I'd run out of onions or lettuce mid-week, but the prices didn't seem great, the produce wasn't really as good as that in the supermarket, and - worst of all - despite no-smoking signs everywhere, I saw several men with lighted cigarettes in the shop, and no attempt made to stop them. Ugh. At least smoking in supermarkets seems to have been banned in the past five or six years.
Friends told us that there was a much nicer froutaria a little further away, but it took me a while to try it. Now I'm hooked. I go there usually twice a week, first thing in the morning during the summer (it opens at 7am).
There are always lots of reduced fruit and vegetables outside, as shown in this picture. I assume they're the previous days' produce, since they're always in good condition, and the prices are amazing. Inside, the shop is air conditioned, usually pretty full of Cypriots (always a good sign) and the quality and selection of produce is superb. In addition, there's a refrigerated section with milk, lunch meats, cheeses (etc) and a few extra items - sugar, salt, some cans, and so on - that would be found in a regular supermarket.
I make freshly squeezed juice every morning, and (during the summer) pure fruit smoothies most afternoons, so this froutaria is very useful, particularly now when there are lots of soft fruit in season, which wouldn't necessarily keep for a whole week if we bought them at the supermarket.
Are they expensive? I get asked that fairly often. The prices vary during the season, they vary from shop to shop, and one person's idea of good value is another person's 'very expensive'. If you're from a country other than Cyprus, a lot depends on the exchange rate too.
But for what it's worth, here's what I bought this morning:
1.25 kg apricots (from the reduced section)
just under 1kg nectarines (from the reduced section)
just over 1kg grapes
0.75 kg black cherries
0.65 kg kiwi fruit
I should add that the black cherries are the most expensive of the lot. They were a whopping £2.99 per kilo. But worth it. The reduced apricots and nectarines cost 69c per kilo. (For those in America, that's about 69 US cents per imperial pound)
The total bill was £6.30. (That's around £7.40 sterling, or $13 US)
Is that expensive compared to other countries at this time of year? I'd be interested to know.
Friends told us that there were some lovely 'froutaria' shops - greengrocers, as we would call them in the UK - and sure enough I found one that was excellent, and would go there perhaps once a week for extra fresh fruit and veg.
Then it closed down.
When we moved, last year, we found a very close fruit shop - just two minutes' walk from our house. It was useful when I'd run out of onions or lettuce mid-week, but the prices didn't seem great, the produce wasn't really as good as that in the supermarket, and - worst of all - despite no-smoking signs everywhere, I saw several men with lighted cigarettes in the shop, and no attempt made to stop them. Ugh. At least smoking in supermarkets seems to have been banned in the past five or six years.
Friends told us that there was a much nicer froutaria a little further away, but it took me a while to try it. Now I'm hooked. I go there usually twice a week, first thing in the morning during the summer (it opens at 7am).
There are always lots of reduced fruit and vegetables outside, as shown in this picture. I assume they're the previous days' produce, since they're always in good condition, and the prices are amazing. Inside, the shop is air conditioned, usually pretty full of Cypriots (always a good sign) and the quality and selection of produce is superb. In addition, there's a refrigerated section with milk, lunch meats, cheeses (etc) and a few extra items - sugar, salt, some cans, and so on - that would be found in a regular supermarket.
I make freshly squeezed juice every morning, and (during the summer) pure fruit smoothies most afternoons, so this froutaria is very useful, particularly now when there are lots of soft fruit in season, which wouldn't necessarily keep for a whole week if we bought them at the supermarket.
Are they expensive? I get asked that fairly often. The prices vary during the season, they vary from shop to shop, and one person's idea of good value is another person's 'very expensive'. If you're from a country other than Cyprus, a lot depends on the exchange rate too.
But for what it's worth, here's what I bought this morning:
1.25 kg apricots (from the reduced section)
just under 1kg nectarines (from the reduced section)
just over 1kg grapes
0.75 kg black cherries
0.65 kg kiwi fruit
I should add that the black cherries are the most expensive of the lot. They were a whopping £2.99 per kilo. But worth it. The reduced apricots and nectarines cost 69c per kilo. (For those in America, that's about 69 US cents per imperial pound)
The total bill was £6.30. (That's around £7.40 sterling, or $13 US)
Is that expensive compared to other countries at this time of year? I'd be interested to know.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Siamese tomato?
When we first came to Cyprus, it was hard to find cherry tomatoes anywhere. We could buy large, rather tasteless tomatoes all year round, and nice fresh (large) tomatoes for a few weeks during the summer. But that was all.
A year or two later, cherry tomatoes appeared during the summer. I'm glad that fruit and vegetables tend to be seasonal, and we enjoyed the fresh, sweet taste most days. But missed them when they vanished from the supermarkets, and we were left with the large tasteless variety.
A few years later still, cherry tomatoes began appearing all year round. Prices varied somewhat, but either Cyprus growers had worked out how to do climate control of some kind, and could produce tomatoes themselves whatever the season, or they were imported some of the year. Sometimes they were better than others, but always better than the large ones.
This week, the local cherry tomatoes are excellent. And we were particularly taken with this one:
No trick, it really is a pair of conjoined cherry tomatoes.
It seemed a pity to eat them, but they wouldn't have survived long, even in the fridge. So, with one cut of my knife I separated them, and very good they were too.
A year or two later, cherry tomatoes appeared during the summer. I'm glad that fruit and vegetables tend to be seasonal, and we enjoyed the fresh, sweet taste most days. But missed them when they vanished from the supermarkets, and we were left with the large tasteless variety.
A few years later still, cherry tomatoes began appearing all year round. Prices varied somewhat, but either Cyprus growers had worked out how to do climate control of some kind, and could produce tomatoes themselves whatever the season, or they were imported some of the year. Sometimes they were better than others, but always better than the large ones.
This week, the local cherry tomatoes are excellent. And we were particularly taken with this one:
No trick, it really is a pair of conjoined cherry tomatoes.
It seemed a pity to eat them, but they wouldn't have survived long, even in the fridge. So, with one cut of my knife I separated them, and very good they were too.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
One year in this house we own in Cyprus
So, today is the anniversary of the day we actually moved into this house. And, similar to last year, the temperature has been decidedly cooler. At 10am this morning it was only 29C. I didn't even use the air conditioning in my study until after lunch, and there's been a pleasant breeze all day. It's funny how much difference a few degrees makes. Cyprus summers are always hot and sunny, but some days are much more bearable than others.
I've now got into my regular Cyprus summer routine. I get up around 6am, or a little earlier, and throw open windows and doors to let in the cool morning air - assuming it IS cool, of course. Ten days ago, during the heatwave (which apparently struck right across South East Europe) it wasn't even cool at 6am. That was draining. But today it was very pleasant indeed. I feed the cats, then drink some herbal tea, read/think/pray/for about forty five minutes, while waking up fully. Then I do the regular housework jobs, make fresh juice for the three of us, and do other things that I spot which need doing. Today I washed our 10-tog double duvet, in a sink that was really much too small for it in our utility area. There's no way it would fit in the washing machine, and the bath is upstairs so I couldn't possibly have carried it down to the line dripping wet. So I did it in sections, then hung it up - and it does look much cleaner. It's not perfect, but much better. I got soaked, but that's OK! I also did some ironing.
Then I have my shower and breakfast, and by about 10am am usually sitting down at the computer having done two or three hours of work around the house. The church mother-and-toddler group closes for July and August, as the hall is far too hot during the Cyprus summers, so I don't have to go out on Tuesday mornings to help at present. On Monday I went to a meeting of the newly formed Christian Writers' Association of Cyprus - only about six of us so far, but greatly encouraging. On Tuesday I walked to the Post Office where I collected two returned essays of Tim's theology course (good passes) and some books for next year's modules. Yesterday I popped around the corner to the local supermarket for a couple of items, one of which wasn't there - and ended up buying several other things. As you do. I wish I'd taken two canvas carrier bags as it was quite heavy carrying just one back with me - plus a plastic supermarket bag, but I avoid using those if I can.
We have guests staying in the guest flat - a mother and daughter, here without the rest of their family (they all came earlier in the year). The daughter has just finished her GCSE exams in the UK, and as she's interested in media studies she's spending time in Richard's office, learning all kinds of new skills - from soldering to painting walls. The mother is an accountant, and has been doing wonderful things, sorting out spreadsheets and year ends, itemising fixed assets (I think I have the phraseology right...) and generally making sense of the muddle that represented much of the accounts. I can do simple bookkeeping but have a complete mental block about accounting and budgeting. Richard understands accounting and budgeting, but forgets all the details. So it's wonderful to have someone who actually likes doing accounts and playing with numbers.
So we have an extra two people at most meals (not breakfasts - guests do their own in the flat!) which is fine. I don't mind cooking, and having a dishwasher means that clearing up after a meal is still a joy rather than a chore. There are lots of youth events happening around now, organised by a team from the USA, so Tim and our friend's daughter are going out to those most evenings.
Tomorrow is our big weekly supermarket shop, then I clean the upstairs of the house and make the beds with clean sheets, and prepare for our evening house group: we have a meal together before the study part of the meeting, each couple bringing one part of the meal. Tomorrow my job is easy - just the salad.
So, another week has almost gone by...
I've now got into my regular Cyprus summer routine. I get up around 6am, or a little earlier, and throw open windows and doors to let in the cool morning air - assuming it IS cool, of course. Ten days ago, during the heatwave (which apparently struck right across South East Europe) it wasn't even cool at 6am. That was draining. But today it was very pleasant indeed. I feed the cats, then drink some herbal tea, read/think/pray/for about forty five minutes, while waking up fully. Then I do the regular housework jobs, make fresh juice for the three of us, and do other things that I spot which need doing. Today I washed our 10-tog double duvet, in a sink that was really much too small for it in our utility area. There's no way it would fit in the washing machine, and the bath is upstairs so I couldn't possibly have carried it down to the line dripping wet. So I did it in sections, then hung it up - and it does look much cleaner. It's not perfect, but much better. I got soaked, but that's OK! I also did some ironing.
Then I have my shower and breakfast, and by about 10am am usually sitting down at the computer having done two or three hours of work around the house. The church mother-and-toddler group closes for July and August, as the hall is far too hot during the Cyprus summers, so I don't have to go out on Tuesday mornings to help at present. On Monday I went to a meeting of the newly formed Christian Writers' Association of Cyprus - only about six of us so far, but greatly encouraging. On Tuesday I walked to the Post Office where I collected two returned essays of Tim's theology course (good passes) and some books for next year's modules. Yesterday I popped around the corner to the local supermarket for a couple of items, one of which wasn't there - and ended up buying several other things. As you do. I wish I'd taken two canvas carrier bags as it was quite heavy carrying just one back with me - plus a plastic supermarket bag, but I avoid using those if I can.
We have guests staying in the guest flat - a mother and daughter, here without the rest of their family (they all came earlier in the year). The daughter has just finished her GCSE exams in the UK, and as she's interested in media studies she's spending time in Richard's office, learning all kinds of new skills - from soldering to painting walls. The mother is an accountant, and has been doing wonderful things, sorting out spreadsheets and year ends, itemising fixed assets (I think I have the phraseology right...) and generally making sense of the muddle that represented much of the accounts. I can do simple bookkeeping but have a complete mental block about accounting and budgeting. Richard understands accounting and budgeting, but forgets all the details. So it's wonderful to have someone who actually likes doing accounts and playing with numbers.
So we have an extra two people at most meals (not breakfasts - guests do their own in the flat!) which is fine. I don't mind cooking, and having a dishwasher means that clearing up after a meal is still a joy rather than a chore. There are lots of youth events happening around now, organised by a team from the USA, so Tim and our friend's daughter are going out to those most evenings.
Tomorrow is our big weekly supermarket shop, then I clean the upstairs of the house and make the beds with clean sheets, and prepare for our evening house group: we have a meal together before the study part of the meeting, each couple bringing one part of the meal. Tomorrow my job is easy - just the salad.
So, another week has almost gone by...
Sunday, July 01, 2007
One year in this house
Yes, incredibly, today is the anniversary of the day we got the keys to this house and began painting.
In some ways it seems as if we've been here much longer than a year. It feels like 'home', and we've had more visitors in the guest flat than in several years at the other house. We don't miss the enormous garden of our other house at all; this one fulfils everything we could possibly have wanted in a house.
At the same time, I wonder where the year has gone... there were various things we planned to do with the house - such as turning part of one of the carports into a garden - that we've barely thought of. We haven't put in a cat door yet, either. Or talked to the architect about legalising the top part of the house, which had planning permission but was never fully completed.
But it's Cyprus.
What's perhaps strangest of all is that Daniel, who's now been away almost eighteen months, still hasn't seen this house other than in photos.
In some ways it seems as if we've been here much longer than a year. It feels like 'home', and we've had more visitors in the guest flat than in several years at the other house. We don't miss the enormous garden of our other house at all; this one fulfils everything we could possibly have wanted in a house.
At the same time, I wonder where the year has gone... there were various things we planned to do with the house - such as turning part of one of the carports into a garden - that we've barely thought of. We haven't put in a cat door yet, either. Or talked to the architect about legalising the top part of the house, which had planning permission but was never fully completed.
But it's Cyprus.
What's perhaps strangest of all is that Daniel, who's now been away almost eighteen months, still hasn't seen this house other than in photos.
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