Tuesday 4 November 2014

November ... Stamina required

My goodness, with November in full swing, stamina is required. I don't quite know how this has happened but life has suddenly become very busy.

Take this week for example. Today is, blessedly, a day to reflect and to blog, and to work on my ebook. Those snakes are taking some writing about! But then, on Wednesday, our dear friends Becky and Pam return from their short break in Limassol. So tomorrow night they are taking us out for dinner. Nothing unusual about that. But on Thursday, we are all invited to Gracie Towers for the evening. David is cooking and I am looking forward to that very much. But the sting in the tail was the kind suggestion that we could all stay the night. Stamina ... and on Friday Becky and Ann are cooking one of Becky's special curries at lunchtime as it is Bingo and Quiz night at The Fly Again.

Wow ... but there is more wow. I was checking in my diary for the time of the England v All Blacks games on Saturday afternoon, and I believe David might be dropping in to watch that with me. Something to look forward to and ... unbelievably ... in the diary was Miki's Nameday Celebration on Saturday evening.

For those of you who do not live in Cyprus the Nameday Celebration to many Cypriots is the most important day of the year. We have been invited to his Nameday for the last two years and it is something else. Wall-to-wall food and drink at Miki's Restaurant for his invited guests, much fun and laughter and John and Jill, our friends from Pomos, and we have been the only non-Cypriot guests there. We feel so privileged to be asked. We did not attend the first one and only realised later what a faux pas that was. It was almost as great a faux pas as leaving some money for drinks after Antonia's birthday earlier this year. We were invited and our friends Mike and Wendy, and Guy and Hattie, were staying in Polis. I asked Miki whether it was possible for them to come with us (and offered to pay for them). Miki, as generous as ever, said we should invite them as his guests.

At the end of the evening of sumptuous food, and lots of drink, Mike suggested we leave a contribution for the drinks we had had. We left €40,00 under the ashtray. Oh boy! Was that a mistake? The next time we went there Miki came over and slammed the money down on the table. But worse was to come. Antonia came over and painstakingly explained that the restaurant was her home and we were guests, and we had left money on the table. She was insulted and we will never make that mistake again.

I suppose we find it difficult to accept such hospitality and generosity in that diffident way the English have. But one thing is for certain and that is my wallet will stay in my pocket this Saturday. And phones are off this Sunday as it will truly be a day of rest.

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