Hunkered down

It’s been a quiet start to the New Year here.  We, as is traditional, stayed at home on New Year’s Eve.  A good meal, a bottle of something fizzy and a roaring log fire all continue to be preferable to a long and expensive night out.  Don’t fear though, we make up for it at other times during the year.

Within the village things are peaceful.  The winter trickle of visitors has ground to a halt, although we continue to see healthy quantities of Nordic and Scandinavian visitors when we venture in to town.  Each year they descend on the island in search of winter sun; the cool weather doesn’t bother them in the slightest, they are here in search of daylight.  This morning we were woken by the church bells once more; today is the Epiphany which in this Eastern Orthodox place is not only a religious festival but a public holiday too.

To be honest the quiet is doing us good.  One of us is still under the weather with musculokeletal problem that is proving both persistent and wearing; both of us are feeling the effects of friend’s illness between Christmas and New Year.  The friend had a massive heart attack between the two holidays and in the prognosis immediately post-attack really was not good.  Happily he made it through that very dangerous first twelve hours and has made steady progress since.   Credit must go to Larnaca General who carried out his initial treatment as well as to the mutual friends who recognised the severity of the situation and broke all local speed limits to get him to the hospital.  Whilst the incident itself was unpleasant it’s been heartening to see the ex-pat community rally round to help.

Otherwise things have been quiet; but all of this may change tomorrow.  Some six months after we requested it the local electricity board are due later this week to inspect our new electrics.  Should they deem them competently installed then they may, in due course, approve the installation of a new electricity meter and local RCD.  This would have two benefits, it would prevent our current electrics tripping every time there was a lightening strike within 5 miles and allow us to have the very, very old electrics removed.  In turn that would allow us to repair and then decorate the last remaining wall in the house.

Since the remnants of the old system appear to have been bought, second hand, by Noah when he was building the Ark they are long, long overdue for retirement.

So, on that note we wish you all well on this feast of the Epiphany.

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