Raggedy.

Our last full day today. We decided that as next week is going to be manic at work (especially for M; he has to fly to Houston approximately 5 hours after we arrive back into Aberdeen), we would just take it easy. I made more fruit salad for breakfast and then we headed out to the beach we were at yesterday. We alternated between lying on sunloungers, reading, swimming, jumping off the pier and drinking Keo at the bar (still the same cheesy Reggae). It was wonderful! We had a sandwich for lunch and then fell asleep in the sun for a while, before deciding to head home for a shower before our meal out.

That morning, we had run out of suncream (three full bottles since we left), and when we went to the shops it was going to cost €20 a bottle!! As a result, we just raided the cupboards for previous residents’ leftovers, but they were all quite low-factor. Of course, when we got home after a day on the beach, my back and bum were bright red! Even after 2 weeks in the sun, the Scottish part of me refuses to get used to it. I felt ridiculous (and pretty daft), but luckily had a dress which covered up all my pink skin...

We had booked dinner at the same place we’d been to on our first day – it’s lovely and light in the daytime but at night they light gas lamps and open a separate part of the restaurant: a small veranda which juts out over the sea, covered by a light canvas roof and seating only a handful of folk. It was gorgeous, and so romantic. We ate meze, which was perfectly cooked and we could choose which dishes we wanted. We had village salad, feta and tomatoes, smoked fish, houmous and pita, beef stifado, lamb koftas, spicy chicken and calamari. YUM! Although the dishes were nice and small, we still ate far too much, and had to waddle home (a bit unsteadily after a bottle of wine)! We sat on the balcony for a while and marvelled at the size of ants you get in Cyprus... I am terrified of ants, and eventually had to scare it away with a candle.

We also fed this lovely raggy cat some just-spoiled milk. They come out in droves after dusk has fallen; from under bins, cars and air con units... They walk in groups and miaow plaintively at the bug-screen in the apartment. This is the first time we’ve fed one this holiday... So I’m sure he’ll be back next week to annoy the new residents! They all look like they’re related, and they all have small nicks out of their ears. The waitress tonight told us it was because the Cypriot government mark them as spayed or neutered. I’m sure I could fit a half-dozen in my bag and start a new career as a cat-lady when I get home.