Cyprus, like TP but with donkeys.

OK, not really like TP at all...apart from the sunshine :)
After the dreary British Spring we were glad of the opportunity to put on a pair of shorts and T shirt. Grandma had got Freya a new pair of shorts and I bought her T-shirts. Then I forgot to pack them. My eldest daughter believes I am suffering from holiday-induced dementia.
My sister, her husband and children moved to Cyprus in February. They are sun lovers who were living in Germany where the Summers were glorious but the Winters harsh. Cyprus offers year round sunshine which will suit them very nicely. I pointed out that Tompers also offers year round sunshine but Terry teaches in British Army schools and I couldn't say with complete honesty that the Pilbara Regiment are a remote but elite squadron of British soldiers masquerading as ANZACs. Still, just quietly, Australia is still an option for them...
Me and the girls stayed with Laura et al. Grandma and G stayed at an apartment nearby, which was just as well because G was crook and so had his own space in which to feel sorry for himself recuperate. In fairness, he is still not 100% but has started drinking wine again which is a sure sign that he is feeling better.
The girls were really pleased to play with their cousins although as the second-born Esther is not nearly as exciting to her younger cousins as the oldest (thus coolest) Freya. Happily for Esther there is a new cousin, Baby B, who is not so discerning and is happy for anyone to cuddle and fuss over her.

Cousins :)

Ahhh, Mediterranean.

Roman amphitheatre at Kourion, just down the road from Laura's.

Not all the beaches meet Australian standards but, living about 600km from the nearest beach, I  will not quibble.

Chameleon! Just hanging out on a fence, but doing a poor job of disguising himself as a fence post.

Pissouri

Kids having a swim in the pool at Grandma and G's apartment. It was chilly in but cosy out. My girls are not so Pilbara-ised that they won't swim in water less than 20 degrees!

Baby B. Youngest niece. I love her. She told me that I am her favourite aunty.

Maria's Taverna in Koilani, a village in the Troodos mountains. This restaurant featured in the February SBS Feast magazine so we tracked Maria down and weren't disappointed. She told us she'd had some Aussies in the day before!

Friends (for the photo).

3 Goddesses

Aphrodite's Rock, the birthplace of the Greek Goddess of love and beauty.

Donkey Safari. If you find yourself in Cyprus don't let the prospect of a donkey ride deter you from visiting. put you off, this was a place to chill out , enjoy the view and make believe that you lived in a hill-side Cypriot villa. We had the place to ourselves.

 We loved hanging out in the pool so much that we did it again, this time at Dave and Mary's villa.

 B and G

Mary and Dave working his sleepy magic on Baby B.

 BBQ with Dave and Mary

 Freya campaigned ferociously for a go on a Segway. Laura, Terry and I enjoyed ourselves too

 Grandma and G with their Grandees

 Me, Laura and combined brood.

During their off-season the Red Arrows (RAF Aerobatic team) spend time practising in the clear skies of Cyprus and are based at RAF Akrotiri, just down the road from Laura and Terry's. They practise three times a day and while you can usually hear them, often it is too hazy to see them. Luckily we got a bit of a show early in the week and then again on the day we left. In this photo you can play "spot the red arrows" (hint: just above the left side of the umbrella). If you visit their website you can request a flypast! 

Friends

This is my 14th year in Australia, so it's no surprise that most of my friends are Southern hemisphere dwellers. I think FB is the bomb when it comes to reconnecting with old mates, especially the UKC and Crabhill alumni, but with only a few weeks in Europe every few years I am never likely to manage a face-to-face with all my British pals.
However, there are a handful of dear friends who are easy company and spectacular value, whom I always try to see*, and they have all been on top form. There was also a phone-chat with an old Uni chum, a chance meeting with an old boyfriend and a brief York Road FB reunion- bonus!

We're in the middle of London, look how pretty it is!

T1 <3

T2 and T3. Are there cuter 3 year olds??

Freya takes a fiver off Cathy. Cathy will need to get smarter  before T1, T2 and T3  get to 9 or she will go broke!

Damn, it was cold. Love those tripolatas and their scrumptious parents xxx

Jen. We got pissed AND went to the Tate Modern. Classy.

Matt, Andy, Jen. We four were badminton buddies...I could tell you a funny story about that!

Now Cathy, THIS is a head hug!!

Wished that evening could have gone on and on but Jen and I had a train to catch...I could tell you a funny story about that!

Rog and Sue xx

Oi! Anyone going to rescue Esther? 

Esther is a sucker for a pretty girl and MissSE is one of the prettiest we know. She is also the only one of my current friends who knew me in utero...true.

*Apologies to Sian and family who I didn't catch up with this time round. We hope to return December/January 2013 and would love to come out and see you then?! In the meantime, if you're passing through TP be sure to come and stay xx

Playtime

In the absence of all school friends Freya and Esther have been getting along like a house gently smouldering.
I am [*CONFESSION*] prone to a bit of yelling at my kids but (despite Ade's prediction) I haven't had to be too shouty this holiday, they have been very well behaved towards each other. I suspect this has more to do with them being so busy that they are too distracted or tired to squabble and less to do with mutual tolerance, respect and sibling love; as I mentioned in the previous post, we have had a full itinerary.

Water Balls in Street

Water Balls: not a cheap thrill

Excellent play ground in 100 Acre Wood.

Gotta love that team work

Football skills in Stubbington. Yeah, you heard me,  FOOTBALL.

Penalty, with Diane and Anthony.

A distinct lack of enthusiasm in goal.

Intech. Like Scitech, only not as good.

Grandma failing to defeat me with the power of her mind. We had no idea of the science behind this exhibit (and most others!) but it provided me and Grandma with the biggest laugh of the holiday :)

Another wicked play ground at Moormead Park, St Margarets (where, once upon a time, G  had a Summer job as park-keeper!).

Dancing Staying Upright (mostly) on Ice

Oldies but goldies

We are still en vacance, but it is about time I filled y'all in. Get ready for a glut of posts!
FB friends will already know that the LFE trip to Europe got off to a bumpy start when we arrived at Newman airport for our flight to Perth only to discover that I'd left Freya's suitcase in Tom Price. There was swearing and tears and then resignation followed by more swearing and tears when Ade had the audacity to wish Freya "good luck" for her month in the care of mummy.

Bye Daddy, good luck ingratiating yourself with mummy again!!

The bumps continued in Perth (but fortunately not to LFE) when senior-son-of-Silke fell from his ripstick and did an excellent job of breaking both radius and ulna. I am on holiday so I just made sympathetic noises as his parents whisked him off to hospital leaving me with the other kids and the bubbly...
And so to England.
The flight was long. 'Nough said about that.
And the first thing we did...put on all our clothes and purchase 3x raincoats.

Brrrrrr.

Priorities: Off to Titchfield Haven to feed the birds and throw pebbles into The Solent.
F and E NEVER tire of this.

Girls with G. It's about to rain, obviously.

The swans are white (and well fed) in these parts.

Another priority: Catch up with the Great-Grands. So good to see them although all are much frailer than the last time we were here (almost 3 years ago). Australia is SUCH a long way away but we have plans to come back again at Christmas 2013. Keep going Great-Grands!!

Great Nan will be 91 next month!

Grandpa Dick...still charming the ladieez.

Aunty Stella. She missed Ade a heap, "he's my toyboy!".

My mum and dad have both retired since our last visit so there is no waiting for the weekend to hang out with Grandma and G. We have had a full schedule since arriving. Today was a rare day-off for me. Grandma and the girls went for Afternoon Tea in the New Forest while I shopped up a storm at the Outlets in Portsmouth. I prefer not to consider how much I spent, rather how much I saved :)

Radical? My parents? Prior to this trip I'd have had to say "get outta town".
But it seems they have switched sides of the bed after 40 years of marriage. That is CRAZY radical!!

Update

So what's been happening?

Did some cooking and baking.
I liked the custard and chocolate tart! by freya

Esther, Rainbow Guide of the term. Freya, Coach's Award for swimming. Lou and Ade, super proud parents xx

TP Easter Fair

Esther's snaggle tooth, just like Nanny McPhee!

Both teeth gone...phew!

Today it pished down...so what's a gal to do?...

...drink wine with Mary and Tony, of course!

Only 2 more sleeps until we leave TP for our European adventure. Just a wee bit excited :)