Month: August 2013

Bargains – Philips Power Touch Electric Shaver now only £59.99 &  Q Hotel Cream Tea for 2 for £7.50 & Thames Afternoon Tea Cruise for 2 now £33  &  Cordless Kettle now only £5.69 &  Tenby Sofa Bed £99

Another hot day and after gardening, into the pool! Cyprus Today.

In the evening we met up with Robin at The Cabin. Christa is in Germany. Robin hadn’t been there before and agreed with us, how good it is there. The food again was good  and the service and a really nice breeze coming off the sea. Two steaks and one swordfish and they were all perfect. We also tasted their brandy sours,excellent (8tl). White linen table cloths and napkins. If you haven’t been there, then give it a try. It has to be one of the best restaurants here at the present time. I hope they keep it up. They even had three tables, Shirley Valentine style right next to the sea on the decking!

So often we recommend a restaurant and then when friends go, standards have dropped or prices escalated. Hopefully this will not be the case here. Robin even said it was the best steak he had eaten in North Cyprus! Praise indeed. By the time we left it was very busy but even though we had finished, there was no pressure to push us out.

Their phone number is 0533 855 5850 if you want to book a table.

While we were there, Mal walked to the Gents and came back amazed as we were surrounded by tables with people on their phones!! The table behind us, all four were heads down, engrossed in something or other. Not just youngsters, two of them were our age. Where on earth has the art of conversation gone?!! Is it really more important to text all your friends/Facebook to say where you are rather than actually enjoying the experience and the view?!

Thought for the Day – “There is no love sincerer than the love of food.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

Bargains – Magibox Parabola DAB Radio £28 & Cotton Traders £10 off £40 spend &  Nook Simple Touch GlowLight Ereader now only £69 & 18 Roses and chocs now 10% off & Wireless Weather Station with Barometer now only £19.99

I started to do some gardening, became far too hot and so jumped in the pool. We then discovered that the electricity had gone off and discussing that we hadn’t had a power cut in a long time. We checked the fuse box, all OK.

After a few hours and panic was starting a little, a lot in the freezer, hot weather etc etc,  It was the hottest day this week…38 in the shade!  We then phoned David and Kenny…they had electricity!!! Mal went down to the main fuse box which is on the road, quite distant from the front drive. He also checked Lena and Willy’s meter and they had electricity too! He took out the main fuse and we went to the electrical place down the road to see if they could test it. No they couldn’t and if we needed a new one we would have to go to Kibtek.

Someone is looking after us….there was a nice English gentleman in there who had electrical equipment in his car, he checked it. It was fine. He said he had somewhere to go but would call up later to see if he could help us out. He is a retired electrician.  Back home Mal cleaned all the fuse up, put it back in the main box, wiggled the others around a bit and we had electricity back on!! I think the nice kind gentleman must have had a magic touch because Mal had already gone through all this procedure before.  Mal text him to thank him very much but now it was all working.  It reinforces what we already know, there are many kind people around. I hope in his moment of need, someone will help him out too.

Panic over and we sat under the terrace watching two kestrels circling around our house.

Mal started trying to put this on the newspaper this morning just before we lost electricity but now it is on. Ken Dunn’s interview on BBC Radio Somerset . Well done Ken! (We published his books!)

Bargains – Buyagift 2 nights for the price of 1 now only £99 & Folding Snow Shovel and Pouch only £4.99 & lastminute.com 10% off UK Hotel bookings &  Avon Skin so Soft (anti mozzie!!) now only £2.49 & Debenhams 10% off including clearance & Wallis ONE DAY ONLY (Today!) 20% off everything

I had a quick look at the launch of Kibkom’s newspaper, launched today…it didn’t tell me a thing I didn’t already know! “News?!”

We popped over to David & Kenny’s as they left some photos here yesterday. They are ones of the surrounding area 8 years ago…the good old days when we were surrounded by mountains and none of the half built houses now in view.!

We then went down to see Ziggy as my MOT is due some time soon and I want him to check the car all over before I start the process. He seemed quite busy, obviously after three days Bank Holiday and so we are taking it in on Monday. The car has new flashy seat covers now so how could it fail?! Unlike many old Renaults here Ziggy regularly services mine. As anyone who lives here knows, you need good brakes to avoid the local drivers who stop suddenly to talk to their friends, turn without indicating or balancing their mobile phones whilst doing the hand gestures to accompany the phone conversation.

We also took some money out of the cash card…good news the lira is now THREE to the pound.

In the evening Lou and Rhys came on the webcam, for about two hours! I heard from Torin in the morning who asked what we were doing for Christmas and then Lou and Rhys asked the same question. How strange both asked on the same day in AUGUST!!

 

Bargains – Tesco Direct spend £75 save £10 & Hotels.com 40% off sale & Wickes 10% off £200 spend & Phase Eight Final Reductions & Paintballing for 4 including lunch now only £24 

I know it is only August but I have bought part of three Christmas presents!! I have to start early with 10 grand children! It is the half price Paintballing. The boys love it and as Rhys said when I bought one of them the voucher for their birthday, where else can 4 of them go, have a days amusement and lunch as well for £6 per person?! It’s usually £49, so well worth buying it early as it lasts until August 2014. Now to think about the rest of them.

I went to buy some fresh bread for breakfast and also Cyprus Today. I can’t believe the story of the collapsing jetty and as usual no one is taking responsibility.I wish that poor 11 year old who was underneath when it collapsed a full recovery.

We invited David and Kenny over for lunch. They said they needed oxygen when they arrived…well, it was a hot day and we have a very steep drive!

Half way through my cooking with the oven on and heating up everywhere, Mal said “Oh I should have done a BBQ!” A bit late then! Anyway, we had a nice lunch and a few drinks and a really nice afternoon. They are very good company.

Thought for the Day -“If you have good friends, no matter how much life is sucking , they can make you laugh.” ~ P.C. Cast

Bargains – British Airways Bank Holiday Escape Bargains & Urban 3 drawer chest Black now only £149 & Bargain Crazy 15% off Electrical & Canon Powershot SX24020 now only £129.99

We paid our water bill and then went to get some shopping from Ileli. Another day with a gentle breeze. I hope I am not speaking too soon but the heat hasn’t been too bad this year.

It was nice to sit outside and read in the afternoon.

 

Bargains – Sterling Silver Mother of Pearl Heart Locket £39.24 & Glasses Direct 25% off frames and free delivery & Tesco F&F clothing sale now on &  Garden Bargains Sale up to 70% off &  North Cyprus 10 nights Half Board £435pp & Buyagift 15% off hotels

Don’t forget to look out for the Perseid Meteor Showers again tonight!

A lovely breezy day which made a real change so we cleaned the whole house! We even saw a cloud in the sky, an unusual sight this time of year. Work done and in the pool!

Quite a spectacular show at night as we lay outside on the sunbeds shouting to each other “there’s one”!

 

 

Thought for the Day – “Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

Bargains – Silver Swarovski Birthstone set £16.58 &  Mexican Fan Palm Tree BOGOF £9.99 for 2 & Hozelock Porta shower 4 in 1 £20 & Presents for Men 30% off &  Phase Eight Final Reduction Sale

A very lazy day although Mal continued with sorting out Lou and Rhys’s website. I read a book, yes in a day! I seem to be reading a lot lately.

Don’t forget the Perseid Meteor Showers. The best place to watch, to avoid “stargazers neck” is on your sun bed OR lying in the pool on a lilo. Such clear skies in North Cyprus.