New recipes  have been put on.

A slight change of theme this week, hope you will enjoy!

Having had several holidays here in Cyprus, and the family grown up and making their own lives, felt it was time for us to have some sunshine and a more slower pace of life .After living in Africa we had had nearly 24 years in England.
We chose Cyprus as it was not too far away,and that family could  visit us, as we could them as well. It was  friendly, and sunny,  what, we did not realise at the time was, it could get quite cold in winter. Having said that, it is nice having the different seasons.The winters are nothing like the English ones, no dark grey dreary mornings that last for weeks, and certainly not as cold.
We came out on holiday to have a look around at what living out here could be. Never let your heart rule over common sense. We were taken around the island by a couple of builders and shown various projects and developments and plots. Nothing on a hill in case it slid down, not right next to the sea, much as I would have loved that, but you never know in case of tsunami. Near to a little shop in case of running out of milk, no having to hike miles to the nearest shop, and in case one of us was unable to drive.We had to be in realistic about the distance from the house to a local shop, for when we got older and the bones start to creak!
Yes, you guessed it, we ended up putting a down payment on a plot full of vines. House could be built in the middle, and we could have our own wine. Visions of lying by the pool sipping at our  own wine, wow, what more could you want. We made sure we had all the correct legal advice and help. This is a must, the people who just take the word of a little farmer, or developer that all is safe, and never have the solicitor check any of the paper work are mad. You would play safe anywhere else where you bought property, so why not here. You hear of these cases where everything can be lost.
We went home with a secure plot of land in Kathikas, and plans for a lovely villa. We even had a winery nearby who could see to our grapes.

Our new plot

Wine by the gallon?

  

We had planned to sell our house in England first, then move out, but no, we did it the other way round. Building was started, and we still had to sell our house. There were a lot of worrying months when nothing seemed to happen with the sale of our house, and the new house was being built and needed paying for. Bank balance and any savings were groaning. I had to fly out to choose the fittings and tiles and all that was needed, while Klaus stayed behind the try and sell the house.There was nothing we could do about this, but it would have been better if he had been out to check the build. What do I know about where the electrics would go and if this or that had been done to this or that specification. I could only take hundreds of pictures of anything I pointed the camera at, and hope it explained it all to him.

                                  

 We sold just in time, and moved out here lock, stock and barrel. This was going to be home, no going back. In hindsight we should really have rented and looked around as there is some good resale property to be had. Klaus had to redo  the  verandha roof of the house as it had not been laid properly, and a few other things, which were not correct.

                                                                 

 If we had been out here, we would have come up practically each day to check on the progress, and see that all was correct. We all live by our mistakes, but we did have a wonderful place to be called home at the end.        

                                                 

View up to the village

                                                                     

Village  view

I am not putting a picture of the week this time, I think over the weeks you have caught up on all my paintings. Instead will have a photo from Cyprus. The art side will continue as usual.

                                                      

Paphos Harbour

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I have now filled in the background on the picture, and given Darwin his whiskers and a tweak or two here and there.  I don't think there is anything else I can do to improve anything. Backgrounds I still find a little difficult, especially in the rubbing in. It is so easy to over do it and then you loose the softness of it. Now it's 'Hands off and leave it alone until it is framed.'

" Darwin"

Next week is another new picture, come and see what I decided to do in the end.