July week 4

20-27 July 2014

Scooped Dave up as soon as he finished work on Sunday and put him and all our baggage on Tropi-boat to join Jonathan (Sara's brother) Amanda (their cousin) and two teenagers: Isabella (Jono's daughter) and Oliver (Jono's ex-partner's son) at sea - they were on board a Nisos charter yacht. 

 Jono chilling out in Kioni ...

 ... Dave and Amanda too

 Both boats: 'Captain Jack' from Nisos on the left, Tropi on the right.  We needed a lead-boat flag to help Jono find us in harbour, so we flew the LFC flag which we still had from the Champions League win in 2005.  We were surprised how many people stopped to take photos of the flag!

 Oliver and Isabella posing on Captain Jack

 All aboard for shore leave.  We stayed on board as a thunderstorm was threatening.  Not meant to happen in July!

 A cicada on a telegraph pole in Polis bay - weird looking creature.

 A few too many in Vasilliki and next thing the whole crew have tattoos (henna, of course).  Dave's dragon.

 Jonathan with swallows - the closest the crew on Cap'n Jack could get to a sparrow ('Pirates of the Carribean' reference ...)

 Bella with pretty thumb twirls and swallows on her wrist

 Oliver got an eagle, swallows not visible

 Amanda showing swallows on one wrist, sunburst on another

 ... and I indulged in a little dragon.

 Final day, everyone on our little terrace for tea

 Sunday after work - the cat able to relax now we're home, and the tomatoes flourishing after care from painting-Amanda and Robbie and Sue.

July week 3

13-20 July 2014

Dave away again for another week of skippering, and I've been to see the doctor to find I have tennis elbow and risk it becoming chronic unless I stop using it for any lifting or working, take muscle-relaxants and wear an elbow brace.  So a very lazy week ahead of me. 

 

This is our little terrace outside the kitchen door.  Just room for two comfy chairs, coffee table and footstool.  It faces due east with a sea view and the sun goes round the side of the house about 1.30, so a nice place for an afternoon or evening lounge.  We've given in to our urge to grow things and set up several pots of cherry tomatoes with parsley.  The chicken likes the tomato leaves (not keen on parsley - wonder if foreboding?) so they're all wrapped in mesh and other defences.

 Not able to do anything with my arm but read, draw and sew.  So I finally got round to covering this split cushion with some old Bavaria yacht cushion fabric passed on from Nisos.  Now it is the smartest one we have.

 And a bit of charcoal and pastel drawing with the art girls - this is a self portrait of me (obviously) at least 20 years ago (if ever!)

Sunday, back at work, and picking Dave up after his week of skippering - with essential requirements: guitar and fishing rod.

July week 2

6-13 July 2014

Cousin Amanda and Rob arrived on Sunday and after a lengthy lunch-and-beer stop at Nisos headquarters to say hello, were safely installed in Vasilliki. 

 On Wednesday we persuaded them to come and see Dave play, and they arranged a taxi back to Vas at 10pm, but by then they were in party mode (their friend Ian from Italy had arrived) and decided to make a night of it.  We installed them on the boat overnight and collected them in the morning for much needed fried breakfasts and orange juice.

 Dave, Amanda, Ian, Rob - all crammed into our pantry/dining room, mostly the worse for wear!

Later in the week, Dave cut some more plywood for me to make this little spice shelf by the cooker.  Needs finishing, but does the job for the moment.

July week 1

2 - 6 July 2014

Dave away skippering, so I pottered around trying to fix up things in the kitchen. 

 This is me having a go at a bit of joinery - making a tea caddy and mug hanging shelf unit.  Some tricky jigsawing, but otherwise lots of fun.  Unfortunately my lath-fixing elbow started playing up, so I didn't finish jigsawing out all the shelves.

 When we were at the tile shop I asked the stockman for any broken pieces of tile for mosaicing and he was more than willing to help, offloading all the junk tiles he could.  These lovely yellow ones and the little blue ones will make a nice mixed tile worktop by the side of the cooker, protecting the plywood from hot pans.  Can't do it yet, though, as I need a rim to be cut and sanded and fixed, which my elbow shouldn't do.

 Midway through the week, the little crysalis that had appeared overnight on our new paintwork opened up - but I think it may have attached itself prematurely as the poor butterfly couldn't open its final wing properly.  It fluttered round the windowsill for a day and a half refusing sugar-water drops until I decided to put it outside to take its chances.

Last piece of plasterboard installed behind the cooker.  Decided to infill the top area but leave the lower diagonal open as a workspace/shelf.  Eventually there will be a breakfast bar/worksurface on the other side.