A Matter of Choice

My Sunday photos today were taken earlier this week on a walk along the beach path in Pernera.  I walked alone with the plan to listen to music along the way but ended up enjoying the sound of the sea too much, it turns out I also don't really like not knowing what's happening around me, it really makes me jump if someone walks up behind me!  There was a lovely feel of spring in the air, and lovely to see a few gorgeous yellow flowers along the way and feel some real warmth in the sun.   I love this time of year in Cyprus,  when it starts to warm up a little and the promise of everything coming back to life.  Winter is always quiet and I always feel that this time of year is full of anticipation - Carnival and Green Monday is usually around now, or very soon,   and after that it all seems to begin.  Of course this year like last is looking to be very different, but we can only hope better days will be here soon. 

Winter in Cyprus is always very different to summer, we expect it to be quieter in Ayia Napa and positively sleepy in Protaras,  and we are used to seeing empty beaches free from sunbeds and closed bars and restaurants.  When we looked into moving here we were told that the east coast closes in winter and it wouldn't be a suitable place to consider moving to ( I think her company only dealt with Paphos properties).   I was really annoyed by the comment, how ridiculous I thought - surely the people who live there manage to survive! What she meant was that when the season ends many businesses close between November and April, although that would only be a problem if you are trying to live like a tourist all year round.   Of course the airports are currently closed to all but residents and essential travel, and all the bars and restaurants are closed until further notice and we realise just how much life there usually is in the winter months.  Usually we ...

Can you believe that today is the 1st September? It really doesn't feel like it! Apparently it should cool down by a degree or two from tomorrow, and as much as I love the summer we are so ready for a little respite.  It's been a great summer but I'm looking forward to the routine and the gradual winding down of summer.  We have one week left of the holidays before school starts and 8 weeks left of the summer season.  I'm sure it will start to really feel like September soon enough

Photo Credit - The Hacks Photography As you may have guessed, my Sunday photo this week is not MY photo but it is awesome and  I didn't take any as I was rushing around trying to get ready for guests arriving at our house for my birthday drinks! The photos were taken in Ayia Napa by The Hacks and show the amazing and bizarre skies we experienced over eastern Cyprus on Friday afternoon. The day had started nicely, and fairly normal for this time of year.  It can be a little chilly first thing in the morning but we are still ok in shorts and t-shirt for the walk to school.  Louka decided to wear his fleece (with the hood up!)  but Leo realised he would be warm enough once we started walking. By lunchtime, as usual, it was hot but as the afternoon progressed the clouds came in and brought the rain with them.  We watched closely after spending time cleaning and rearranging our balcony ready for the evening celebrations.   Without the use of the ...

This is Glyki Nero beach in Agia Napa,  taken on Friday at about 8am.   Not bad for a November morning! I had taken the boys to school and I was on my way to my first Zumba class.  As Leo starts school at 7;45am  and zumba starts at 8:30am  it wasn't worth going home so I took the scenic route down to Agia Napa.   I saw the turning for this beach,  and having never been to it before I swung the car down for a quick look. I love this time of year, the beach was almost empty,  just a few people walking, a couple of people doing yoga and a few (possibly crazy) people swimming.   And if you were wondering,  I loved zumba and I'm going back tomorrow!

On the evening of Monday 31st October, Aaron and I sat outside until late,  it was a little chilly but nothing that a pair of socks and a fleece couldn't solve.    During the night I woke up to a distant rumble of thunder and ran outside to gather all the chair cushions.   I went straight back to sleep only to vaguely wake a little later to the sound of rain,  that rain turned into a massive storm.   I slept through it but it did cause quite a bit of chaos across the island.  However when my alarm went off I got up to this amazing sky. Since that night the weather has changed,  even though the days have been sunny there has been a noticeable temperature drop. Our duvets are out, the slippers and dressing gowns have reappeared and the boys are now insisting on long sleeves and trousers for school. The days are still lovely, if you are in the sun.  Stand in the shade and it feels quite chilly now. I know most people lov...

It's Sunday again and my second Sunday photo post in a row! I'm picking more random photos this week,   MY Sunday photo / photos posts have no rules,  accompanied by words, or not if I don't have anything to say  (ok, so that is quite unlikely!)  and not necessarily taken in the previous week,  or even by me, but it will be someone I know of course! Today is the last day of October and therefore the official Summer season comes to an end here in Cyprus.  It's been amazing,  our second full season of working and great fun.  With nearly 60 events this year we have had over 8000 photos taken in our photo booth and more laughs than you could shake a prop at. Aaron and I have travelled all over the island from Agia Napa to Paphos,  Limassol to Nicosia. We have been to so many different venues that I have now lost count,  and seen so many gorgeous views and simply stunning sunsets,  so I thought these would be great photos to sum ...

It's been oh so long since the days of my regular 'Silent Sunday' posts,   in fact I think the last one was over four years ago now.   I don't take anywhere near the amount of photos that I used to but I do have quite a collection hanging around,  I don't even put them on facebook as much as I used too,  I still manage to upload them from my phone though, and keep them in different folders backed up and safe online. I opened up the old folders and scrolled through until one took my fancy,  going past loads of sunset and sky pictures, beaches and photos of the kids doing various things.   It may seem like a strange choice compared to all of those but this one jumped out at me today. It was drawn by Leo for me, as he loved that I had taken them to the beach. It's been a while since we've been to a beach now,  we've hardly been at all this year (again!)  as everyone prefers the pool and it's just so much easier and convenient.  But the...