A Matter of Choice

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 ...

February in Cyprus can be an unpredictable month,  it can give us some of the coldest days of the winter but also show us signs of spring and remind us what the weather is supposed to be like here. We've had lots of rain this winter,  I'm sure more than in recent years.  This is good, we need it and apparently the reservoirs are looking good for the year ahead. I haven't minded the rain too much (apart from the time our ceiling leaked) and it's quite a novelty to snuggle up inside while it lashes down outside.   But I know it comes to an end and it's lovely to get our bright blue skies back. This weekend the boys and I went for a walk,  well, I walked they scooted and we all played Pokemon Go along the beach path in Protaras.  It was lovely, I was wearing a t-shirt and fleece, the first time I've not had layers covered with a jumper, and I even took my jacket off for a while (!) but I was still surprised to see people in bikinis sunbathing, no...

I love going for winter walks in Cyprus, it's something we have so rarely done yet when I do bother to get out its' great, especially now everyone can walk (well, Aaron not so much at the moment but we can leave him at home!)  and generally not fall over. We went out during Christmas week and had a lovely walk along the cliffs in Kapparis and some time on the beach. It was very warm, despite it feeling chilly at home and I even took my fleece off and sat in a short sleeved t-shirt! While sitting on the beach watching the boys compete to throw rocks the furthest into the water I thought how amazing it was to be there, in December and how it was better than being indoors. I thought we need to do this more often, I thought I need to remember that it's always worth going out I thought with a smile,  I should write it down so I don't forget Louka had not wanted to go out when it was first suggested, moaning first about getting dressed, then having to pu...

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 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...

Scrolling down my facebook feed last night I spotted a photo of local beach, Fig Tree Bay being prepared for the summer season,  huge piles of sand ready for distribution across the beach. Well that's just asking to be climbed on isn't it! I collected the boys from school and we drove straight there. It was the first time this year that we all kicked off our shoes and felt the sand between our toes.   Louka managed to climb the 'mountains' very well and was so proud of himself when he got to the top of them all.  Leo jumped around and rolled down everyone, backwards, sideways and every way possible! Of course I had to join them,  you know to erm check it was safe, and to get the photos,   I managed not to roll down any however but did fall over several times when running up them. It was a really enjoyable time, only cut short once the lure of the water had become too much for them and the inevitable happened.  ...

I am trying to make an effort this year to get out and about,  I really am even, though the thought doesn't always seem appealing! Although I had a lovely morning with just Leo the other week, it becomes a whole different outing with both of the boys, even simple every day things can be hard work - today for example it took me 20 minutes to get from school to the car as Loukas refused to co-operate and eventually ended up with me having to stick him under my arm and march him to the car and fight him into his car seat! But I know it's better to get out, and I know the more we do it, the easier it becomes. Already we are better off than last year now we rarely use the buggy as that really limited where we could go, so last week on a whim we jumped in the car and headed for a walk along the beach path. Within 2 minutes of getting out the car Loukas asked to be carried, sitting down in protest on the floor as I tried to get him to walk - hmmm, not such a good start! ...

Last Friday was a school holiday here in Cyprus - the  Three Saints of Education  and the kids all got the day off, all execpt the nursery schools that is! Knowing that Louka wouldn't really notice I decided to send him anyway as he is just starting to get into the routine and instead I'd take Leo out for the morning. Quite often Leo needs a little persuasion when it comes to getting out of bed (on school days that is, not so much at the weekend!) so I asked him if he wanted to come in the car to take Louka to school, he was more than happy too and understood that it wasn't a good idea to dance around saying 'Leo's not at school today!' As we always drop Louka first it was quite normal for him and the same routine as usual.  What Leo hadn't noticed however was the fact that I'd quietly put a bag with our wellies in the car.   He thought we were just going home again and only when I drove past the top of the road did he think something was d...

As exciting as the first rain after the summer is, I'm still not a huge fan despite the long hot summers I've experienced over the last few years.  Many of my friends here love the winter and relish the novelty of snuggling up with pyjamas and watching tv,  but I'd still rather take the long summer balcony evenings given the choice! I do love my duvet though, and I do get very excited over sausage and mash for dinner - Aaron refuses to eat anything like that over the summer so winter does have some plus points! Unlike living in the UK, there is a distinct difference between summer and winter - never in England did I pack my winter wardrobe away completely for the summer months and change my whole lifestyle as the nights drew in. I find over the summer I get lazy with what I wear - it seems so much easier then!  Get up, pick some shorts and a top, or a dress, flip flops - sorted! In winter, leggings, jeans, skirt or what?   Does it still fit?   Which sh...

It appears that I'm not naturally an 'outdoorsy' person, although I do love to go out (assuming it's not too cold, wet or windy!) once you factor the boys into the equation and the stuff you have to take with you, the best time to go avoiding naps to ensure a happier baby, the decision of where to go - can I push a buggy there, will they walk that far, will I have to carry a very heavy toddler,  etc etc, I often come to the conclusion that staying put is far easier. I'm realise that is rubbish, and I often 'waste' the fact I live in the ideal place to be outdoors.  I know that everyone else seems to manage ok with 2 or more kids or various ages and they make it look so easy! This year I WILL get out more. I went from Leo being difficult to heavily pregnant just as he got a little easier to control, then back into buggies and then the very high summer temperatures and then the crawling stage. It's slowly getting easier, now Louka can walk as he hate...

Just before our household got hit by the winter lurgy last week I took the boys out for a bit of fresh air and we went to have a play in a playground we'd never been to before. Always on the look out for new places to go I'm always excited to see somewhere that looks different when I see my friends in Cyprus put new photos up on facebook and like some mad stalker I often message them to find out where they have discovered! Hotels are a very common place to visit, especially in summer and we have a mental list of those where non-residents are welcome to use the pool.  We do have a communal pool in our appartment complex but it's nice to use hotel pools when meeting up with others, and they all have baby pools which ours lacks.  During the winter most hotels are closed and tend to be forgotten but a couple are still good to use for the playgrounds.   So after finding out where my friend had been after seeing some 'new' playground equipment, the boys and I ...

It's been a very long time since the four of us went out for a walk together but last week Aaron and I took the boys down to the beach path for a long awaited family stroll. Starting at the 'Fig Tree Bay' end of the path in Protaras meant we only had a short distance before arriving at the small play area. I'd only realised it was there at the end of last year after seeing a friends photos on facebook and asking her where it was as we'd never walked that far along before but we now often start at that end instead. For the first time Louka loudly demanded to get out of the buggy as soon as we arrived and Leo ran ahead to play,  he's so much more advanced in walking and climbing than Leo was at the same age which is good but often ends in tears as he thinks he can follow his brother everywhere. Leaving the play area we continued along the path commenting on the difference now the season has come to an end.  There were a surprising amount of people on the ...

Reasons to be cheerful? Yep....... right here.... Last Saturday Aaron finished work as the boss suddenly appeared and told him it was time to close (no warning, we'd been trying to guess when it would be!)  The boys and I had been at a party and came home to find Aaron on the balcony, with a scotch and coke and a big smile on his face. We made it through the summer! My 'job' was easier (and yet often harder) than Aaron's job, both 7 days a week with no breaks.   (although to be fair, I probably managed a few!)  and the pay was rubbish for both but we powered on through the season and have just about come out of it unscathed - nothing that a whole lot of sleep won't cure.  Seven months ago this day seemed so very far away, and it was, Aaron has missed a second summer of the boys mainly catching up on our adventures from photos on facebook whilst working his socks off 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, no lunch break,   (well he did get a...

This month sees the start of the so called 'Silly Season' here in Cyprus, the tourist areas are waking up after the winter shut down.  Protaras, which almost completely closes during winter has opened again and pretty much everything in Agia Napa is open again for the summer. Last week Aaron started work again and all of a sudden we have a big change upon us. Last year was his first season and I was worried about coping through the summer with Leo and my ever growing baby bump, not to mention the arrival of said baby bump and the first couple of months with dealing with two children.  Once the season gets underway he has to work 7 days a week, often in the height of summer for up to 12 hours a day, and he got just one day off when Louka was born. It was a long old summer! The flipside of such horrible hours is of course the fact he gets five months off in winter and it was a very welcome break, we were both exhausted and Aaron was happy to finally get time to spend wit...