Cyprus, cats and pre-Chrimbo culinary adventures

View from my bedroom balcony.
Does not suck, right?

First morning waking up at home, and its a beautiful sunrise over the Five Finger Mountains.  Thanks to jetlag (and I didn't think I could risk popping another Ambien), I was AWAKE at 4am and passed the time sending my sister affectionate little text messages, in the villa across from Dad's:

"ARE YOU AWAKE?"

"TEA?"

"HELLO?" 

"HELP!" 

until she finally gave up trying to sleep through them and got up around 6am.  By that time, I'd overachieved on Watching a Mediterranean Sunrise and underachieved on trying to get Dad's gas hob to light (hence the plea for tea).  Picking my way through the HUNDREDS of cats that mill about between the two villas waiting to be fed (Daniel - you most definitely have the wrong sister pegged as The Cat Lady), it was just lovely to be able to share a Nice Cup of Tea with my sis, first thing in the morning before the hoards descended.  A simple pleasure, but one I had waited 2yrs to enjoy.  I miss my sis.

I'm going to start a "caption this photo" contest
for this one.... Prize: one (or more) cat of your choice

The weather was supposed to be a bit sunny but with some rain, so today was a day for chilling and recovering from the arduous 1.5hr journey.  One item on the agenda for today, though, was a trip to Dubious Bazaar - the world's finest emporium for All Manner of Tat and Crap.  It is, indeed, worthy of its own blog post (some of my long-time blog watchers may remember DB from several years back) so, for those of you who are not yet familiar with its delights, watch this space.... (Dubious Bazaar also explains one very curiously adorned shelf in my otherwise impeccably tasteful home back in Chicago - jampacked with DB specials, lovingly acquired over the years....just think Satan Peacock and Meerkat Montage, and you get the picture...)

Fancy pants sunrise over Five Finger (count 'em!) Mountain

Dubious Bazaar did not disappoint, although the preponderance of hilarious packaging typos and over-claims seemed a little more muted than in previous years, but I did manage to find a pressie for myself in there that will look quite special at home.  Plus a rather forlorn flock velvet cow statue that I somehow seemed to connect with (I'm not examining the reasons for that too deeply) but who I resisted purchasing.  Given Loopy's intent interest in my moo-sings, I seem to suspect it may mysteriously find its way underneath the Christmas tree in a few days time....

After DB, we did a quick zizz round a couple of the local shops - firstly for a trip to Lemar's (the local supermarket) for supplies and for coffee and breakfast.  Loopy had the classic English brekkie while I had an English muffin (which I then realized - with dismay - was a very Americanized choice of an English breakfast foodstuff) and we braved sitting outside in the not-quite-hot-enough-to-sit-outside-but-bugger-it-I'm-sitting-outside-anyway sunshine.  At least it wasn't raining - yet!

After Lemar's, we went to Supreme, another grocery store.  So, here's a curious thing - why is it that walking round supermarkets, surrounded by boxes of Paxo stuffing and Heinz Salad Cream makes you come over all nostalgic?  I find myself strolling the cornflake and Alpen aisle, fondly patting the boxes and smiling to myself, then admiring the cornucopia of Helmenn's condiment choices and Cadbury's.  The nostalgia pains weren't quite so acute as usual, due to my recent discovery of World Market back home, but there's still joy to be found in the sheer volume of OXO gravy mixes on a single shelf.

After shopping, I came home and crashed out for a few hours, then got up in time for bedtime, which then turned into a marathon Christmas pressie wrapping session which lasted til 1am!  3 suitcases worth of pressies takes quite a while to wrap - but does result in a really rather lovely big pile of gifts under the tree!!  I'm very excited to see everyone's reaction on the Big Day - especially Eren's!  He's well into Thunderbirds at the moment and - with the power of eBay and Amazon behind me - I managed to find a goodly variety of International Rescue gifts for him!  Its funny because they are all vintage, "original in box" that collectors have stored carefully for years (I even had a couple of toys shipped over from the UK!) but will be ripped from their boxes within minutes, come Christmas morning, by a very excited 5yr old!!  Can. Not. Wait.  I even managed to find him a Tracy Island which came in a MASSIVE box which, by itself, took up 2/3rds of one suitcase - but its going to be so worthwhile!! 

My bestie's Christmas card to Loopy and Mumsie in pride of place
in Loopy's kitchen

Next morning, the weather was again fairly dismal (this happens EVERY time I come home for Christmas - lovely sunshine for WEEKS until the day I arrive then, BAM!, it pisses down with rain for days! I guess the heavens are literally crying with joy at my arrival), so it called for another chilled out day.  We popped over to Mumsie's house to say hello, where I expressed my artistic genius once more (good to know I have a back-up plan if this marketing lark doesn't work out).

This is what happens when I take 2 weeks off work.
Aussie Santa, hand drawn and colored by yours truly. 

One of the other (multiple) highlights of the day was the recreation, by yours truly, of the Peppermint Bark recipe I'd learnt a few weeks earlier at a complimentary chocolate workshop (gotta love that phrase) hosted by my apartment building.  It was a VERY complex recipe, involving meticulous melting of milk chocolate, wary wilting of white and careful crushing of candy canes.  Then slap the white on top of the milk, sprinkle with the tooth-stickingly minty nuggets of sweetness, chill for a bit and - shazam! - you too can recreate the dental adventure that is the World's Thickest Peppermint Bark!  Dangerous but tasty.  The James Bond of the candy world.... (sorry, dunno where that came from - but I am jolly excited by the announcement of the new Bond film next year - starring Sherlock's own Moriarty! - fandoms collide!  yey!!  Did you miss me?!)

Also part of today's culinary revelations were the Holy Toast stamper that some wonderful Aunty had given her eldest nephew as an early Christmas present (well, its seasonal, right?).  Unfortunately, the results were so divine that no evidence of the marmalade marvels survived past breakfast time.  Other early Christmas pressies of note included a Doctor Who Tardis Yahtzee for Loopy and a Doctor Who Dalek Mr. Potato Head for Eren (can you spot a theme here?).  Much hilarity ensued with the Yahtzee - I know this will be hard for some of you to believe, but it turns out there is someone out there who's even more competitive than I am... my nephew Thomas.  Fortunately, I managed to whip his ass at Yahtzee, but he has promised to avenge his dented pride, so annihilation and oblivion await me at bowling on Christmas Eve....Next up, though, its time for CONKER WARS!!!

Thomas with some divine breakfast intervention

Well.... whats the point of Peppermint Bark if its not almost an
inch thick, eh?

Get 'em while they're young....indoctrination into
the ways of the Doctor - Eren with the Tardis Yahtzee,
pretending to be a dalek...