Cyprus: Nice to see you, to see you nice

One of the great things about having been to a place so many times before is that we have got to know some of the local people, to some extent at least. The big names include "Mr & Mrs Theo" - Theo's parents - who pop round from time to time to check that all is in order with the villa, "Mr Fontana" - the car hire firm boss - and "Zorba" who used to do boat trips and play his bouzouki in some of the local restuarants. They will probably crop up a little bit in this travel journal.

Mr Theo popped round with some fresh Olive Oil for us, and we have been invited for drinks at their house, which I am looking forward to. This necessitated finding a florist today (in search of a token gesture), which turned out to be quite an experience. A bunch of mixed flowers turned out to be relatively inexpensive and we watched in awe as the bunch was carefully selected, prepared, and arranged. The finished product is beautiful, and Mrs Theo will hopefully be very pleased.

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