Saturday, December 31/2011

Margaret phoned last night to say that the shops will be closed Monday as well as Sunday, so we're off early to pick up the few things we need. Will Prinos be open at eight? It will be a zoo later. Turns out it's been open since six - and 6:15 is its usual time. Who goes then? As usual, I go for two things - carrots and potatoes (the latter 40 euro cents a kilo - or 32p GB or 53 cents CAD - and still with the iron rich red earth clinging to them). But end up with extras - leeks, onions, garlic, courgettes, red and yellow peppers (€2.20 a kilo, £1.83 GB, $2.91 CAD) and lettuce (32 cents EU, 27p GB, 42 cents CAD) each.

We meet up at the beach later and go on to the New Year's Eve market. The sky is beginning to darken but the fruit and vegetables still gleam and we choose pink grapefruit, tomatoes, tiny cucumbers and green beans, all fresh.

New Year's Eve  is traditionally celebrated at the beach with fireworks, free wine and beer (and not a drunk in sight) and a concert. But suppertime brings a thunderstorm  with the lightning showing palm trees bending in the wind and sheets of water blowing up the street. We don't go out, and wonder if it's all been cancelled, but at midnight we can indeed see the fireworks, only partially obscured by a building on Makarios.