Christmas Day. A very quiet one. Not the first Christmas we’ve spent on our own but the first in several years. Very low key and peaceful. Periptero is open next door as anticipated so we have the Sunday paper with our morning coffee. Faint memory from years back of there being a Cyprus Mail published on Christmas Day but not New Year’s. Christmas part is right, anyway. Also, past memories of being surprised to find our bakery open on Christmas Day. Clearly not an occasion for stale bread.
We’re a pretty short distance from the port and this morning we can see from the balcony the back end of what looks like a large cargo ship. Last night it stood out in the evening as a giant Christmas decoration, covered with multicoloured lights. Usually there are a few ships in port for Christmas and also at New Year’s - when they sound their horns at midnight. A couple of bursts of fireworks west of us in the early evening but nothing sustained, so presumably a small private effort.
Very little traffic outside, although we overlook Makarios, which is a main street. A block from us is a small automobile repair shop which, not particularly unusually, has no bays, no hoist, no facilities for taking cars inside at all, though repairs take place regularly on the sidewalk outside. Noted that this weekend it was not at all busy and in fact appeared to be closed yesterday, although the car wash a few blocks a way has been busier than usual. Conclude that no one had time to spare in the run up to Christmas for getting their oil changed but many people wanted a newly washed car for the occasion.
We’re lucky to have a very large pot - probably the least easily replaced object in the boxes. Salvaged years ago when a hotel we were staying at was being sold and old pots weren’t wanted by anyone. Very handy, because we only have two burners so the plump chicken goes in along with carrots and leeks and garlic. New potatoes and green beans and mushrooms. Everything here fresh year round. Wine is a Sicilian shiraz shared three ways - between us and the bird. Shaping up for a pretty good Boxing Day dinner as well. Tomorrow will be a public holiday because Christmas this year is on a Sunday, moving the statutory holiday to the following day.