GLOOM WITH A VIEW

For various reasons, I'm a bit fed up at the moment.

I've been working hard on my next walking holiday.  I'm going to North Cyprus, which I don't know very well, for a couple of weeks.  Today I am supposed (according to my arbitrary timetable) to sort out my backpack.  Where are my essential bits and pieces?  All put away safely somewhere no doubt.  I have to go through my first aid kit; I can't believe it's all still in date.  And I suspect I've nearly run out of blister plasters!  Then there's the clothing.  All this winter I've been mooching around in sweaters and fleeces.  Now I need lightweight T's (I've just checked the weather in Kyrenia and it seems to be in the 20s at the moment : ) ).  And lots of hiking socks; I know I put those somewhere sensible last autumn.  And what about water bottles, torch, spork, etc.

But I haven't quite got round to that yet.   I have a good idea of where I want to go while I'm there and what I want to see, but I have no maps.  They just don't make them.  I think the area has remained a little sensitive ever since the Turkish invasion of 1974.  You try Google maps for Cyprus and see what I mean; the whole of the north is one big green blob.  Perhaps it is just grass with no roads or buildings?  But it's a shame, isn't it.  I have absolutely no interest in military activities; they can conduct war games underneath my hotel window all night if they like and I'll just stay in bed and, during the day, I'll go somewhere else.  Actually, Cyprus is so small and accessible to tourists and Turkey so vast that I can't believe they'd choose to do anything sensitive militarily on the island.  But, on the other hand, one thing they desperately want is tourism.  So why not make it more tourist-friendly?  All I want is to know that I'm walking towards the Crow's Nest Pub and won't get lost and stumble into a minefield or a tank trap.

I've ordered my currency.  I don't think, by the way, before you say, that N Cyprus is at all affected by the problems with Greek banks in Cyprus.  Anyway, nothing I can do.  I just have to take cash and hope it isn't suddenly devalued to toilet paper while I'm there or that Germany doesn't invade to impose on the spot taxes.  I've drawn up my timetable for walking.  I've made a list of variables to check out while I'm there, pub opening times, nearest fish restaurant, receptionist's phone number, etc.  So I ought now to be ready.  But still I feel unsettled.  It's all wasted if I don't find the footpath.

Then - bridge.  Something has happened.  I have been reading up on safety plays and leads, because I am weak in that area.  At least I always seem to help the opposition with my play.  But the more I study, the worse I seem to get.  I have heard of golfers (like Rory McIlroy at the moment) losing their technique, or footballers (like Fernando Torres over the last 2 years) having off periods, perhaps it's like that.  And one day I will storm back.  Or perhaps I should switch to canasta?  But it's depressing at the moment.

Then there's the weather . . .  No need to say any more about how miserable that is.  Actually the sun came out a bit today and I have just been out the garden planting some new shrubs.  Last autumn we became so fed up with some ground cover plant that the previous house owner had put in that we dug it all up.  We had seemed to spend most of our time in the garden during the summer trying to control this bloody thing.  It spread all over the flower bed like warts.  So two back-breaking days later, we had dug up several trugs of plants and several more of roots.  The roots were like a sponge all over the flower bed to a depth of about a foot.  The bed then needed a few extra inches of earth to compensate, then we left it fallow for the winter.  But of course the neighbourhood cats thought it was wonderful.  So I have just spent a most exciting afternoon burying several tons of cats' poo and turning the soil for planting.  I did get a few small shrubs in though and even a few daffodils.  None of my bulbs came up this year - killed or delayed by the cold I suppose - so I stuck in some ready sprouted plants.  But all that effort has just made me think I should have been sorting out my walking gear instead.

So I suppose I'd better get off now and stop putting off sorting out my kit.  I'll just go and have a cup of tea first.  Then maybe I'll go and watch television for a little while and listen to the discussion on today's budget announcements.  That should cheer me up.

THATCHER STILL ON TOP

I seem to be playing a lot of bridge lately.  Today was a charity event at a friend's house (guess who won . . .).

Our friend has decided to run a fund-raising event a week for a year to mark a 50th anniversary.  All proceeds to be donated to their favourite charities.  I just thought I would mention it as a remarkable example of what people do, or what people can do.

One week is a 24-hour tennis marathon.  Then a bake and sell fair.  A non-stop long-distance walk.  The family gave up Christmas dinner to serve soup at the local homeless charity.  Her daughter wore a giraffe onesie for a week (I'm sorry I missed that one actually - worth sponsoring I should think).  And of course they were sponsored by friends and local traders throughout.

They issue a newsletter ever month to keep us all abreast of their goings-on.  So, today was the bridge tea.  We had a break at 4pm for sandwiches, scones, tea bread, eclairs, meringues, and five different sorts of sponge cake.  Phew!  I didn't get round to the sandwiches before I was full up and feeling a bit queasy.  But today's newsletter announced that they had so far (half way through their year) raised £12,000!  Whatever would they have got if it wasn't a recession!!

Here's her house by the way.

The roof is just being redone.  The house next door is also thatched.

It's actually a very tiny village with only a couple of other houses.  This is the modern one, built in the late 18th century.

THE FOURTH BRIDGE

I have played bridge four times so far this week.  But what's your view of the last one?

I played at home on Monday with friends.  Jolly nice - highly sociable, bottle of wine, nibbles (actually we tried the Branston-flavoured peanuts and they were foul!).

Then on Tuesday I took part in a charity bridge event.  As most of these affairs, it was in a delightful country house setting.  This is in fact Buriton Manor.

The bridge took place in their medieval barn.

What amazed me was that there were 100 people playing, but I had only met 6 of them before!  Where do they all come from?  Actually I think I know - these are the ladies who wear pearls and like to play bridge in manor houses.  Anyway, a great lunch, a bottle of plonk on each table and, although I hardly like to mention it, She From Whom I Will Never Hear the End of It actually won!

Then today I played at the local Methodist Church, where we have a teacher (who, you might be fascinated to hear, was teaching us Benji Twos and Splinters).  One of the ladies there invited me to a game this afternoon and I was so flattered that I said 'yes'.

Now, tell me whether I am making too much of this.  She didn't tell me in advance that we were playing for money.  She did remember to tell me that we get fed late afternoon, although that was only at the last minute, but maybe that was OK.  But when I arrived, I discovered that there were only 4 of us and that 2 of them smoked.  I don't know how you feel about that.  I felt obligated to play (it's a bit tricky playing with only 3 people), but I did feel a bit sick and headachey by the end of the afternoon.  My nose is congested and I now stink!  Should they have told me before I agreed to play?

Still, I won 20p.

WE ALL LIKE FIGGY PUDDING

I'm afraid I've been hors de combat for a few days.  I think I ate something that wasn't quite cooked or fresh or something.  You remember Kane on that spaceship, just before the alien burst out of his body?  I have been feeling a bit like that.
 
It hasn't been a good time to attend two formal dinners and two more Christmas parties.  But I struggled through.  What's the good of entering the Christmas season if you have to cut down on things like pork pies and wine!!!  And if I see another cup of camomile tea, I might throw it through the window.

Anyway, things are still not quite right, but I think I might give up everything planned for this weekend and take it easy for a couple of days.  When here, it's been a hot infusion of some sort and off to bed.  There's worse ways to spend Christmas I suppose.

The weekend before last I was over in Kent.  Wonderful Japanese dinner (that's the second this Christmas.  I think it's the recession - everyone economising with fish).  Then I think I played bridge for 3 days.  Bit of a blur that part.  But here's me receiving my second prize during the event.  Two prizes!  You should see my face!!  Then I had to make a presentation to the Board at my local charity.  They accepted everything I said.  Hooray!  So more celebrating necessary now . . .  Probably more work too.  What have I let myself in for?

Last weekend I was up in Croydon.  I then had to catch a bus from there at some unearthly hour of the morning to take me to a conference in Cambridge.  The conference was great - 200 walkers sharing stories and advice ('don't forget your boots', 'keep away from the cliff edge', 'that wine's better than that one'.  You can see I learned well).  Anyway, only time to take one pic.  This is from my room at sunset.  Lovely, isn't it.

People round today which was nice, if time consuming.  Then tomorrow and Friday a couple more parties.  It must be nearing Christmas by now.  I don't really understand what's happening this year.  We might go away for next Christmas to get away from all this; it's far too festive for me.

Anyway, that's me up to date.  I'll try to get back online in a day or two.  As Sally Phillips would say on Miranda, 'Bear with, bear with.'