After two appointments in the morning, I headed back to the Lobelia to get Tammy and Mike so we could go to lunch at the Santa Maria Restaurant.  The weather today was lovely but rather sunny on the front patio so we sat inside.  Tammy had moussaka and a side salad, Mike had a chicken kebab, salad, and fries, and I had swordfish, baked potato, and steamed vegetables plus we shared a large bottle of water.  While we visited, Chris brought us pita triangles and taramasalata as a starter.  Taramasalata, for those of you who may not recognise it, is a pink dip made from salmon roe.  It is not one of my favourite dishes as it tastes fishy to me, although this time it was mild and rather tasty.  It is difficult to actually find food that is not good in Cyprus--the main problem here is the amount that one gets at each meal!  The portions are just enormous!  After the salad and the main course, Chris brought us fresh watermelon chunks--watermelon here in the states is not my favourite fruit, but it looks and tastes different in Cyprus--more dense and very sweet--so I find it rather delicious.

Next stop before my meetings start was to head to the Papas Hypermarket.  This is a grocery store and bakery which is about a block from the apartment.  We wanted to get some bottles of water and other essentials and show Tammy the bakery goods!  They are not only delicious but a delight to the eyes.

Then I went back to the GCIS for meetings the rest of the afternoon until about 7:30 p.m.  Once meetings were over I headed back to the Lobelia to get Mike and Tammy.  We walked over to Socrates and Xenia's house for dinner.  It was such a delight to be able to walk on the street to their house--some of you may remember how we had to walk through a rough field in the dark to get there for many years-now there is a road that goes by the New York Bakery and right in front of their house.  The new thing this year is that Socrates has planted this amazing garden across the street from his house--all kinds of vegetables and fruit trees. 

As always we were welcomed effusively by Socrates, Xenia, and all their family--one always feels as if we are coming home and seeing family again when we come to their house.  Once we arrived, dinner was not quite ready.  The oven had broken this afternoon so the food was delayed.  So while we waited on the patio we consumed a pitcher of Melon Mojitos which Socrates had made.  Ah so nice!

Dinner of course was amazing!!!  There were chicken kebabs, fried calamari, 2 different kinds of village salads, baked eggplant, tomato, and feta, tzatziki and pita, Cypriot fried potatoes, chips, cannoli filled with cheese and spinach, and fruit for dessert.  Of course there was wine to accompany the dinner and then Commandaria to have as an after dinner drink.  Commandaria is the Cypriot version of Port--it is an ancient liquor that it is said Cleopatra drank.  About 11 after a lovely evening, we walked back extremely full but feeling very happy!