It's raining, it's pouring

Heavy rain succeeded in keeping me in all morning. Len went with George to look at a dam that is one metre close to overflowing . Some indecision as to which sluices to open. Whatever they decide, somebody's back yard is likely to be flooded.

It had rained all night, but stopped around 1pm. The sky cleared and the sun came out while we enjoyed lunch in a restaurant next to the municipal market, overlooking the town towards the sea. But cloud built up again, the wind strengthened, and thunder is all around. It promises to be a noisy night.

Paphos is somewhat sad. It always did look down at heel. European money has been used to make cosmetic changes but can't disguise the empty shops and deserted streets. I suppose the tourists mostly stay in their resort hotels East of Kato Paphos. The archaeological site around the port and the Tombs of the King's have made this a World Heritage Town although there may be more to it than that.

Twenty years ago, we used to enjoy driving up the hill to the Municipal Market to buy fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and fish. That's all gone . Instead the building houses stalls selling tawdry tourist tat and cheap textiles made in China.

One interesting thing. I don't ever recall seeing the Turkish Mosque when we used to visit in the 1990s. Len pointed out the burnt out shops and businesses surrounding it, a relic of the partition of Cyprus following the Turkish invasion of 1974. A colleague of ours in Botswana at the time was trapped in Lefcosia ( Nicosia) and spent two days on the floor of his hotel room avoiding the bullets.

The mosque has been restored with European funds but the gates were firmly closed. Perhaps to avoid vandalism.

Aziz rang this morning. He'd forgotten completely that I was away this week. He laughed when I told him that it was raining. Brilliant sunshine in Loughborough.