Two wet picnics

Note to self: if you are planning an autumn picnic in Cyprus, never assume the blue skies will last forever!  Last weekend we had two picnics planned, the first on Saturday with the school in the Troodos Mountains, and then a 'souvla picnic' with Ross' work colleagues on the Sunday in a forest near a monastery in the foothills above Nicosia.  Both events ended up being completely rained out, although each day started out with perfect blue skies and balmy temperature.  

Photographic evidence of Anna actually
wearing a jumper - it must have been cold!

It's a novelty to see clouds after the best part of 5 months of clear blue skies.  Even more so when those clouds actually produce some precipitation.  And what precipitation it was.  By the time arrived at the top of Troodos to the picnic ground on Saturday, the thermometer had dropped below 10 degrees, the clouds and fog descended and then the rain and hail came.  Hard to believe that less than 50 minutes earlier, we were leaving Nicosia in blue skies and 33 degrees.  So pronounced was the cool change that even Anna succumbed to wearing a jumper (no small feat given her stubbornness of late!).  And so the families at the picnic huddled together in a small hut wishing that someone had some dry firewood to burn.  A quick lunch was consumed, and then most families beat a hasty retreat back to their cars and down the mountain (or to a nearby village cafe to get warm).

Sunday started out with the same blue skies, and so with a measure of what in hindsight may have been misplaced optimism, we set off the second picnic in as many days.  This one was larger, approx 50 people coming from Ross' work, with some Cypriot colleagues transporting large charcoal bbq pits to the picnic site to cook 'souvla' for us all.  The forest site is a beautiful place in the mountains.  Lots of room for the kids to run around, and very popular with large extended families from Nicosia for a long Sunday picnic.  Alas last Sunday, the weather conspired against us again, and by the time we had arrived at the site (after leaving Nicosia in blue skies) it was already raining.  From then on, the rain just got harder and in the end became a deluge, the likes of which we have not seen before in Cyprus.  Small rivers flowing through the picnic site, 25kg of souvla cooking on a spit, drinks, kids, mud, small landslides.....I'm sure you get the picture.  After much animated discussion about the likelihood of the rain stopping (this is Cyprus afterall, the island of sunshine), we ended up abandoning the site when the real lightning started(!) and headed to a colleague's house who kindly agreed to host our drenched party.  

Kristos, our souvla 'masterchef'

It's not often that you would get rained out in Cyprus, much less likely that it would happen twice in as many days.  Since we've lived in Cyprus, you could count on one hand the times we have needed an umbrella.  In fact I don't think we even have one here. We certainly could have used one last weekend!


  

Time for a strong drink??