I had a holiday!

For once I have a good reason for being missing - I've been away to Kos one of the Greek Dodecanese islands in the Aegean sea and it was wonderful.  I went with 3 of my cousins.  No husbands, no children, no grandchildren. Just lots of sunshine, blue skies and it was hot!  (But bearable!)

We stayed in Tigaki in an aparment complex that is family run and quite small but very friendly.  My cousins went last year and when they planned a return visit this year I was determined to join them.  We don't see much of each other these days but as children we often went away on family holidays together so it was great to spend quality time together again.

And I took pictures! 

This is the pool area:

A typical small church.  I love the blue and white colours.

A nearby salt lake.  It was really weird walking here - nearly lost my shoes!

I took this shot on our way out one evening.  There are lots of buildings on the island where work has started and then for whatever reason has just stopped.  This one has been taken over by some goats and it just seemed a perfect photo opportunity.

On one of the days we went up into the mountains to a village called Zia and we enjoyed a break at a very colourful cafe.

Zia is billed as the place to go for a sunset dinner so we found ourselves a restaurant where we had a table with a lovely view of the sunset.  Unfortunately this was the one evening when the sky was not as clear so the sunset wasn't quite so spectacular.  But we had a nice meal and travelling up and down by taxi was probably less scary than by coach - the roads are very narrow, not always in a great condition.

We ate out every night and had some lovely food but of course you know how I love my desserts, especially if there is chocolate involved.

There was a lovely beach nearby but we mostly relaxed by the pool.

The apartment complex:

 

More food

Our last evening we had a barbecue meal at the apartments followed by some traditional greek dancing,

The four of us, Pat, me, Julie and Jill.

We laughed so much and of course there were plenty of cocktails to try but I stuck to wine or martini as I'm not really a spirit drinker.

Of course all good things come to an end and now I'm home!  A week is not enough.  Although of course we all have commitments so getting away for longer would take a bit more organisation.  

I've had a lazy week since I've been back.  I didn't actually feel very well for the first few days but I'm ok now and I've had a catch up with Grandsons Nathan and Rory.  

Tomorrow things will really get back to normal as I will be Grandsitting Rory as usual for a Monday.

Hopefully normal service on the blog will resume too.

Review: The Doctor

The Doctor by Lisa Stone
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

How much do you know about the couple next door?

When Emily and Ben move in next door to Dr Burman and his wife Anita, they are keen to get to know their new neighbours. Outgoing and sociable, Emily tries to befriend the doctor’s wife, but Anita is strangely subdued, barely leaving the house, and terrified of answering the phone.

When Emily goes missing a few weeks later, Ben is plunged into a panic. His wife has left him a note, but can she really have abandoned him for another man? Or has Emily’s curiosity about the couple next door led her straight into danger?

I read this for a book club otherwise I might not have finished it. I nearly listed it under fantasy as well as crime fiction etc but cryonics is a real thing. That's not a spoiler because that subject comes up on page 6 of the book.

It's a creepy book and I usually enjoy thrillers but there was just something about it that I didn't like. The characters felt a bit 2 dimensional to me. The writing didn't feel polished. Not everything seemed plausible. As for the twist at the end, that didn't work for me either.

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Review: The Other Wife

The Other Wife by Michael Robotham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Childhood sweethearts William and Mary have been married for sixty years. William is a celebrated surgeon, Mary a devoted wife. Both have a strong sense of right and wrong.
This is what their son, Joe O'Loughlin, has always believed. But when Joe is summoned to the hospital with news that his father has been brutally attacked, his world is turned upside down. Who is the strange woman crying at William's bedside, covered in his blood - a friend, a mistress, a fantasist or a killer?
Against the advice of the police, Joe launches his own investigation. As he learns more, he discovers sides to his father he never knew - and is forcibly reminded that the truth comes at a price.


A good thriller that kept me hooked from the beginning. Lots of twists and secrets gradually spilled. I read it in a couple of days while on holiday. I didn't realise it was actually part of a series (#9!) but it can easily be read as a stand alone. I will be looking out for other titles from this author.

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Review: Every Breath

Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

In the romantic tradition of The Notebook and Nights in Rodanthe, #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks returns with a story about a chance encounter that becomes a touchstone for two vastly different individuals -- transcending decades, continents, and the bittersweet workings of fate. 

Hope Anderson is at a crossroads. At thirty-six, she's been dating her boyfriend, an orthopedic surgeon, for six years. With no wedding plans in sight, and her father recently diagnosed with ALS, she decides to use a week at her family's cottage in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, to ready the house for sale and mull over some difficult decisions about her future. 

Tru Walls has never visited North Carolina but is summoned to Sunset Beach by a letter from a man claiming to be his father. A safari guide, born and raised in Zimbabwe, Tru hopes to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding his mother's early life and recapture memories lost with her death. When the two strangers cross paths, their connection is as electric as it is unfathomable . . . but in the immersive days that follow, their feelings for each other will give way to choices that pit family duty against personal happiness in devastating ways. 

Illuminating life's heartbreaking regrets and enduring hope, EVERY BREATH explores the many facets of love that lay claim to our deepest loyalties -- and asks the question, How long can a dream survive?

This is a beautifully told story but for some reason it didn't really grab me. (I even stopped and read another book before I came back to it and finished it.) Maybe I just wasn't convinced enough about the events. Maybe I need to read The Notebook and see what the fuss is about! Definitely a good escapism book for holiday reading though.

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