As the rain seeped through my impractical ballerinas and soaked the bottom of my jeans on the school run this morning, I found myself wistfully thinking back to our dry, hot, humid and dusty three years in Cyprus.

My dry and dusty Cypriot garden!

After a trip down memory lane, I came up with today’s top ten things I miss:

1. The amazing views of mountains and sea whilst cycling to the beach; particularly when the Red Arrows were on their annual practise overhead
   

   Tina and I must have been spotted cycling below 😉

   and Tina was alongside me!

2. Wearing flip flops most of the year.
3. Lizards scurrying under bushes and the sounds of the cicadas in the trees.
4. The Cypriots love of children: not just tolerating children in restaurants, but actively welcoming them in, taking them off you to go and tour the kitchen and coming back laden with ice-cream or chocolate pudding freebies; sometimes for the whole family!
5. Huge blocks of feta and halloumi cheese.
6. Not having to open the curtains to work out what to wear each morning!
7. Eating outside – all year round.
8. The light in the house.
9. The people and the community spirit on an overseas base.
10. The huge and seasonal fruit and vegetables: aubergines, artichokes, watermelons and best of all; strawberries in January!