Cyprus 2019 - day 12

20^th March 2019

Final day in Cyprus. I didn’t sleep very well, tossing and turning throughout the night. I’ve not slept brilliantly the whole time I’ve been here. That’s just highlighted how much I normally sleep. Three to five hours then tossing and turning. When I get back home, I’m going to wear my Garmin to bed for a week and look at my sleep pattern using that.

It’s another sunny morning, blue skies, birds singing. Most of my things are packed ready to leave. I’ve just got a few last-minute things to put in my bag and rucksack and then I’m ready to go.

Breakfast first though as that is probably going to e what fuels me for the entire day, other than some drinks.

I’m going to write this entry as I go along, it will give me something to do.

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The drive to the airport was almost as pleasant as the drive to Ayia Napa, just a bit more traffic to contend with but the sun was shining, and the scenery was fabulous.

Going through security was again a bit of a delay but that was because even leaving my camera lenses in my bag, while taking my laptop and camera out, merits a rescan of everything. Something to remember for when I go to Finland.

Now it’s just a case of sitting and waiting for my flight to be called, which shouldn’t be long.

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The flight back was uneventful. I managed to read 3 of the 5 stories in my book.

For about the last hour of the flight, whenever I looked out the window of the aeroplane all I could see was white clouds. It looked like a snow-covered landscape. If I’d not known that we were at 34,000 feet I could have imagined that we were flying low over the Antarctic landscape.

I also found myself imaging a giant sky whale surfacing from within the clouds before diving back into them once more. A great idea for a short story perhaps.

The drive home from the airport was uneventful. I was glad to see Tracey and be back home again.

Before I went to bed, I finished watching The Umbrella Academy. Definitely a series I want to watch when they bring out season 2.

I also had my first taste of Metaxa. Boy, is that easy to drink, and to drink too much of.

Cyprus 2019 - day 11

19^th March 2019

Last full day in Cyprus. Tomorrow I fly back to the UK.

I’ve not done a lot today. Went for a spa treatment this morning, slimming massage. It was nice.

The rest of the day has been chilling and watching The Umbrella Academy which I’d downloaded from Netflix.

Well not all of it. I went finished packing the last bits I could and went out for a short walk this afternoon. Bought a few last-minute presents, had a few beers, dinner and now I’m getting ready to go to bed and get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day.

A two-hour drive to Paphos airport, filling up the hire car with petrol before I drop it off.

Lugging a large bag and a bike box from the car hire place to baggage drop off. Sitting around departures waiting for my flight. A five-hour flight back to the UK. Pick up luggage. Catch a bus to the car park. Hour or so drive home and then bed for a few hours, knowing that I’ll have to get up 2 hours earlier than I’ve had to the last few days in order to get Tracey off to work, and on Thursday and Friday for me to get to the pool and gym so that I can get back into my training.

I still find myself having regrets about not doing better in Sunday’s race. When I’ve seen the sea looking almost completely calm and know that if those had been the conditions I’d have got around the swim and then most likely gone on to complete the bike and run, I feel disappointed but I have to keep telling myself, if I’d had an easy swim then I wouldn’t have any idea that I need to work harder to become a stronger swimmer so that I can overcome conditions like that in the future.