City Life Cyprus

Well here we are in Nicosia. I awoke to a cacophony of drills, cars, people yelling and church bells sounding, after about five hours of sleep. Time for a fantastic breakfast buffet with cappuccino!

I last posted on our day of leisure in Larnaca. After my internet time we drove westward on the coast road, passing through villages, and stopping at the first taverna with cars in the parking lot and a mouth watering smell emanating from the building. It was in a fairly industrial little port town called Zygi, and the meal was outstanding. My mother had fresh Calamari, I had grilled Sea Bream and Tashi had grilled Octopus. That she will joyfully eat tentacles with suckers still attached amazes me, but she loves the taste and I must admit, Cyprus Octopus is delicious. It is soft, smoky, and, well. . . meaty.



We also had the amazing village salad that comes with each meal, this one with lettuce, cabbage, celery greens, parsley, tomatoes, onions, cucumber and feta, all deliciously soaked with olive oil and lemon. After our leisurely lunch looking out to sea we drove to Governor’s Beach, a sandy stretch set against some dramatic sandstone bluffs. Tashi had a grand time building a fort in the sand, while YiaYia knitted in the café above the beach and I snapped photos and a few little Flip videos. I watched the light change against the bluffs as the sun set, and then it was time to head back to our little flat for the night.



On Wednesday we arose early and headed to the Turkish occupied North once again. My mother owns land around Kyrenia, and wanted to see if it had been illegally developed. We lived in Kyrenia up until we came to the U.S., when I was almost four. My earliest memories of Cyprus are set in Kyrenia, an idyllic little harbor town with a castle, a sandy beach, fish tavernas and woodsy ravines, all set against the dramatic Pentadaktylos Range.



The first big change I noticed was on the Nicosia side of the range, all along the mountains had been blasted for mining. And then as we entered Kyrenia we were engulfed by bad architecture and over development. What was once a peaceful, quaint and extremely picturesque harbor town, is now a city. Thankfully the harbor is still very pretty, and the old town on its fringes is somewhat preserved, but the damaging growth that fans out from it all will never be undone. Suffice it to say we could not find my mother’s properties; what was once on a hillside covered in olive and carob trees and wildflowers, is now hidden within the blight of suburbia. Regardless, we drove up to Bellapais, a beautiful little village that has retained most of its character. We walked the little cobbled village streets, peered into gardens, and the drank a Turkish coffee by the gothic remains of Bellapais Abbey.



On Thursday we packed up our bags in preparation for our move to Nicosia the following day. I took Tashi to the local beach to say goodbye to the tribe of cats, and to feed them some leftover scraps of chicken. She was particularly sad about saying goodbye to a peaceful, sweet, beautiful cat we had named Shanti. If only we cold bring them all home! The cats of Oroklini are well taken care of by an English woman who comes down from her home in Pyla to feed them regularly. She mentioned to us that the Cypriot government is now paying to have stray cats neutered and spayed, so she has taken many to the vet recently.



That afternoon we took a drive through the villages of the Kolokasi Region. Kolokasi is a root vegetable similar to Taro which is grown in the fertile red earth of south east Cyprus. It was an enjoyable drive, some villages more interesting than others. We stopped off at the Saddle Club of the British army base (Dekelia) to say hello to the horses, ponies and donkeys. We also stopped in the village of Paralimni that had three St. George churches in a row: New, Old and Oldest. Tashi and I shared a delicious Nutella and fresh Strawberries crepe. We caught an awesome sunset and finished off our time in the region with an amazing Greek Mezze dinner at Mantra (prounounced mandra) in upper Oroklini. A Mandra is an old farmhouse/sheep corral. This one had been restored and turned into a big, beautiful restaurant with a great deal of character and excellent food.



Yesterday we arrived in Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus and where I was born. I have three uncles and a cousin here, a very good childhood friend, and a network of extended family. My aunt Tina who lives in Athens is also in town for a visit. We spent a brief spell in the Turkish occupied part of Nicosia. There is a checkpoint for people who want to walk through. Tashi and I both felt ill at ease there however, and we were a bit lost looking for what is apparently an amazing Cathedral of Saint Sophia, so we returned to the comforts of the Cypriot side. Happily we met family for a delicious traditional lunch. And from there on out it has mostly been about huge quantities of food and good times with family. Earlier this morning we visited the graves of my Papou and YiaYia, and of my dear cousin Louiza who died in an airplane crash. We also went with my uncle Lonia to see his beautiful old farmhouse in a village called Pera (which means “beyond”). This house was astonishing! Afterwards, we lingered for a few hours over more great food at a Taverna.



And that leads me to the here and now, sitting in the Classic Hotel, a great place to be.