Over the Christmas break Kim and I went to Cyprus for a couple of weeks. We had been wondering where to go.... for the break...Morocco came up...but that would have just been more Arabia so that was quickly dismissed. Then Ethiopia and Mali and even Kenya...but they`re far away..kind of expensive and not terribly safe. So Kim says there`s a fellow in the English department who has a house in Cyprus....I`m just going to talk to him. She e-mailed only about two hours later saying this fellow...Johnathan has invited us to his house in Cyprus for as long as we want over the break. Do you think I should accept?....Oh yes I said this is a fine and generous offer and I can`t imagine when we might get another chance to go to Cyprus.
South coast of Cyprus....that's slowpoke Kim down there.
Cyprus has had a very dodgy past. It`s very close to the Turkish mainland. Copper deposits were discovered there many thousands of years ago....the bronze age was just beginning and everyone needed as much copper as they could get their hands on....so Cyprus became a very important place for a long time. It has survived three massive earthquakes that quite literally destroyed everything on the island. Richard the ``Lion Heart`` on his way Israel and the Crusade got blown off course and ended up there..where he ran into some kind of treachery and ended up conquering the island....after which it languished. But the English weren`t through with it yet....Cyprus for several hundred years was part of the Ottoman Empire..which was basically Turkey....after the first world war the victors were divying up the spoils....and by some slight of hand the British ended up with Cyprus....and it became a handy little place to have during the second world war. As well during the British mandate many thousands of Britons came down here to live....especially in retirement for it`s a lot cheaper than Europe (although that`s changed since it joined the European Economic Community) so even now it is a haven for retired British people who make up a surprisingly large part of the population...and there is a very large British Army-Naval base there. But when the British gave the Island up....it freed up the whole population...some of them Greeks and many of them Turks to even old scores...and a war broke out. Canada had hundreds of peace keeping troops there during the duration of the hostilities....and the feeling between the two populations is anything but friendly...so the island is roughly divided between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. The Greek portion is reasonably well off....the Turkish side not so much. But it`s a lovely place.
Johnathan's House in Cyprus
So late on Friday December 21st we landed a couple of hours late in Larnaca....a biggish city on the south coast. We had rented two cars so that took an extra hour at the airport...because the cars were miles away. We finally got on the highway about 10:30 at nite .....Johnathan leading the way...he had very strict instructions not to lose us. They drive on the opposite side there....I haven’t driven on the left side since Australia but I was going to drive and follow Johnathan. But somehow an insurance issue came up that I couldn’t drive....so Kim had to take over...thank goodness Johnathan’s house is only about 45 minutes away....he was kind .....he didn’t lose us and Kim did a fine job driving for the first time on the wrong side of the road......I mean.... I’m sure Kim has driven on the wrong side of the road before...but at least this time she was sober. Johnathan is an English....English teacher at the Cairo American College. He was born and kind of raised in India...where his dad was an urban planner or something. He received his education everywhere and has taught at international schools all his life. He’s about 54 years old and gay as can be and ain’t afraid to admit it......he’s a really good fellow. He built this house in a little village outside the city of Limmisol...it’s big and only about 20 minutes away...so you have everything you need close to hand...but you’re living in a little village. The house is big...has a pool is airy and nice. But he’s been renting it out for the past couple of years..and by the time we got there a few things were buggered. The heating didn’t work....and it gets cool in Cyprus at night in the winter. They’d removed the cooking stove and dishwasher...and there were a few other minor issues. But we arrived in good form that night....we had brought some nice food....and of course we had hit duty free heavily and had lots of booze....so we drank quite a lot of it that night. Next morning I had a bit of headache but nothing serious...Kim’s still sleeping I get up and Johnathan is up raring to go because he has a lot to accomplish in a short period of time....most pressing????
Carrefour...a great big French owned grocery store....they're all around the world.
We need a cooking stove....and we have to go to Carrefour the big grocery store chain that seems to be all over the world....we have a lot of groceries to buy. So we leave Kim with her dreams and head into to town. Go to Carrefour and buy just a ton of food...because Christmas is only two days away...and guess who else is in the store.....everbody!!! We buy up hundreds of Euros of food....some we hadn’t seen for awhile because we’ve been in Eygpt. That done...the stove. This was kind of a special stove Johnathan wanted...he wanted gas burners...but an electric oven. I just thought oh shit...where are we going to find that. In fact they have have lots of them there....the big issue was that Johnathan wanted it delivered to the house that very day...two days before Christmas. We went from place to place trying to make a deal to get a stove delivered....we finally agreed on giving them a hundred Euros extra (about 130 dollars Canadian) to have it delivered that afternoon. Mission accomplished...we drove home. I had something to eat and hit the couch....Kim was out exploring the village. The guys came about two hours later with the stove...I couldn’t believe it. After resting a bit Johnathan drove us down to the old port area in Limmisol...it’s kind of nice touristy area where artisans sell their stuff....home nice meal early to bed.
Day two was a big campaign....we were going for a long drive to a monastery....that’s how Johnathan sold it to us. I said I would drive because I could use the practice...he said okay. We had a big breakfast and packed up a lunch and off we went. Me driving on the left side of the road...this in fact eventually turned out to be easy....but you really have to concentrate especially for the first couple of days. Down the motor way......it’s not that busy because there only about 700 thousand people who live on the island.. ...we shoot through the city....roundabouts galore.. then we started climbing a very twisty turny narrow mountain road.....I didn’t know anything about this! Johnathan says yes....we’re going way up into the mountain to visit the famous monestary there....you’ll like it and I want to pick up a few bottles of their famous brandy. But the driving is not easy....twists ...turns narrow paved road....cars coming around a curves and you can’t see them. Then rain...then fog....and then SNOW! We stopped into a couple of very nice quaint mountain villages had coffees...inspite of the driving it was good.
Brent at Kykos Monestary....The Brandy sales booth is off to the left behind me.
We get to the monestary and it’s big and old...the way monestaries usually are. Johathan buys several bottles of the Monk’s brandy...they make it there at the monastery..it’s not all that cheap either. We have our nice lunch standing around the back of the car in a cool mist ..... then head on down through the mountains....take a few pictures in the snow....that in fact is quite a tourist attraction because so few people around these parts have even seen snow...big deal.
Why not!
Note the fog...great for driving.
We make a couple more tourist stops..then out onto the coast once again. We stop into another big grocery store and pick up a few things we missed the other day because Christmas is now only a day away. Back home to a nice supper cooked on the new stove...(local minced pork sausage mashed potatoes and cole slaw...mmmmmm pork!) Kim and Johnathan got stuck into the Monk’s brandy. I thought it tasted like the liquid left after you boil leather ...but they liked it...I retired with Johnathan singing opera in full throat. I don’t know about that Monk’s brandy.More soon....b
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