Having never been to Cyprus before, the first thing I did when preparing to go there was to buy a decent guidebook. I am a big fan of both Rough Guide and Lonely Planet books, and usually choose whichever happens to be the newest edition (which, in this case, was the Rough Guide). Sure, in these days of internet at your fingertips, most of the information found within can also be found online, but there is something special about being able to hold a physical book, marking pages of interest and flicking back and forth with ease. Don't get me wrong, I love my Kindle and wouldn't be without it, but there are some books which really need to be experienced in a physical format, and a travel guide book is one of them. Armed with a basic knowledge of Cyprus' turbulent past, an understanding of the different geographical regions and areas of interest, plus some basic Greek phrases, I felt ready to go and explore.
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| Enjoying the free tourist train in Lefkoşa - incredibly fun and informative, with a great driver and party atmosphere, taking in all the sights in the north of the city! |
We were staying with our friends, the Bateys, in their home in south Nicosia (or Lefkosia, as it is technically called) so were fortunate to have our accommodation for the trip sorted. Nicosia is the last remaining divided capital in the world, since the Berlin wall fell back in 1989. The northern half is occupied by Turkish Cypriots and is known as Lefkoşa, whereas the southern part is inhabited by Greek Cypriots. Between the two halves of the city, and indeed the entire island, is a UN-controlled buffer zone which is uninhabited and looks rather post-apocalyptic. Apparently, crossing the border used to be much more difficult than it is today; we were able to walk across on foot in the centre of the old city, without even having our passports stamped. The difference between the north and south parts of the city is stark; they feel worlds apart. The southern part feels very European, with modern high street shops and the distinct feel of a city with money, whereas the northern part feels more rugged, like Turkey or Morocco. The streets in the north do not have the clean, well-maintained appearance of the south, but they exude a certain warmth and are full of eastern charm.
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| Alex stood next to the buffer zone. Just above and to the right of his head, you can see the red Turkish flag on the other side of the city |
For two of the five weeks we spent in Cyprus, we enrolled the children into a summer school programme. It was a slight shock to the system for us all, as they had to leave the apartment at just gone 7am in order to get there on time and then finished for the day at 2.30pm. We all struggled to wake up so early in the morning to start with! The children took part in various activities at their summer school, such as arts and crafts, sports, music, etc. and seemed to have a great time. Beth was at the Senior School on her own, whereas Zach was at the Junior School, along with the Bateys' son, Sebastian. There was some confusion on Zach's first day about his lunch, since we were told to pack some snacks in their bags for mid-morning, but I had incorrectly referred to this as his packed lunch when packing his bag. I had packed him an apple, as well as some small tubs containing raw vegetables and dried fruit. When asking how his day had gone, he told us about how the teacher had made him eat his entire packed lunch at snack time. Apparently, he had just wanted to eat his apple, but the teacher dug around in his bag and pulled out the tubs of fruit and veg (presumably, because she knew that he was meant to bring other snacks as well as the piece of fresh fruit) and told him to eat them, too. Zach was quite concerned about her having done that, and then continued to explain to us that the poor woman had later had to give him her own lunch to eat, since his had all been eaten at snack time! In actual fact, she had really just provided him with the hot meal which we had paid for and expected him to be given, but Zach's misunderstanding of the whole situation really made us chuckle.
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| Beth and Zach, all ready for summer school |
Whilst the children were at summer school, Alex and I made the most of the free time together and went on a couple of dates, which were lovely. We went for brunch at a few nice eateries around the city, as well as going for a hammam together and visiting a classic motorbike museum. The museum was absolutely fascinating, and was one of my highlights of the entire trip. Whilst I am not into classic motorbikes, per se, I certainly love all things mechanical and therefore any older vehicles will tend to interest me. As such, it was interesting to see such a large collection of classic motorbikes, which have all been lovingly and painstakingly restored and are kept in full working order. However, what really made the visit so interesting was the museum guide, who gave us a wonderfully engaging history lesson by sharing with us his own incredible knowledge about the evolution of motorcycles and their development through the years. From the early British designers and builders and their many successes, through to their demise from the late 1970s due to Japanese manufacturers such as Honda who took advantage of the lull in British innovation, and the fact that Harley Davidson were really only prevented from going under at that time due to being propped up by the US government, who used them for their law enforcement officers. It's amazing how interesting any subject can be when it is being taught by a passionate and knowledgeable teacher, and how many lessons can be learned when we examine the events of the past with an open mind.
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| A picnic spot with a view, in the mountains |
As well as exploring our immediate surroundings, we ventured further afield on numerous occasions to take advantage of Cyprus' stunning beaches and beautiful mountains. It is really quite incredible to live in a city whereby you can drive for a little over an hour and find yourself in a holiday destination that most people there have flown for over 4 hours to enjoy. We felt very fortunate that the Bateys were willing to have us to stay in their lovely home, and that they have chosen such a wonderful island on which to reside for the time being! On one of these weekend trips to the coast, Alex and I decided to walk to the sea one evening after dark, to enjoy a night swim under an almost-full moon. It was absolutely magical, and we enjoyed it so much that we kept the children up late on the following evening so that they, too, could experience it. I often wonder how much they will remember of these experiences as they grown up... perhaps very little, especially in Zach's case, but hopefully they will still benefit from them on some deep and subconscious level.
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| Fun on the beach, on the east coast of Cyprus |
Whilst the sea was so wonderfully warm that you might as well be having a bath, the water we found in the mountains was absolutely freezing! Thankfully, we had sought it out in respite due to sustained temperatures of over 40°C in the city, so we weren't about to complain when we found it. We found a spectacular waterfall, the Caledonia Falls, which we reached by following a beautiful walk from the town of Platres. At 12 metres high, this waterfall is one of the highest on the island, and runs year round. The children enjoyed the hike there and back, frolicking in the pools and trying (unsuccessfully) to catch small trout, and we all enjoyed the cooler temperatures in this lush, mountainous region.
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| Believe me, it was colder than it looks! |
Another beautiful swimming spot we found in the mountains was Filani Lake, where the water was much warmer and much better for actually swimming in (as opposed to the cold plunge at the waterfall). I found this lake using Google maps, as opposed to the guide book. I basically used satellite view and spent hours searching around the main mountainous areas on the island, looking for bodies of water that might be suitable for swimming in. Sadly, many of the large pools of water in this region are reservoirs, created by damming rivers and not available for swimming in, but I got lucky when I finally discovered Filani Lake, which was a real hidden gem. The roads to reach it were a little bumpy in places but, as is so often the case in life, it was well worth leaving the beaten track to get there.
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| The beautiful Filani Lake, in the Machairas mountains |
