Cyprus is beautiful; a 25 minute flight from Beirut, and worlds apart. As soon as we got off the plane, we were met by the Greek taxi driver, our names printed on a sign he held out to us. He led us outside to his parked car. As he loaded Charlene and Barbara's suitcases, I popped my backpack into the trunk and slipped around to the passenger side. When I opened the door I found a surprise; the steering wheel! "I'm not really planning to drive!" I sputtered. The driver laughed at me as I found my way around the car, back to where I'd started, and got into the front seat, left side. As he took off, I let out a few gasps at oncoming headlights, more chuckles from the driver, and on we went.
We've had a busy 4-day weekend. For Thanksgiving, we ate "rooster" in Nicosia, the inland capitol city. Our charming young waiter was doing his best to translate Greek into his limited English. The meal was delicious. I found myself enjoying everything, from the thick homemade bread sticks to salad / veggies, "rooster", and Greek wine. We happened onto this outdoor restaurant as we wound our way along narrow single lane roads inside the old fortified Venetian walls of Nicosia. We met Cypriot fat cats who posed for photos, and stepped into small shops to gaze at the wares, i.e, souvenirs. My partners bought jewelry and cotton shirts, while I enjoyed looking and helping. I'll be returning to Cyprus, so no hurry.
I learned that in 1974, resulting from an invasion of Greek Cyprus by Turkey, the politicians agreed to split the island of Cyprus between Greece and Turkey. Like formerly divided Berlin, Cyprus, and more the the point, its capital Nicosia, is divided in half. We walked from the Greek side across the "border" into the Turkish side on Friday. Our passports were stamped. We meandered narrow winding roads in the Turkish half of the old city, passing former medieval Greek Orthodox churches now transformed into mosques with towers topped by crescent moon and star. The difference between the Greek and Turkish cities was evident at the first step. Gone were shiny Starbucks and glossy designer shops of the Greek half. Gone were the bustling crowds of shoppers. Now we passed tiny shops of discount clothing, handmade confections (Turkish Delight!), yarn and knitted goods, and of course, rugs. We heard the call to prayer. Litter was scattered in the walkways. We ate lunch at the foot of a medieval mosque, and fed chicken scraps to a scrawny kitten whose pitiful cries and dirty paws told us he was on his own.
Back in "Grecian Cyprus" we noted the clean European style roads and felt at ease, left side of the road and all. The intercity bus for 3 euros (about $4.50), hustled us back to Larnaca on the south side of Cyprus island, where we moved into the Golden Bay Hotel for 2 more nights. We visited two villages. Their stone wall homes are topped by red tiled roofs lining narrow cobblestone walkways and roadways. I love all the rocks, mostly limestone. Found myself dreaming of living in a stone house near the sea!
If I'm going to make this Mediterranean swim, it's time to do it! There are fluffy white hotel bathrobes in the closet. I'm going to wear one over my suit to the water's edge, then drop and dive... minimizing wrinkly skin in the sun! Most say it's too cold to swim here, so I am on my own. Even my roommates are finding excuses for alternative recreation. Oh Well. Must go and see what happens. I am giving THANKS for you, dear friends and family!
We've had a busy 4-day weekend. For Thanksgiving, we ate "rooster" in Nicosia, the inland capitol city. Our charming young waiter was doing his best to translate Greek into his limited English. The meal was delicious. I found myself enjoying everything, from the thick homemade bread sticks to salad / veggies, "rooster", and Greek wine. We happened onto this outdoor restaurant as we wound our way along narrow single lane roads inside the old fortified Venetian walls of Nicosia. We met Cypriot fat cats who posed for photos, and stepped into small shops to gaze at the wares, i.e, souvenirs. My partners bought jewelry and cotton shirts, while I enjoyed looking and helping. I'll be returning to Cyprus, so no hurry.
I learned that in 1974, resulting from an invasion of Greek Cyprus by Turkey, the politicians agreed to split the island of Cyprus between Greece and Turkey. Like formerly divided Berlin, Cyprus, and more the the point, its capital Nicosia, is divided in half. We walked from the Greek side across the "border" into the Turkish side on Friday. Our passports were stamped. We meandered narrow winding roads in the Turkish half of the old city, passing former medieval Greek Orthodox churches now transformed into mosques with towers topped by crescent moon and star. The difference between the Greek and Turkish cities was evident at the first step. Gone were shiny Starbucks and glossy designer shops of the Greek half. Gone were the bustling crowds of shoppers. Now we passed tiny shops of discount clothing, handmade confections (Turkish Delight!), yarn and knitted goods, and of course, rugs. We heard the call to prayer. Litter was scattered in the walkways. We ate lunch at the foot of a medieval mosque, and fed chicken scraps to a scrawny kitten whose pitiful cries and dirty paws told us he was on his own.
Back in "Grecian Cyprus" we noted the clean European style roads and felt at ease, left side of the road and all. The intercity bus for 3 euros (about $4.50), hustled us back to Larnaca on the south side of Cyprus island, where we moved into the Golden Bay Hotel for 2 more nights. We visited two villages. Their stone wall homes are topped by red tiled roofs lining narrow cobblestone walkways and roadways. I love all the rocks, mostly limestone. Found myself dreaming of living in a stone house near the sea!
If I'm going to make this Mediterranean swim, it's time to do it! There are fluffy white hotel bathrobes in the closet. I'm going to wear one over my suit to the water's edge, then drop and dive... minimizing wrinkly skin in the sun! Most say it's too cold to swim here, so I am on my own. Even my roommates are finding excuses for alternative recreation. Oh Well. Must go and see what happens. I am giving THANKS for you, dear friends and family!
No comments:
Post a Comment