Nicosia (old and new) by CF

Well it was another non rainy day in Cyprus.  The morning always seems the hottest because the sun rising in the east hits the private pool area for several hours before most of us drag ourselves out of bed after 9 or 10.  Lori usually is up early with Alex.  I have been up before her a few times but usually she is the unappreciative and unwilling champion.  When the patio door opens the hot air blasts through the door to quickly heat up the kitchen and living area.  The AC is mostly off during the day and really is only hot feeling in morning when we exit our air conditioned bedrooms.  Each room has its own AC unit unlike central air in the States.  The units are mounted on the walls and have a pipe that connects to a unit mounted next to several others on an outside wall.  The buildings in the complex are adobe like and modern.  They all have several of these AC units attached to walls and a unsightly barrel on the roof which is the way they heat their water.  Everywhere we've seen so far is the same.  Weird in the cities that there are sometimes several of these at least 100 gallon barrels stacked up on top of each other in horizontal position on top of the 10 story buildings.
We started off late this morning getting a little pool time in to wake up in the morning.  Gary the pool guy has the pool looking good after a bumpy start.  He is an English chap who drives a truck in England and comes here to this complex to take care of pools.  He is a talker and passionate about his pool caring.  I would almost call him a pool Nazi.  He doesn't like a dirty pool.  We had fun splashing around until late morning when we started getting ready to head to Nicosia.  I enjoyed taking my shower outside as I did every day we where here.  I had some clothes on and enjoyed the warm wind and space the outside area provided.  The inside showers are extremely small, 2x2 feet, and you can hardly move around.  The outside area brought back fond memories of Cape Code years ago. 
We took off for Nicosia which took just under an hour to get too.  The boys car piloted by Demetris always beat the girls team piloted by Lori because he knows the way, ha.  We first stopped at a craft shop that makes all their own pottery, linens, and trinkets.  Very neat store and they kept some of our Euros.  We next made our way to see Demetris' mothers house where he grew up and they now live.  It was a nice spacious house with three bed rooms and a very nice parlor and dining room .  The house inside would be similar to a grandma's house in the States that was a touch of the old days.  There was nice old wooden cabinets and tables with pictures of their family.  The floors throughout the house were a pretty marble as with most houses I presume.  She had pretty flowers around outside of the house and even a small bit of grass around the house.  All the houses in the neighborhood have flat roofs and thick adobe walls which keep houses amazingly cool considering it was 104 degrees outside.  The heat wasn't too much of a bother since humidity is lower.  In the Midwest the heat and humidity almost chokes you, unlike here.  The cars still are very hot to get in and out of.    Visiting with Electra, Demetris' mom, was enjoyable even though she had to be translated by Demetris most of the time.  She and Marilyn, even with the language barrier, formed a special grandmother or Yia-yia bond.  We had some snacks at her house which we desperately needed at 2 p.m.  We wished the visit could have been longer, but just didn't work that way.  As soon as we got there Alex and Sofia darted for their bedroom, Demetris old room, to dump all the toys on the floor.  Everyone needs their comfort of home.  We said our goodbyes and tried to take pictures which is a lottery when Sofia and Alex are concerned, ha.    
Back into the hot cars for a trip down to the old town of Nicosia.  There is a wall still existing in very large circle from the 1300's.  There are at least 6 gates in the wall which some reside in the Turkish side of the city.  The country is split with about 30% being Turkish, designated by a line the United Nations created after the 1974 invasion.  We walked down to the border crossing leading to the Turkish side, which was just at the end of the street where a passport would be needed to cross.   We did walk around some neat areas down in old Nicosia and found an ice cream store that served us four flavors. The streets are all blocked off now for tourist and shopping.  The place we went for ice cream is where Demetris went as a kid.  We also visited a neat museum in the heart of the city. 
In the evening after returning from the hottest city, we met with Demetris' whole family, except his mother, at a restaurant for dinner.  The time of dinner was to be at 8:30 which was a negotiated time, ha.  Cypriot's like to eat at 10-10:30 so Demetris had to find a time in the middle of our usually 6-7 time.  We had a feast of all kinds of meats which was overwhelming but delicious.  The rare chance to eat hare was great.  It was really good and not gamey.  The snails were pretty good also but no one else that made the trip with me would have one.  We were so full and kids were done, that we missed the dessert.  It was a very busy and great day and we are glad God gave us this chance to see this island rich in history.  Sincerely, Curtis Fauble

The two grandmas

At the ice cream store

Curt and Sofia

Everyone at dinner (minus Demetris taking the picture)