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| Mommy and Sofia at the picnic site |
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| Alex gives his approval to the playground |
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| Snowball fight |
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| A very tiny snowman |
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Searching for Snow
While our friends and family in the United States have been enduring some recent bitter cold temperatures, we decided to seek out cold and snow in Cyprus. It really only snows in the mountains here, so we headed to Troodos. On our way, we stopped for a chilly picnic lunch at a nice picnic site with a playground. The kids had a good time running around and then we continued on up the mountain. We found some patches of snow, but nothing too significant. Alex and Sofia were still excited and attempted a snowball fight, snow angels, and a small snowman. The fresh mountain air must have worn us out because everyone but Demetris, the driver, fell asleep on the way home.
Our Trip to Cyprus by Mike
The day after Christmas we spent traveling to Nissi beach in Ayia
Napa. In the summer this beautiful piece of seashore is usually
packed with the young hip tourist. There were signs of this
in the form of advertisements for foam dance parties and lots of bar space, but in the
winter all of that was closed. It was just us and maybe a few others on
a sunny day in the high 70's. The central part of the beach is a large,
volcanic rock which is connected to the rest of the beach by a tiny
isthmus which is submerged at high tide. Demitris showed us how to
navigate along the rocky, coastal edge of the rock. It was pretty
treacherous because it was incredibly uneven and would have definitely
scraped you if you fell. We made it to the top where we met Lori, my
Mom, Alex, and Sofia who took the sandy path up to the top where you
could see the whole cove and out towards the Mediterranean.
After coming down from the rock, we all had some leftover, American made, peanut blossoms as a snack before braving the "frigid" waters. I had read an article in the English language newspaper about a group of Cypriots who swam in the ocean the day after Christmas every year to raise money for charity, a feat thought of as crazy for the local population. However to us, coming from our chilly New England December the water was down right balmy and we played in it for a long time. The highlight of this part of the day however was burring Steve in the sand. Carrie, Alex, and Sofia pitched in big time in our effort to turn Steve into some vague resemblance of a sand mermaid complete with tail.
After washing up in the foot washing fountain instead of paying 1 Euro for 2 minuets of a real shower, we headed into the town to get some lunch. This was harder to find since, while there were tons of shops, nearly everything was closed. Eventually we found some very nice roast pork, halloumi, and cucumber paninis before heading out to a big cliff to watch the sunset. The cliff was very near the Turkish boarder and right next to the only remaining piece of British territory on the island, a small radio site. The sunset was beautiful and you could see for miles down to the coast line towards Ayia Napa. Lori said it was far more peaceful this time of year without the party cruises which normally populate the water below. The day finished up with Alex making some traditional Cypriot grass soup in a nearby puddle with California parsley, California lettuce, and California onions, all of which sorta looked like grass. True to form with almost every other day we had in Cyprus almost everyone fell asleep in the car on the way home.
Lots of thanks to Alex, Loria, Demetris, and especially Sofia, who was a real trooper on that day despite having an upset stomach in the morning.
After coming down from the rock, we all had some leftover, American made, peanut blossoms as a snack before braving the "frigid" waters. I had read an article in the English language newspaper about a group of Cypriots who swam in the ocean the day after Christmas every year to raise money for charity, a feat thought of as crazy for the local population. However to us, coming from our chilly New England December the water was down right balmy and we played in it for a long time. The highlight of this part of the day however was burring Steve in the sand. Carrie, Alex, and Sofia pitched in big time in our effort to turn Steve into some vague resemblance of a sand mermaid complete with tail.
After washing up in the foot washing fountain instead of paying 1 Euro for 2 minuets of a real shower, we headed into the town to get some lunch. This was harder to find since, while there were tons of shops, nearly everything was closed. Eventually we found some very nice roast pork, halloumi, and cucumber paninis before heading out to a big cliff to watch the sunset. The cliff was very near the Turkish boarder and right next to the only remaining piece of British territory on the island, a small radio site. The sunset was beautiful and you could see for miles down to the coast line towards Ayia Napa. Lori said it was far more peaceful this time of year without the party cruises which normally populate the water below. The day finished up with Alex making some traditional Cypriot grass soup in a nearby puddle with California parsley, California lettuce, and California onions, all of which sorta looked like grass. True to form with almost every other day we had in Cyprus almost everyone fell asleep in the car on the way home.
Lots of thanks to Alex, Loria, Demetris, and especially Sofia, who was a real trooper on that day despite having an upset stomach in the morning.
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| Mike, Demetris, Carrie, and Steve climbing the rocky way |
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| Mike and Carrie underwater with Steve watching |
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| Hanging out with Alex |
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| Playing in the sand before burying Steve |
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| Mike and Carrie at the sunset |
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| The sunset |
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Flamingos
The flamingos have arrived in Cyprus. Flamingos migrate to Cyprus in the winter months, and this year there is a record number. Approximately 15,000-20,000 have been counted. Their main destination is the salt lake in Larnaca, so today we took the short drive there to see if we could spot any. When we first arrived we drove around as much of the lake as possible and did not spot a single flamingo. Then all of a sudden we saw a small group out in the middle of the lake, and then more and more appeared. I have no idea how many we saw but it was at least hundreds. Even though they weren't that close to us, it was still pretty amazing to see. We saw some in flight, which gave us a greater appreciation for their size. The kids even seemed interested but also enjoyed throwing rocks in the water and taking little "adventures". There was an ice cream truck parked by one of the parking areas and Alex said, "I don't even care about the ice cream anymore, I just want to see the flamingos." Of course, he didn't completely forget the ice cream. We had told them that we would also go to a beach today, and after a bit Sofia said, "Can we leave the flamingo beach now and go to the people beach?" It was a good time to leave because there were almost as many mosquitoes as flamingos. Makenzi beach was our next destination. It borders the airport and has a great view of planes landing and taking off. Unfortunately, the mosquitoes followed us there, so we didn't stay long.
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| Sofia |
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| Alex getting a lesson on how to make rocks skip in the water |
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| We found some! |
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| Soon they were everywhere we looked. |
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| Demetris |
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| Showing her flamingo feathers |
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| In the water and the air |
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| Alex made this the following day at school. |
Our Trip to Cyprus by Steve
During the 2012 holiday season, my family (Mike, Carrie, and Mom/Jan) and I decided to travel to Cyprus to see visit Lori, Demetris, Alex, and Sofia. I’ll try to give an overview of the first half of the trip, and hopefully this will inspire my siblings to fill in the rest.
December 22-23: Travel
We took off from Boston on the 22nd for an overnight flight to London. We flew Virgin Atlantic, so we were lucky enough to have those little TVs in our seats. I watched American Reunion before falling asleep while watching The Dictator. The plane also had a bar, which was pretty neat.
We arrived in London where we confronted a 7-hour layover by napping in the terminal. I think my mom might have got a facial or manicure as well. Following the layover, we boarded our Cypriot Airways flight for a nice little 5-hour flight to Cyprus. Arriving around 9:30 in Larnaca (where the airport is located), we were greeted by Lori, Demetris, Alex, and Sofia. The kids were a little shy at first….but they soon fully remembered who we were. After picking up the rental car, we made the quick drive to Nicosia and the hotel to get some much needed rest. Driving towards Nicosia we saw the Northern Cyprus flag illuminated on the mountains overlooking Nicosia. The flag was also visible from our hotel balcony, nice little in your face from the north to their southern foes. Reeeeeeal classy, but at the same time kind of cool.
December 24-25: Christmas in Nicosia
The next morning we awoke somewhat late, but well rested and ready to take on the day. Carrie and me were fortunate enough to make it downstairs in time for breakfast, which was delicious. Lori and company soon arrived, and we drove the short distance to old Nicosia. It took some getting used to driving on the left side of the road, but fortunately Lori and Demetris are both pros at this by now and were able to drive us around (it was also nice as it kept Mike from driving).
We spent a good amount of the day wandering around old Nicosia. We checked out a bunch of shops, visited a cool little museum/bank that had a bunch of old coins and other artifacts, and checked out the border. Demetris knew one of the guards at the crossing, so naturally he had to go say hi. We stopped for a great lunch at a little café type place and visited a shop where Mike made friends with the owner and bought some trinkets.
We then drove to a different section of the Old City, where we walked around the neighborhood and tried to visit Demetris friends. Here we were able to see another boarder crossing, as well a part of the dead/buffer zone. It was kind of surreal seeing this, something that we’d just never witness in the USA that’s just so normal in Cyprus. We walked the neighborhood some more, seeing the Archbishop of Nicosia’s residence and stopping for Mike to try some pretty sour oranges from the trees that pepper the landscape. After a long day of sightseeing, we drove through some very narrow streets (thanks to Demetris) to a local bakery, Zorba's, where we got dinner to take back to the hotel (and Alex’s favorites “orange cake”). I was personally thrilled to find that Lemon Fanta was sold here…by far the best type of Fanta and a favorite of mine from my summer spent in Spain.
Christmas morning greeted us with Carrie and me attempting to visit the gym. Finding it closed (it was Christmas Day after all), Carrie taught me some pure barre exercises in the stairwell. Following breakfast, Lori, Demetris, and the kids greeted us at the hotel, touting the presents Santa had brought them. Alex was thrilled to show off his Police truck, as was Sofia with her Barbie Horse.
We loaded up in the cars and headed over to Demetris' mom’s house, where they’ve been staying. There, we met Demetris' mom, Elektra, and exchanged presents with the kids. Mike and I received APOEL jerseys, while Carrie got shot classes (naturally) and a nice ceramic cup. The kids seemed to like what we got them as well, stickers/coloring books for Sofia and helicopters for Alex. That’s the nice thing about 3 and 5-year-olds, they’ll pretty much love whatever you get them. Mike then diligently helped Alex build the presents he’d got earlier in the day. It was very nice meeting Demetris' mom…she didn’t speak a ton of English but nonetheless was amazingly welcoming to us (this would be a theme throughout out time with Demetris' family, the welcomingness, not the lack of English ability).
After presents we went upstairs to where Demetris' sister Diana and husband Mihalis live, along with their kids Alexis, Stefanos, and Tatiana. We’d met them a few years ago when they came to Boston and stayed at our cape house, so it was great to see them again. Soon after our arrival, we were joined by Demetris' brother Themis, his wife Maria, and their kids.
We were treated to some great Cypriot hospitality including great wine, and fantastic food. Christmas lunch (which was the big meal) was massive and included tons of great food, with the star being the souvla (lamb that’s been grilled for hours). It was absolutely delicious and I was in a nice little food coma following the meal. Naturally, the kids barely ate at all and spent the meal running around and doing whatever kids do. That is, except for Sofia, who held down the fort at the kids table. After eating we hung around and chatted, while the kids played a cool Harry Potter Wii game. Mike was also able to get a quick game of FIFA in (or really half a game), with one of the twins.
Towards the evening, we packed up the car and prepared to head towards Limassol where we’d spend the remainder of the trip. Hopefully, my siblings will post something about this portion of the trip soon. Otherwise I might have to write some more, since they’re slackers like that. HUGE thanks again to Demetris and his family for the fantastic spread of food and the amazing hospitality they showed us. It was really a Christmas Day to remember.
December 22-23: Travel
We took off from Boston on the 22nd for an overnight flight to London. We flew Virgin Atlantic, so we were lucky enough to have those little TVs in our seats. I watched American Reunion before falling asleep while watching The Dictator. The plane also had a bar, which was pretty neat.
We arrived in London where we confronted a 7-hour layover by napping in the terminal. I think my mom might have got a facial or manicure as well. Following the layover, we boarded our Cypriot Airways flight for a nice little 5-hour flight to Cyprus. Arriving around 9:30 in Larnaca (where the airport is located), we were greeted by Lori, Demetris, Alex, and Sofia. The kids were a little shy at first….but they soon fully remembered who we were. After picking up the rental car, we made the quick drive to Nicosia and the hotel to get some much needed rest. Driving towards Nicosia we saw the Northern Cyprus flag illuminated on the mountains overlooking Nicosia. The flag was also visible from our hotel balcony, nice little in your face from the north to their southern foes. Reeeeeeal classy, but at the same time kind of cool.
December 24-25: Christmas in Nicosia
The next morning we awoke somewhat late, but well rested and ready to take on the day. Carrie and me were fortunate enough to make it downstairs in time for breakfast, which was delicious. Lori and company soon arrived, and we drove the short distance to old Nicosia. It took some getting used to driving on the left side of the road, but fortunately Lori and Demetris are both pros at this by now and were able to drive us around (it was also nice as it kept Mike from driving).
We spent a good amount of the day wandering around old Nicosia. We checked out a bunch of shops, visited a cool little museum/bank that had a bunch of old coins and other artifacts, and checked out the border. Demetris knew one of the guards at the crossing, so naturally he had to go say hi. We stopped for a great lunch at a little café type place and visited a shop where Mike made friends with the owner and bought some trinkets.
We then drove to a different section of the Old City, where we walked around the neighborhood and tried to visit Demetris friends. Here we were able to see another boarder crossing, as well a part of the dead/buffer zone. It was kind of surreal seeing this, something that we’d just never witness in the USA that’s just so normal in Cyprus. We walked the neighborhood some more, seeing the Archbishop of Nicosia’s residence and stopping for Mike to try some pretty sour oranges from the trees that pepper the landscape. After a long day of sightseeing, we drove through some very narrow streets (thanks to Demetris) to a local bakery, Zorba's, where we got dinner to take back to the hotel (and Alex’s favorites “orange cake”). I was personally thrilled to find that Lemon Fanta was sold here…by far the best type of Fanta and a favorite of mine from my summer spent in Spain.
Christmas morning greeted us with Carrie and me attempting to visit the gym. Finding it closed (it was Christmas Day after all), Carrie taught me some pure barre exercises in the stairwell. Following breakfast, Lori, Demetris, and the kids greeted us at the hotel, touting the presents Santa had brought them. Alex was thrilled to show off his Police truck, as was Sofia with her Barbie Horse.
We loaded up in the cars and headed over to Demetris' mom’s house, where they’ve been staying. There, we met Demetris' mom, Elektra, and exchanged presents with the kids. Mike and I received APOEL jerseys, while Carrie got shot classes (naturally) and a nice ceramic cup. The kids seemed to like what we got them as well, stickers/coloring books for Sofia and helicopters for Alex. That’s the nice thing about 3 and 5-year-olds, they’ll pretty much love whatever you get them. Mike then diligently helped Alex build the presents he’d got earlier in the day. It was very nice meeting Demetris' mom…she didn’t speak a ton of English but nonetheless was amazingly welcoming to us (this would be a theme throughout out time with Demetris' family, the welcomingness, not the lack of English ability).
After presents we went upstairs to where Demetris' sister Diana and husband Mihalis live, along with their kids Alexis, Stefanos, and Tatiana. We’d met them a few years ago when they came to Boston and stayed at our cape house, so it was great to see them again. Soon after our arrival, we were joined by Demetris' brother Themis, his wife Maria, and their kids.
We were treated to some great Cypriot hospitality including great wine, and fantastic food. Christmas lunch (which was the big meal) was massive and included tons of great food, with the star being the souvla (lamb that’s been grilled for hours). It was absolutely delicious and I was in a nice little food coma following the meal. Naturally, the kids barely ate at all and spent the meal running around and doing whatever kids do. That is, except for Sofia, who held down the fort at the kids table. After eating we hung around and chatted, while the kids played a cool Harry Potter Wii game. Mike was also able to get a quick game of FIFA in (or really half a game), with one of the twins.
Towards the evening, we packed up the car and prepared to head towards Limassol where we’d spend the remainder of the trip. Hopefully, my siblings will post something about this portion of the trip soon. Otherwise I might have to write some more, since they’re slackers like that. HUGE thanks again to Demetris and his family for the fantastic spread of food and the amazing hospitality they showed us. It was really a Christmas Day to remember.
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| Crazy narrow streets |
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| Mike trying a sour orange |
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| The border |
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| Lunch in Nicosia (Jan and Steve) |
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| Just hanging out |
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Our Christmas week
Since I am still waiting for my guest bloggers to tell about their time here in Cyprus, I thought I would do a quick recap. Our friends arrived in Cyprus the evening of Dec. 23. We met them at the airport and headed back to our home base, Nicosia. The next day we spent our time in the old section of Nicosia exploring shops, walking the narrow roads, checking out the border crossing, and having some lunch. After our Christmas day celebration, we all went to Limassol to stay for the remainder of their time here. We tried to pack in as much as possible in the short time left, and were really lucky to have great weather. One day we went to Nissi beach, a.k.a. the party beach. It was actually warm enough for those with swimsuits to take a dip in the sea. On other days we went to the famous ancient sites on the island, including the Kourian, the mosaics in Paphos, and Kolossi castle. We checked out the village of Lefkara, famous for its lace making and silver. It is a quaint village with pushy store keepers. We even made a trip to our village, Salamiou. Here are some of my favorite pictures from their time here.
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| At Kolossi Castle |
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| Sofia found the perfect seat to do some reading on the roof at Kolossi Castle. |
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| Alex in a window at the castle. |
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| View from the hotel balcony in Limassol. |
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| Enjoying Nissi Beach |
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| Mike, Alex, Sofia, Carrie, and in the back Steve and Jan |
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| Steve and Mike at Cavo Greko |
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| Steve, Jan, Carrie, and Mike watching the sunset at Cavo Greko |
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| Downtown Nicosia |
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