American in Cyprus: Summertime

What a busy two months we have had since Marissa was born! We have been lucky enough to make it to the beach several times. Yiayia (grandma) has kept Marissa at home with her to make things easier for us. Marissa did go with us once but she seemed unimpressed. We typically head to the beach on Sundays. Until last month, pretty much all stores were closed in Cyprus on Sundays. All of our errands had to be done on Saturday and then the fun day would be Sunday. Of course, everyone else was in the same boat, which means more crowded beaches on Sunday. Recently, due to the financial crisis on the island, it was mandated that stores stay open on Sundays as well as later in the evening and Wednesday afternoons, all times when they were previously closed. It makes things much more convenient for us.
On August 3, we celebrated Alex's sixth birthday. He looks so grown up to us. We had a family and friends party for him on the 8th at the Athalassa Park. He is an awesome boy and we are lucky to have him.
A couple of weeks ago Demetris and I had a rare date night. There was a documentary film festival in Limassol that we enjoyed very much. We saw the films "Open Heart" and "Soldier on the Roof". Both were interesting and thought provoking.
This past Thursday "Assumption Day" was celebrated in Cyprus. It is a holiday that everyone celebrates by going to the mountains or beach areas for the long weekend. Many people schedule their summer vacations at this time. I haven't yet figured out what Assumption Day actually is. I think it is mostly an excuse to take time off in the summer. Along with the rest of the family, we went to Salamiou. While there we took some short drives during the day. We watched the sun set over the Rock of Aphrodite one evening. Very beautiful. Sofia added to her rock collection while there. We also went to the remote beach that we discovered last year in the Akkamas area. The water is a bit rougher there, not really safe for the kids to go in, but they have fun sitting on the edge and letting the waves crash against them. There were probably only ten other people there, probably because there are no facilities such as bathrooms.
We also ventured to Platres, a lovely mountain village with a hiking trail to the Caledonia Falls. We started the trail in a place that took us about 30 minutes to reach the falls. The creek runs downhill along the path creating several small falls. It was a pretty hike which the kids really enjoyed. Too bad our camera battery died before we reached the actual waterfall.
Now we are back in Nicosia and into our usual routine. Marissa is growing quickly. She is a happy, sweet baby. Demetris and I are sort of adjusting to getting up during the night with her. We are hoping to get in a few more day trips and beach outings before the end of the summer. Luckily we still have a couple of months of nice weather left.