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.

Rock of Aphrodite sunset

Looking for more rocks for her collection

Beautiful sunset

At our remote beach in Akkamas

View at the remote beach

Stopping for Marissa's lunch break during our river expedition

On the Caledonia trail.  Marissa's first hike.

My little explorer

Being silly on the hike

Along the trail to the Caledonia Falls

Marissa, two months old

Welcome Marissa

On June 19th at 6:10 a.m. we welcomed a beautiful, healthy baby to our family.  Marissa Hope weighed in at 6 pounds 10 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long.  She took us by surprise by arriving a little earlier than we had planned.  My "mommy sense" must have kicked in because I finished packing my bag for the hospital the morning before and her bag the day before that.  I had joked to Demetris over the previous weekend that I was "nesting" as I was washing all of her clothes and linens and getting everything organized.  You would think that since this was my third baby, maybe I would not have worried so much about getting the bags ready, especially since the clinic is only about a ten minute drive away.  However, things are different in Cyprus than they are in the US.  In the US, the hospital pretty much supplies everything that you would need for the birth/delivery. In Cyprus, you are expected to bring many items yourself.  The clinic gave a list of what to bring and included sheets for her hospital bed, receiving blankets, her towels, all clothing needed, and even diapers.  For me, I needed to bring my own hospital gown for the delivery as well as the usual stuff you would need.  So, I was careful to pack the bag on time out of fear that we would be rushing to the clinic and I wouldn't have any clothes or a blanket for her.  Surely they must keep extras on hand just in case, but I didn't want to take any chances with that.
As for the actual medical care, in Cyprus there is the General Hospital which is funded by the government and provides free services for Cypriot citizens.  I was able to get on Demetris' medical card to allow me to qualify for these services.  The main hospital for adults was built in the last ten years and appears very clean and modern.  But, the maternity ward is located at the children's hospital, which is quite old.  While I was pregnant and we were trying to decide where to go and what doctor to use, we decided to walk around the maternity section of the hospital just to see what it is like.  Let's just say that I didn't want to have my baby in that environment.  Plus, you are not allowed to chose the doctor you want to see and confidentiality appears to be a foreign concept.  Even the people who book appointments for you act like they are doing you a favor by being there.  Not at all helpful or friendly.  Based on the recommendation of our pediatrician, I chose a private clinic with a Cypriot doctor who had been trained in the UK.  The clinic is only a few years old and very modern.  One of the main reasons I liked this doctor is that he has a very low rate for c-sections.  Cyprus has the highest c-section rate in Europe with a rate somewhere between 50 and 70% depending on the source.  I have heard it suggested that one of the reasons for this is that some of the private doctors encourage c-sections because they can charge more for those services.  There are also many women who request c-sections to avoid going through the labor process.  I was very happy with the care that I received at the clinic.  The obstetrician facilitated a smooth delivery and our pediatrician was present at the delivery to check the baby once she was born.  Medical care in general is not as comprehensive here as it is in the states.  I think the doctors here think we overdo it there, and maybe there is a bit of truth in that, but it is more comforting.  Overall, we had to pay to receive the services that we wanted/expected but for us it was worth it and the end result was a most precious baby. 

Proud parents right after the delivery

Her first feeding

Alex said, "I didn't know she would be so pretty."

Adorable sisters

Introducing Marisa to Sofia's kitty (blah-blah)

Home from the clinic

Four days old

Aren't we blessed to have her!

Everything we needed for her hospital bag

A Third Time is a Charm?

Once Demetris had a chance to experience the North Side of Cyprus, he really started itching to explore the whole area.  A week ago this past Sunday we headed there one more time.  The tip of Cyprus is famous for beautiful beaches and he wanted to see them while I still felt well enough to travel and before the baby arrived.  It takes a bit more than three hours to make it there.  Diana, Mihalis, Tatiana, and Yiayia Electra went with us.  We stopped along the way for a picnic lunch along the coastline.  Our next stop was at the monastery Apostolos Andreas, which is almost at the tip of the peninsula.  At the time of the invasion this was one of the most well known monasteries on the island.  Currently, the monastery is in pretty sad shape.  It has not been maintained at all over the years, but at least it was not completely destroyed.  The Greek Orthodox church is trying to work out a deal that would allow them to be able to restore it.  It is still a popular spot for the Greeks to visit.  It also happens to be located in a natural donkey sanctuary, meaning there are donkeys roaming about the area.  They are a bit over-friendly from being around people too much and they pretty much freaked Sofia out.  Alex tried to feed them carrots by throwing them at the donkeys.  We then took off to find the beach and stopped at the Golden Beach.  It has beautiful sand and very clear water, but lacks amenities.  You can tell it is not well cared for but still an awesome beach.  Perhaps it is not given the attention it deserves because it is more difficult to get there.  Too bad, because it really is one of the best beaches around.

The large, white candle is from Sofia's baptism.  We left it at the monastery.

Giorgos Alexander in front of St. Giorgos

The outside of the monastery

View from the monstery

Donkeys had surrounded our car when we got back

Wild donkeys

Beautiful beach that is not utilized

Sofia

Alex

Sheep crossing the road leading to the monastery

Back to the North

After our birthday party on the North side of Cyprus, Demetris really wanted to return to see some sites he remembered as a child of 5-6 years old.  For Greek Cypriots, there are many emotions that are raised with a trip to the occupied Turkish side.  Since the borders became more open, there has been some controversy around Greeks traveling to the occupied side and spending money there.  They don't want to feel as if they are supporting the economy in any way.  There are several casinos on the Turkish side, which aren't allowed on the Greek side, and many younger people want to travel there just for the casinos.  This is still frowned upon by many Greeks.  We did our best to keep spending to the minimum, packing a lunch and snacks and avoiding the shops.  We did have to pay for access to the beach, beach chairs and the umbrella.  There was a sign at the beach that said bringing in outside food and drinks was prohibited, but I guess we didn't notice that.  Anyway, we also drove around the town of Kyrenia, through the town center which is located by the water front.  Demetris was hoping to find a beach that he remembered and we were lucky enough to stumble on it.  Remember, he hadn't been there since he was six so it's not like he knew exactly how to get there, just that things looked familiar.  We spent the rest of the day at the beach and then took a drive by the famous "five fingers" mountain before heading home.  Demetris has more places he wants to visit on that side, but since we are in the final month of the pregnancy I think that will have to wait until our next visit to Cyprus.

The Five Fingers Mountain

Mosque

Funny to see this sign so close to home

Don't tip!

35 weeks pregnant

Loving the beach

Look out Sofia.  The large rock formation helps keep the water calm.

Nice view of the mountains (and a huge Turkish monument) from the beach.

The Dark Side

A couple of weeks ago, Alex received an invitation for a birthday party from a girl at his school.  Since I had never heard of the place of the party, I innocently asked Demetris, "Do you know where the Aroma Cafe is?"  He said, "No." I followed up with, "It says it is in Kyrenia.  Where's that?" At this point Demetris almost dropped his fork and said, "Lori, Kyrenia is on the NORTH side."  Sure enough the party was to be held on the Turkish side of the island.  Demetris has not been on that side of the island since the Turks invaded and occupied it when he was a small child.  He has wanted to go there but knew it would stir some unpleasant feelings for him.  I thought attending a birthday party would be an easy way to go on that side without being totally immersed in it.  Plus, there would be lots of other people around so Demetris wouldn't be able to complain as much.  The party was held yesterday.  The parents of the birthday girl put quite a bit of effort into making it a smooth crossing for us.  There were five families that needed to cross the border and they hired a minibus to transport us, and the dad met us at the crossing point.  Usually, to take our car across the border we would need to buy insurance for about $65 a day.  We parked our car on the Greek side and then walked through the border.  Demetris was able to use his Cypriot ID card to cross and the rest of us presented our passports.  Instead of stamping the passports, they stamp a piece of paper with our names on it because the Greek side could refuse us entry if we have a stamp from the Turkish side.  It wasn't like they did a careful check of us anyway.  Demetris handed the guy all of our passports at once and he didn't even look at us to confirm it was the same people. As we crossed over we were greeted by a large sign stating, "Happy to say I am a Turk."  Not exactly what we were thinking.  Demetris remembered much of the landscape that we passed on the way there, but now it is dotted by many Turkish flags and statues.  We had a 20-30 minute drive to reach the party.  The party itself was very nice.  It was held in the yard of a coffee shop with plenty of grass for the kids to run in and a bouncy house to keep them busy. We enjoyed the company of other parents from the school that we had not had a chance to get to know much before.  There was good food and the weather was very pleasant.  At the end of the party the bus took us back to the crossing point.  Overall, a good experience and now Demetris is ready to try exploring the north side a bit more on our own. 

Excited for the bus ride

The border crossing

Proof that Demetris was there

Checking out his goodie bag

Sofia always loves a bounce house

One of several  Turkish monuments we passed on the way

Greek Easter Weekend

Greek Easter was this past weekend and the whole family went to the village to celebrate. We mostly stayed around the house this year and did a lot of eating. The Easter church service begins at 11:00 p.m. and ends at midnight. People pretty much show up whenever they want, though, and we went around 11:30. Again this year many large fireworks were being set off outside of the church. Sofia absolutely hated the loud noises and even though Alex had thought it sounded like a cool idea, he changed his mind after a few minutes and asked to go home. When we arrived back at the house Sofia declared, "That was the worstest baptism ever".  Funny because her baptism was scheduled for the day after Easter. Since the church service is basically the day before Easter, there isn't much to do on the actual day except eat some more. The Easter bunny is not a tradition. Instead, family members give the kids chocolates.
On to the baptism. In the Greek Orthodox church, the godparents, Uncle Themis and Aunt Maria, are responsible for all of the preparations.  There is much more to do, and buy, prior to the service than in my Protestant church.  This includes a white dress, shoes, a cross necklace, blanket and towel to wrap the child in after she gets wet, some special undergarments for under the dress, a large candle, and favors to hand out.  Plus, the baptism is not part of a regular church service since it lasts nearly one hour.  The priest was nice and left her underwear on to keep her from being too embarrassed when he dipped her in the water.  The water was probably only about six inches deep anyway.  We weren't sure how she would react to all of it, but she didn't cry or get upset once.  She was a bit shy, but went along with everything.  Afterwards, we had another large meal and a cake to celebrate. I asked Sofia what she thought of the baptism and she said, "He has a very small bathtub and he should put some waves (the non-slip things you put in a tub) in it so people don't slip."  She told Demetris, "That silly priest.  He put oil in the water instead of soap.  That just makes you all oily." I'm not really sure of the purpose of the oil either, but it is a tradition.  She looked beautiful in her white dress.

The priest reads some prayers at the beginning of the service

Preparing for the actual baptism

After the baptism the godparents help dress her in her white clothes

Looking pretty

Back at he village house.  I'm holding the large candle used.