Very windy morning so not much action on the waterfront. Not cold though.
In the evening we go with Maggi to Vlachos Taverna on the Dhekelia Road and meet up with Jane and Bill and Elsa and Harry for a meal. It is, as they say, the way Cyprus restaurants used to be. A traditional menu, from which J and I order the mixed kebab. The main dishes are good and come with large homemade chips. Equally impressive, though, are the extras that the waiter brings beforehand, two of each for the seven of us. There are large bowls of country salad with feta and warm pita bread, as well as smaller dishes of pilaf, kohlrabi sticks, pickled beetroot and a savoury mixture of egg and sautéed onion. We could have made a whole meal before the entrées come.
Good conversation too. J is interested in some of the social and political observations. For example we had noted that in the past few years increasing numbers of buildings, such as the police station and town hall, have been ceasing the embarrassingly colonial practice of flying the Greek flag beside the Cypriot one, turning instead to the EU flag. According to Bill and Harry this is in response to direct EU pressure to stop the inappropriate use of another country's flag. They also confirm J's assessment of Cyprus as a tribal society, saying that if a Cypriot owes you money you are unlikely to geet it because he probably also owes others with much closer claims of loyalty and kinship. In fact even shopping patterns are determined by these claims, with families shopping in stores owned by those with such ties. A Cypriot, they say, will buy a car only from a dealer with whom he has a relationship, rather than comparing a number of quotes, but if he brings a new buyer to his friend or relation he will get a kickback. An interesting evening.
JAWORSKI TRAVELS