Wednesday, December 24/2014

Jane and Bill collect us mid-morning and we head north. They live in Pyla, often proudly referred to as the "mixed" village, where Greek  and Turkish families live peacefully together. It's just south of the border between the north and south. Procedures have relaxed somewhat in the fifteen years we've been coming to Cyprus, but visas are required to go north - free and on request.

This is our Christmas "away" holiday - four days hotel break, Breakfasts and Christmas dinner included. We've been before with J and B and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. A couple of hours drive through plains as level as the Canadian prairies (though green and not white), through a gap in the mountains, and west along the north coast, with sun glinting on the Mediterranean. Stop for Turkish coffee (indistinguishable from Greek) and later, on the coast, for lunch. Ship Inn is on the western outskirts of Kyrenia, a pretty holiday escape spot with main inn, pool, tennis courts, and two storey garden villas.

Dinner in the dining room, occupied mainly by expats, some of whom have been coming here for Christmas for fifteen years or more. Dining room attractive with dark wood, stained glass, and a fireplace corner for coffee or drinks. Also balloons and Christmas tinsel. Christmas Eve.