Our original plan is to go to Bellapais today, but early bits of sunshine are unable to survive against the dark threatening rain clouds moving in from the east. So Bill suggests we go west instead and visit Morphou (Guzelyurt in Turkish) instead. Morphou is in the North but claimed by the South and possession of its territory is one of the stubborn outstanding issues in reunification talks. We do well staying ahead of the rain and travel most of the length of the island before turning north past a reservoir deep in the valley below us and on past orange groves to Morphou.
The old part of the city is a labyrinth of narrow roads but Bill finds a car park and we stop at a small café a couple of blocks away. Attractive even before we spot - and smell - the flowering basil hedge in front. Only a couple of customers and a handwritten menu on the wall in smallish Turkish script but the place is clean and the owner friendly so we stop and order sandwiches. Toasted pita with shredded chicken and cheese? Sounds good. Fresh squeezed orange juice? Yes, please. They come with four little dishes of lovely pickles. Everything delicious and extremely cheap. A lovely find.
Stroll down the street after lunch. Its narrow lanes and shops are reminiscent of old city centres throughout the Middle East, goods on display on the pavement as well as in the windows and proprietors standing in front, catching the sun as well as keeping an eye on the stock and chatting up potential customers. Interestingly, the political situation doesn't seem to be a taboo subject. Two brothers have differing opinions on whether Cypriot reunification would be a good thing. Another man favours keeping the present border but as an open border with free crossing - let us live in peace but not together. He has good reason to be wary of his southern neighbours. As a teenage boy in Limassol he was held hostage for ninety-six days during the hostilities in 1974. Calm now and smiling, but not naïve. No knowing the future, but on the way home we're followed by a rainbow.
