Just before seven the sun reaches the tip of what we have christened the marble mountain. The Pentadaktylos mountain range runs for a hundred miles along the northern coast of Cyprus and this is its highest peak, just above and very slightly to the west of us. Marble Mountain not an inappropriate name either, as the mountains are mainly hard crystalline limestone with some marble. Which may go some way toward explaining the prevalence of marble floors and countertops in this country. It will be more than an hour before the sunlight will be gracing our bedroom walls but the light illuminating the mountain peak is a happy sign of the morning to come.
Take the dolmuş to China Bazaar. It’s an inexpensive chain of general goods. Think Walmart but downscale a bit in things like small appliances. Most goods Turkish made so not always the highest quality but often not bad. Were delighted during the lockdown when we got to go to China Bazaar and pick up a couple of shirts for hot weather as we hadn’t expected to be there beyond March. On the other hand, more recently, the place where we bought the corkscrew so badly designed as to be completely unworkable - though admittedly not expensive. But the best place to try for things like shoelaces or dish towels - or today a squeegee for the shower. Pure luck if anyone speaks English but always someone like a lovely woman today willing to try. And amazing what can be conveyed seemingly by sheer force of good will on both sides. Back about half past three by which time the main road is almost gridlocked. Happy to escape back to our village.
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