Sunday April 21/2024

 Wake up in Victorian flat, briefly our home. Just off Kilburn High Road so close access to everything we could want. Kilburn, as name suggests, originally Irish and still possible to buy Irish newspapers but now a delightfully mixed neighbourhood with large African and Middle East representation. Vibrant in a way that Queensway used to be thirty years ago, a way that constantly disappears and then reinvents itself.

Check out produce and prices in Aldi. Yes, the Tempranillo we like is still here. J heads for the pastry bins, thinking Danishes, when I suddenly remember the original priority for the day, and say “We have NO money”. Not strictly or catastrophically true of course. But in terms of Sterling cash pretty accurate. Maybe a few small coins but nothing likely to add up to two Danishes - which in any case they seem not to have. Do have cards but need to hit a cash point fairly immediately. 

Discover that the first five cash points we pass, most of them associated with major banks, are not functioning. Relieved that they are able to point out their deficiencies onscreen rather than simply eating my card, but no further ahead. Others trying as well, and looking pretty philosophically resigned, suggesting this is not surprising. News of country wide digital failure not anticipated. No dinner tonight I say to one woman as she turns away from the screen and she laughs. Then, unexpectedly, a Santander (credit where credit is due) cash point delivers.

Pass Roses, our favourite café. Once old school caff, now restyling itself as bistro (and featuring upgraded furniture as well), which may not bode well for prices - the food always was good. J asks the owner, a lovely Turkish Kurd who always remembers us, what day they do the kleftiko. Used to be on a Thursday. Seems they mostly don’t now - but how long are we here for? Come next week and maybe we can.

Across the road we can hear the rising excitement before we spot the gathering. Throng outside Sir Colin Campbell pub, which still is Irish, keying up for the Manchester United game about to start and already singing with gusto, those passing on the opposite side of the street joining in with stereophonic effect. The sound is so joyous it’s hard not to get drawn in as we pass.

Do make one more stop, this time for a chicken off the rotisserie in front of one of the small grocery shops. We’ve bought there before and always good. So home to enjoy it with flatbread from the same shop.

And, late report: “Manchester United survived one of the most astonishing FA Cup semifinal comebacks ever to beat second-tier Coventry City on penalties in a spellbinding clash that ended 3-3 after extra time at Wembley Stadium on Sunday”.

Saturday, April 20/2024

 Moving day. Ozy’s taxi booked for 06:30 and as usual he’s more than reliable, as in ten minutes early. We’re about an hour from Erçan airport at this time of day. Probably more like twice that once the traffic starts.  

We notice the boarding passes in Istanbul are stamped **FAST**. Were they always or was that a late addition?  The tickets were more or less enhanced economy ones. Allowed us to make changes in the date without penalty and take 30 kilo suitcases, which we don’t anyway. Ask the man opening the boarding lanes whether that means fast track boarding. He doesn’t seem to think so. J suggests that it’s an indication we won’t get any food - fast required. But fortunately always 

decent food and wine on Turkish Airlines. Pretty good entertainment screen too. Check London weather. Noticeably cooler than Cyprus of course, but not rainy (unlike Istanbul). Happily quaint description (translation?) of those places that do have light rain. Referred to as “sprinkles”. Less like drizzle and more like cake decoration.

Tube from Heathrow. We’re usually not the only people who wear masks on the underground but definitely can’t compete with the young gentleman opposite. Leopard print jacket, leopard trousers AND leopard mask. Not all the same leopard print either. I check and note that his shoes are a fourth leopard print, a slightly darker one. The London tube as endless theatre.

Friday, April 19/2024

 On our way home spot a 25 kuruş coin on the sidewalk. It’s worth a quarter of a Turkish lira, and the Turkish lira is, of course, in freefall. This makes the coin worth approximately €0.007. Or a smidgen under 1p sterling. Or about one and a half Canadian cents. Not that the mint bothers producing one cent coins in Canada any more. 

And so I, being old school - read just plain old - bend over to pick it up. See a penny, pick it up, and all the day you’ll have good luck. Except it doesn’t budge. Not just stuck but Krazy Glued or equivalent. Good joke on someone’s part and didn’t cost them much either. If there’s a hidden camera we don’t spot it. And bet, as the bloke who left it no doubt did, that no one under fifty even bent down.

Thursday, April 18/2024

Courtesy of Steve Chubb

Saharan dust in the air again. Notice the warning somewhat after the fact although notice dust itself, or rather limited visibility as a result of same as soon as we look out. Can’t see where sea meets sky as both a pretty similar shade of hazy blue grey. Crazy windy as well. Gusts to 35 km/h or force 4 (which is a range anyway). Would have guessed more but no expert. Varies constantly but what we assume would be a good drying day nearly results in sheet making whole drying rack windborne.  

Can disregard one warning in the news. Headline says that 27 people have died from eating a type of Mediterranean puffer fish. Read further and turns out that these were gourmets from various Mediterranean countries and over a period of twenty years. Extraordinary measures of avoidance not required.

Wednesday, April 17/2024

 

Memories of Artichoke Hearts

One of the best treats in Cyprus is sautéed artichoke hearts. Way better than dipping the inner petals in butter or marinating. But very labour intensive. The artichoke protects itself extremely well. Have never attempted one but do shamelessly beg J to do them. 

Courtesy of Ocean Mist Farms

He starts by breaking off the thorns. It is a thistle. Followed by removing the tough outer petals, then the  inner petals and the furry choke. Finally down to the heart, as well as the core of the upper stem. Then carved into slices and rubbed with lemon juice. (Both for flavour and because like apple they would discolor. Finally sautéed in olive oil or butter.

He first observed a woman preparing one at the market in Larnaca. The rest was trial and no errors. And tonight’s lovely starter.

Tuesday, April 16/2024

 Interesting method the government in North Cyprus has for minor charges. You simply affix the required price in stamps to the relevant paper. No teller or office cash box needed. Have never thought of stamps as serving a purpose other than speeding a letter on its way, but obviously the principle is the same. The actual value of the stamp is minuscule. It really only exists to provide government revenue. And placing stamps on a document serves the same purpose.

Monday, April 5/2024

 Fig tree across the road now resplendently in leaf, though no fruit in the foreseeable future. Have learned more about the fig, though really nothing could surpass the fertilization by a burrowing colony of wasps who give up their lives in the enterprise.

But Adam Eve were luckier than they knew, expulsion from the garden notwithstanding. Either that or the writer of Genesis underinformed.  Fig sap and fig leaves can cause phytophotodermatitis, leading to second degree burns. Bill brought this up conversationally last week. Photographs quite horrific. Will no doubt continue to pluck the odd fig, but with more care and respect than previously.

Sunday, April 14/2024

 Bougainvillea beginning to flourish again despite benign neglect on our part. Though not nearly as much neglect as the luxuriant bougainvillea next door which is magnificent although no one has lived there all winter.

Not all of nature is our friend though. The ants came marching one by one and began laying eggs along the inside of the French doors. We started with cayenne, hoping it was a more natural deterrent. Ants only minimally deterred, responded by laying eggs next to cayenne. So, reluctantly, today we retaliate with homicidal powder. Should properly be formicidal powder, as humans not the target. 🐜🐜🐜

Saturday, April 13/2024

 Cats have taken to lying in the sun on our patio. Too hot for us midday.

Bayram week (called Eid Al-fitr in most Arab countries) is much like  Christmas week at home. Here government offices - including municipal - are closed for the week. Private businesses close at their own discretion, much as a florist, say, in Canada might say well we’re super busy up until Christmas so we’re taking the next five days off. Though it seems here most supermarkets remain open on the feast day itself.

We had some photocopying that needed to be done, so I - less cleverly than I supposed - messaged the photography place to determine whether they were open Thursday and Friday. Answer, Friday but not Thursday. Fine. Then later message (on Friday) from PP asking when we planned to arrive. 

Me: (picking randomly, taking into account that it’s no longer morning) About 2?

PP: Have photo shoot.

Me: Would later be better? Or tomorrow?

PP: Not open tomorrow. But “I have a friend in the shop next door, she’s a chicken seller, give it to her, I’ll print it, you can buy it from her, okay?”

Now thinking I’ve gone through the looking glass into some alternate reality. And not prepared to leave personal documents with unknown chicken seller, regardless of presumed sterling qualities. So assume that Monday it is, though less convenient for various reasons.

And today we are out on errands that take us fairly near photography place, so J suggests we check to see if it’s open. Assume it’s pointless, but only a few steps out of our way. And indeed it is open. Usual man can’t be correspondent of yesterday - he’s a charmer but with almost no English, though very quick on the uptake. Photocopies made cheerfully and efficiently.

Large colour photograph of a man with two small children. Man looks familiar. J says Ataturk. But it’s modern technique and in colour. J right of course. Ataturk with owner’s children photoshopped in.

And no sign of the chicken seller.

Friday, April 12/2024

 Turkish Cypriot news pleased to report that a young man proposed to his girlfriend in mid flight between Ercan airport (Lefkoşa, TRNC) and Izmir, Türkiye. Full catastrophe - down on his knees, ring in one hand and script in the other, lest he suddenly find himself speechless. The young lady said yes to the delight of the watching passengers. Do wonder how many of these high drama (this one 10,000 feet high) engagements survive. But then I’m no extrovert.

Join our usual Friday afternoon lot at the Blue Song. Unusually full today - possibly in part because we’ve switched to a slightly later time for summer or maybe because Ramadan restrictions are over and Bayram celebrations continue - but this allows us to retreat to a waterside table. Fresh breeze off the sea.

Thursday, April 11/2024

 

Rains definitely over - well, knock on wood. England has apparently just experienced one of the ten rainiest winters since records began. Cyprus post storm back to its usual sunny self, which is nice for those celebrating the Bayram holiday week.

Our patio happy to provide beautifully scented mock orange blossoms as well as oleander, hibiscus and honeysuckle. Buddleia pretty well over and could never bring itself to produce new flowers until the remains of the old ones were getting straggly. Bougainvillea reviving nicely though.

Wednesday, April 10/2024

 

Rain over. Happy for those celebrating Bayram. Not the hot sunny days of last week, but does struggle up to a cloudy 22. 

We go down to our local supermarket. Not that we actually need anything, although we’re reasonably sure it will be open despite the holiday, but largely because the account that someone in our village posted online yesterday sounded rather alarming:

Expect to see some serious disruption, but it takes us some time to decide exactly where the damage must have been. Do appear to be a couple of drain covers sitting on the sidewalk. And a bit extra in the way of stones on the road but that’s about it. Not really hoping for major damage, but this is a bit of an anticlimax. 

Supermarket is open as we thought so we pick up a few veg and are given hard candies in honour of Şeker Bayram - literally the sugar feast.

Owners of the orchard across the road seem to have visitors and are barbecuing. Can still hear the plaintive sounds of the goat though, so presumably he is not on the menu.

Tuesday, April 9/2024

Courtesy Gündem Kıbrıs Gaztesi

 There had been heavy rain warnings for today - but also contradictory forecasts with suggestions of 3mm rainfall. As well as the usual radar depicting us in the middle of a whirlwind. And bringing to mind the lines from The Wreck of the Julie Plante: 

De win' she blow from nor'-eas'-wes,'--

De sout' win' she blow too

[William Henry Drummond, from the days before writing in a dialect other than one’s own was considered condescending].

The rain begins in the night and continues heavily most of the day. M and B had planned to leave today and take advantage of a very brief respite - as in mere drizzle - to put their things in the car and start back to South Cyprus, heading for home and a dog waiting at the kennel.

Very nearly the only break in the torrential rain as well. Even hail, although not for long. We have no power outage, although many communities, including parts of Lapta, do experience electrical failure, some of them for hours. Among the causes - a lightning strike on a transformer. We do lose internet for a couple of hours, unsurprisingly.

Happy to get a call from M in late afternoon to hear they made it home safely. Fortuitous timing on their departure, as not long after they left the Lapta Alsancak coastal road was closed due to flooding.

Monday, April 8/2024

 Eclipse day - but not here.

Start out to show off the waterfront and the new(ish) walkway just north of us. But by the time we’ve made a couple of stops at pharmacy and supermarket the rain begins so we call it off and settle for food and drink and chat at home. Happy they’re here for a long weekend and there’s visiting time.

The country is going into holiday mode this week. Bayram, the celebration at the end of Ramadan, is Wednesday, and public servants have been given “administrative leave” for the week. Including the attached weekends this gives them nine consecutive days. Other employees not quite as lucky, but banks will close at noon tomorrow and other shops likely to close a bit early as well. 

Sunday, April 7/2024

 Start the day with brunch. Scrambled eggs and still warm soda bread. Small ginger cat would be very pleased to join us but we’re not co-operating. 

Maggi suggests a drive up to Bellepais Abbey, just the other side of Girne and up the mountainside. Haven’t been there for a few years and the views and ruins are as impressive as ever - and more commercially exploited than ever. Busy with tourists as Easter holidays in some parts of the west coincide with the beginnings of Bayram holidays in others. Charges posted in euros rather than lira (never a good sign). But nice glass of lemonade in the shade as we enjoy the sights. 

Stop at Blue Song on the way back for a meal. My first şeftali of the year, while M has a vegetarian pasta dish, B beef stroganoff and J chicken curry - which he brings to requisite heat level by dint of asking for pul bieber (hot Turkish red pepper flakes). We should be too full for dessert but….

Food good at Blue Song but view best.

Saturday, April 6/2024

Maggi and Brian here to visit from Larnaca. Champagne and cake and laughter and reminiscences. 

Friday, April 5/2024

Love the stone walls. They’re not the dry stane dykes of Scotland but the flowers succeed in growing through them as they do everywhere here. 

Walk down to our Friday gathering at the Blue Song. It’s moved to its summer hours. Now from three to five in the afternoon to avoid noonday heat. In fact it’s in the mid-twenties today, a little above the average for the time of year, though obviously hotter than that in the sun. J’s skin is tanning but mine never does, though it would burn with any encouragement. Plenty of free vitamin D.

Those involved in this week’s amateur theatre still basking a little in the well deserved success of the enterprise. Really was very well done.

Thursday, April 4/2024

 The ginger cat who first visited us - or attempted to - at the beginning of January is back. Actually has been by occasionally since. Bit more persistent lately. All but says “can I be your cat?”. A bit more awkward now than in January though as the weather is much warmer and we’d like to leave the doors to the patio open when we’re home without its being taken as a signal that we’ve filed for adoption. Obviously searching for a home. Not neutered. Many semi feral around but she would clearly prefer to be a domestic cat and we’re not really in a position to take her in.

Stop after shopping for sausage and cheese and fruit and veg on the main road to get a couple of photocopies made. We’ve been to the shop before and the young man there is highly personable and very helpful. Not very much more English than my negligible amount of Turkish but competent and quick on the uptake. Offers J whisky and won’t take no for an answer. I plead Ramadan - and as a woman am probably not really expected to partake anyway - but he pours J a dram of Jack Daniel’s and then brings out a box of chocolates. Do accept one - don’t suppose my Ramadan excuse was believed anyway. Suspect what we paid for three photocopies was no more than a shot of JD was worth, but we told him we’d be back and doubtless will.

Wednesday, April 3/2024

Courtesy LGC

 LGC reports that one fifth of drivers stopped at an end of month police blitz were guilty of traffic offences. They’ve rounded up a bit but in fact did report 417 out of 2315 drivers, 236 of them for speeding - a number which will surprise no one. Fifteen people have been killed in motor vehicle accidents this year, including three pedestrians- one on a crosswalk and two on a city sidewalk. Fatality reports often refer to the driver’s having lost control, which in a country not blessed with black ice must usually imply excessive speed. 

There were also 24 drivers charged with being under the influence of alcohol - the legal limit here is .05 - and 54 for driving while talking on a mobile. The mobile use by drivers extremely widespread. Three charged with not wearing a seatbelt. These will have been people in the front seat as back seat passengers are not required to be belted. Expats frequently complain that beginner drivers should be better taught but these offences are obviously not down to ignorance of the law. In the South locals used to say that driving habits were simply “the culture”. Though one assumes that substantial fines would lead to some changes in culture.

Tuesday, April 2/2024

 

To Kyrenia Amateur Dramatic Society’s April production Last Tango in Kyrenia. 

Beverley in the cast and Pat and Creigan behind the scenes. We’d known the script was comic but unprepared for how very funny it was - and well acted. Have probably never laughed this much in the West End.

Meal served at intermission very good as well. Chicken with roast potatoes and veg. John had said the gravy would be good - the voice of experience - and he was right. Venue, the Black Olive Café, doesn’t function as a restaurant but does do events.

Leave pretty sharply after it’s over, getting one of the last dolmuşes as far as the Driftwood and walking up under clear, starry skies. Night still warm.

Monday, April 1/2024

View from bedroom window

Bedroom windows are floor to ceiling and the views are a pleasure we never tire of. Of course views are two way. No neighbours close enough threaten privacy but the small ginger cat who seemed to be angling for adoption is found looking in. And plaintively making her wants known. Sad, but would not be doing her any favours to encourage dependency. Last year’s cats had sources of food and support other than us but not at all sure this one would.

Courtesy of Pamela Tschersich

Barbecue at Blue Song for those in our regular Friday group. Apparently an annual event. Our table has Beverley and John and Creigan as well as Pat with  daughter-in-law and granddaughters visiting from Dubai and a Dutch couple we had not previously met. Chicken skewers, meatballs, fish, helim (halloumi) - good meal and good company.