Monday, April 21/2025

In Krakow when Pope John Paul died. He was a local boy as well as pontiff. Supported a local football team. Didn’t really expect to see his warmth again. And at the time said that I didn’t care who they chose as long as it wasn’t Ratzinger. So, Cardinal Ratzinger duly became Pope Benedict days later. We were in Larnaca when Pope Francis was elected. Remember looking at each other and saying who? But couldn’t have been luckier. May we be this lucky again. The following is from a FB page. Posted by Dorothy Lennon whom I don’t know:

This morning, Pope Francis passed away. The leader of the Roman Catholic Church was someone who was unafraid to oppose war, neoliberalism and stood with the oppressed of the world. In the obituaries written about this wonderful man, here is what they won’t tell you…

1. His Holiness stood with those who were victims of injustice. That is why Pope Francis met with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange’s wife, Stella when he was imprisoned and psychologically tortured by the British government. It was an endorsement of Assange’s plea for freedom.

2. The Pope saw our neoliberal system as one that exploits the poor and working class for the gains of the oligarchy. He called unfettered capitalism “the dung of the devil.” When the pandemic ravaged the world, he criticized capitalism harshly, “The fragility of world systems in the face of the pandemic has demonstrated that not everything can be resolved by market freedom,” he wrote. “It is imperative to have a proactive economic policy directed at ‘promoting an economy that favours productive diversity and business creativity’ and makes it possible for jobs to be created, and not cut.”

3. As Israel committed a genocide in Gaza, the Pope didn’t hold his tongue. When a Catholic parish in Gaza was attacked by Israel, he labeled the action terrorism. “Some say, ‘This is terrorism. This is war.’ Yes, it is war. It is terrorism,” he said. “That is why the Scripture affirms that ‘God stops wars… breaks the bow, splinters the spear’ (Psalm 46:10). Let us pray to the Lord for peace.” Before his death, he called Israel’s actions genocide and called for further investigations, “According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide.” In his final speech, he called for a ceasefire, “I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace." 

4. After several trips to the hospital, the Pope told the world he should not be the only one allowed to receive healthcare. It should be a right of all people. "A world that rejects the sick, that does not assist those who cannot afford care, is a cynical world with no future. Let us always remember this: health care is not a luxury, it is for everyone," the Pope said.

5. The holy leader’s condemnation of the military-industrial complex was so vociferous and strong, he suggested those who participated in it could not enter heaven. There are many examples of the Pope expressing anger at arms manufacturers. “Why so many powerful people do not want peace? Because they live off wars!” he said, explaining to these children that some people make money by producing and selling weapons. “And this is why so many people do not want peace,” he said. “They make more money with the war!” In a separate Christmas address, he called weapons makers, “merchants of death.” He explained to the crowd, "It should be talked about and written about, so as to bring to light the interests and the profits that move the puppet strings of war," he said. "And how can we even speak of peace, when arms production, sales and trade are on the rise?"

6. The Pope was unafraid to stand against American hegemony and push peace. Early in his papacy, he used his diplomatic efforts to demand the United States lift the embargo against the Cuban government. For a brief time, the efforts of Francis worked. President Obama met with Cuban leader Raul Castro to begin a new chapter in economic/diplomatic relations. This progress was overturned by the incoming Trump administration. When the conflict between Russia and Ukraine began, the Pope offered to have the Vatican host peace talks, but he condemned NATO for provoking Russia. 

7. His Holiness was the first leader of the Church to demand care of the environment be an official part of Catholic doctrine. His condemnations of the fossil fuel industry terrified them. In 2018, executives from the industry flew to the Vatican to plead their case to the Pope and ask for leniency. It didn’t work. Pope Francis would use his words and encyclicals to call for an end to climate destruction and demand a healthy planet be handed over to future generations. 

Today, I with millions of Roman Catholics, mourn the loss of this beautiful soul. As he lived humbly and well below his means, he continued to do what he said he would do: transform the church into a field hospital. An institution that didn’t pontificate from far away. Instead, an institution that went to the victims of war, capitalism and neoliberalism and saw them as wounded children of God. 

He lived and personified the words we find in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” Let us all try to find the strength and courage within us to be peacemakers and create the Beloved Community many dedicated their lives to building. 

Today, I say to a noble peacemaker such as Pope Francis, “Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

Sunday, April 20/2025

Flowers everywhere in this country. Even in the stone walls, which always remind us of the dry stane dykes in Scotland, although they’re not the same. The ones in Scotland are tributes to an ancient craft, a craft that’s being revived like roof thatching in England. And dry stane dykes really are made of dry stones. No mortar at all, just perfectly fitted. A dry stone dyke properly constructed and maintained can last for over a hundred years. Some in Orkney - a place still on my bucket list - are over four thousand years old.

Canada not quite competitive with Orkney but does have dry stone walls over two hundred years old, The lack of cement or mortar actually an asset as the craft allows for minuscule movement without the stones breaking apart.

Saturday, April 19/2025

Wooden cutting board with sesame and nigella seeds. From cutting sourdough loaf studded with same. The sesame seeds look like sesame seeds. The nigella seeds, though, look remarkably like mouse turds. Not that we’ve ever had mice here.

Rodents not unknown, though,  and there are undoubtedly rats in the fields but the feral cats do a pretty good job of keeping their numbers down. In fact locals have been known to point out that feeding homeless cats gives them little incentive to kill rats and snakes. Actually there’s often a fair cultural difference between Cypriots and British expats re animals in general.

Though it was a Scandinavian women who was appalled by the name of a little charity shop in Larnaca - Curiosity Killed the Cat. Tried explaining that it was a childhood rhyme and that the following line was a more encouraging‘satisfaction brought it back’ but she was clearly unpersuaded. For who would joke about the death of a cat?

Reminiscent of the unfortunate Canadian in England totally unable to convince a horrified local that her Dead Dog Café sweatshirt was a tribute to Indigenous satire on Canadian public radio. Some things just don’t translate well.

Friday, April 18/2025

 

Afraid that Good Friday not particularly abstemious chez nous. Last day of Alexander next door’s brief stay here, although he will be back. Think he actually doesn’t spell his name with an X in it, but then in Russian he would use the Cyrillic alphabet. 

Once more, his shrubs flowering much more abundantly than ours. Think ours are suffering from lack of rain, but can’t imagine it rains more next door. 

Ask him in to say goodbye, and, since he enjoys good whisky, to share a drink. And a second….

Thursday, April 17/2025

 

Bill to pay at town office. Would like to know before walking over whether it is payable by Mastercard. Message them to ask. Reply comes about three days later - well, fair enough as I have obviously not messaged in Turkish and it may have taken a while to find someone who wanted to respond in English. However, reply is: ‘Can you paint?’

Possibly a reply intended for someone else, like a contractor, but seems a little short, in more ways than one. And what response could I give? ‘No artist but have done an occasional satisfactory job on a wall’? We decide to walk over. A little over a kilometre and it’s a lovely day - especially on the shady side of the street.

Meet a couple en route. The man begins by asking if we speak French. The truthful answer is a little less every year, but am Quebec born and bred. They’re pleased as their English probably slightly less than my French. So short discussion on what to see and how to get there. Realise later we haven’t found out where they’re from - probably France or they would have said.

And then the municipal office. Very pleasant and they do, like - almost - everyone else take credit cards.

Slightly different route home, which includes, as often in our village, a lovely ruin. Not necessarily ancient but an aesthetic pleasure.

Wednesday, April 16/2025

 

Flunked out of med school?  Corner of a field unofficially, and probably illegally, used as an informal mini dumping spot. As usual my eye is drawn to books. Gray’s Anatomy is a Turkish edition but several other hardcover medical and pharmaceutical reference works are in English. Hard to imagine anyone possessing these and not wanting to keep them for reference or sell them to someone beginning a similar course. Loose handwritten notes scattered as well. Hadn’t been there long as we’d passed the spot a couple of hours earlier and they weren’t there then.

Curious about the backstory. Did once know of a woman not entirely in her right mind who destroyed her husband’s unfinished doctoral thesis.  Maybe she had genuine grievances.

Did we score a couple? Of course. You never know when a good reference book will come in handy. And illustrations larger than a mini iPad screen.

Commandaria, produced in Cyprus, is frequently lauded as the oldest wine in the world with a name. A bit of an odd designation but then identifying the oldest wine would be impossible. Wild grape vines have grown around the Mediterranean for millennia, though the oldest scientifically identifiable traces of wine on pottery come from the area between the Caspian and Black Seas and date back 8000 years. As the technology develops more may be identified as archaeology continues to rewrite history. And undoubtedly the first wines were accidental (and not likely to be too impressive). Wine production came somewhat later.

But Commandaria is old. References to a sweet Cypriot wine go back to the eighth century BCE, probably referring to Commandaria. And it was served at the wedding of Richard the Lionheart in the twelfth century. (He had somewhat accidentally conquered Cyprus when he was shipwrecked there on his way to the third crusade). Not usually a fan of sweet wines but as a dessert wine it’s quite nice, rather like a decent port.

However, the Commandaria of old was not what is produced today. By the Venetian regime in the fifteenth century Commandaria was exported throughout Europe where port and sherry were already popular. However, once Cyprus came under the Ottoman Empire wine production went into decline although people continued to make it for personal consumption. Muslims were not supposed to drink alcohol and regarded wine sales merely as a good method of raising taxes. Once the British were back in control in the 19th century Commandaria was in production for export again. But by then the ancient techniques had been lost. The British adapted techniques from fortified wines and aged the wine in previously unknown oak barrels. It’s good, and it achieved a protected designation of origin, but it was then required to consistently meet the same strict criteria of the British era.

Now some brave winemakers are attempting to make the traditional wine using large clay pitharia, some as much as three hundred years old, and trying to recreate the traditional techniques. An experiment in its early stages, but should be interesting.

Monday, April 14/2025

Sadly, fields are turning into building lots for apartment buildings. This space, just north of our little supermarket, was all tall grass, wild flowers, and even a few wild herbs a week ago. Then suddenly the grass had been cut, the daisies were gone, and roughly metal frames with chipboard were lining the edge of the dirt lot. Backing for large advertisements of flats in the making? Maybe. That wouldn’t be unusual. Hard to complain when we are staying in a flat that others might wish to do the same. A little like seeing the shopping mall in Bucharest and regretting the disappearance of the old carts pulled by oxen. Not that we ourselves would prefer to be deprived of modern methods of transportation or be limited entirely to goods that are locally produced. But still….

Sunday, April 13/2025

Snail on the patio tiles after brief morning rain. Flowering shrubs by the wall reflected in the tiles. 

Snails should be the traveller’s symbol. Everything travels with them. House stylishly decorated. And move faster than snail’s pace might suggest. Have noted before that if you want to take a snail’s photo you may find that by the time you get a camera he has moved to a less photogenic spot.

Apparently speed typically about a millimetre a second, which isn’t exactly speedy, but still amounts to 60 millimetres - read six centimetres or 2.4 inches a minute. So two feet in ten minutes. Round the corner and disappearing from sight in an hour.

Should have thought that the patio tiles provide pretty slim pickings when there is plenty of lush vegetation around but presumably the snail knows best. There are often snails on the sidewalks after a rain. And then not all vegetation may be suitable. The oleander along our wall is pretty toxic - as in don’t eat, handle, compost, or burn (and inhale the smoke). If it grows out of control find somewhere else to live? But that’s humans. May be ok for snails.

So back to our lone snail out on the tiles. Looking for a mate? Obviously can’t share a house but has some advantages in the search. No need to worry unduly about gender as most snails are simultaneous hermaphrodites (must be a known condition despite my previous ignorance as predictive text knew what was coming). Means, apparently, that “when two snails meet they can readily engage in sexual reproduction, with one releasing the sperm gamete and the other releasing the egg gamete”. AI helpful here but not inclined to explain how the decision is made re who will play which role. Is there a dance or what? As usual, the more you find out the more there is to wonder about.

Saturday, April 12/2025

 

Happy to see the winds die down. Makes for a lovely walk down to the market. Busy market this morning. Miss the woman who used to  come with honey and eggs. Can still buy free range eggs there from Tina but sadly no local honey. 

Used books and CD’s sold by the cancer and animal rescue charities. Some baking. Produce on a somewhat unpredictable basis - this definitely isn’t the weekly market of Girne or Gazimağusa fame. Clothing, both new and used. Plenty of crafts. And - sold by people who undoubtedly have no idea what cultural appropriation may be involved - dream catchers. Probably mass produced somewhere in Asia and pretty tacky. Have seen them in Cyprus before so they must be everywhere.

Friday, April 11/2025

Bottlebrush trees line the road heading down to our little supermarket. We used to see them in Larnaca but much less frequently. Here they’re a common sight. About ten to fifteen feet high and really cheerful. Oddly, I used to think of them as bottlebrush trees since that’s what they look like but was surprised to find that actually is their name - well, not the Latin one obviously.

Wind continues. Gale force 7. Not enough to prevent our usual Friday trek down to the Blue Song, though we do wear our windbreakers. As protection from the wind - it’s not cold or raining. J notes that the two flags on the mountainside that we use as weather vanes are missing. Damaged by wind or possibly taken down to prevent damage?

Thursday, April 10/2025

One more sign of spring. Oranges are past their prime but not yet finished. Strawberries are at their best. Now loquats are not yet golden but beginning to ripen. The tree in the orchard across the road is laden and other trees in the neighbourhood have fruit conveniently overhanging the road.

Still crazy windy with gusts hitting gale force. Not impossible to walk outside, but no pleasure.

Email from our insurance agent. Heading looks interesting. Minor conviction protection coverage. So our insurance agents can protect us from minor convictions? Obviously not murder or grand theft, but say demonstrating without a permit (peacefully, no egg throwing). Turns out that isn’t it at all. For an annual fee they will ASSIST in paying fines for minor infractions. Last speeding ticket was circa 1980. Think I’ll take my odds.

Minor conviction protection.

Wednesday, April 9/2025

The house under construction opposite is putting in a septic system. Had noted the tank sitting ready a few days ago. Today entertainment provided by giant drill. Can only estimate the size of the drill but perspective provided by seeing the man sitting inside the cab of the machine. Guessing - joint effort - extended height of drilling apparatus about sixty feet.

.

Drill itself maybe four feet across.

Large pile of sand removed from hole as drilling takes place. 

Then seven large cement pipes lowered into the hole, one on top of the other, each about five feet high 

Cement lid lowered on top of last pipe.

Final step will be placing septic tank on top of cement pipes.

Operator has the dream job of every small boy in the world - and possibly some not so young.

Tuesday, April 8/2025

 A couple of blocks away, just round the corner from our little supermarket, they’ve put up a small building. Rectangular. Concrete. Maybe two rooms. Looks more office than house. Think it’s office space for the local mukhtar, who has been operating out of the auto repair place where his ‘real’ job is located.

The term is originally Arabic, meaning ‘chosen’ but roughly synonymous with village chief.  Some of the functions of a municipal counsellor and some of a notary public, both with kindly paternalistic overtones. Mukhtars do exist within the official structure, registering births and deaths and confirming identity. The term, and role, entered Cyprus in the Ottoman period (Cyprus under Ottoman control from 1571 to 1878) which explains the existence of mukhtars in both North and South. 

The new building went up quite quickly and is being followed by work on what appears to be a parking bay - an excavation a few cars wide surrounded by a stone wall. In aid of which a couple of large piles of stones have been delivered. We noted this but thought the stones seemed a bit big for wall building. And today, as I pass, the sole labourer is working on wall construction. He’s not only fitting the rocks in but tarring them in place. Don’t know if tar is actually the adhesive but it’s definitely black and not cement coloured. And he’s using a pick to break the rocks into smaller pieces. A lonely job and one that leads one to wonder if it’s as well paid as it ought to be or whether it’s the hard labour part of a prison sentence. No overseer in sight though.

Monday, April 7/2025

Planned electricity outage today from roughly 0900 to 1600. So begins at about half past nine. Cooking is with gas so basically affects kettle, microwave and wifi.

And also water - sort of. As in the pump that brings it to the flat is electric but the water tank warming on the roof is gravity fed. Can be brought from warm to hot electrically.

But J notes the municipal workers outside. Investigation leads to info that they have turned off our water due to an underground leak in the pipe outside the building. Workers’ English not vastly better than J’s non-existent Turkish.

Stop at Doğan’s office and determine that he is aware of problems and all will be fixed today. Sounds satisfactory - and only slightly improbable. Jackhammers and all?

Home with strawberries and wine and - prudently - bottle of water. 

No sign of jackhammer wielders but knock on door turns out to be Alexander - neighbour from next flat, newly arrived back from Russia. Whisky and conversation on Alexander’s patio until electricity returns, somewhat belatedly but company cheerful enough no complaints.

Still no sign of jackhammers but satisfactory water flow from taps. Once more J encounters man outside - different man this time. Relative of Doğan? Our tank apparently filled and water then shut off. Genuine - jackhammer? - repairs tomorrow.

Slightly theatre of the absurd. Info obtained from other dramatic characters wandering stage right. Status as comedy or tragedy unclear. Alexander enters from previous production. Whisky moves from interval to second act. Sequel promised.

Sunday, April 6/2025

 

Lovely outside for a drink and a read. And we’re joined by a very small friend sunning himself on the warm patio tiles.

We’re very lucky in how we split the year, with early autumn to early spring mostly in the Mediterranean and the other half of the year in northern Ontario. And yes, of course we know what we’re missing. We have friends and the internet and not all that distant memories. 

And we do know what we’re missing in Northern Cyprus as well. September is the only month in which we haven’t been here. In 2020, the year of the lockdown, we were here from March until August. And as climate change is making Canada stormier it is making Cyprus hotter.

In 2021 a study in Cyprus showed that the previous four years had been warmer than average. And it only got hotter. In July 2023 there were sixteen days in a row with temperatures over 40 degrees. A record broken in 2024 when July was the hottest month on record.

NASA says that a global temperature rise of 1.5 degrees means more heat waves, water stress over half the planet, declining food supplies and rising sea levels. And the Mediterranean will warm faster than the oceans, meaning declining marine life and increased coastal erosion.

Meanwhile we manage to avoid contributing to global warming by never using furnace, heater, or air conditioning. (OK, fireplace in shoulder season). But at admitted environmental cost of transatlantic flights. 

So a glass of wine and April Mediterranean warmth.

Saturday, April 5/2025

There is no time in Cyprus when we are without flowers but spring does bring an exuberance. The beautifully scented orange blossoms are disappearing but the poppies, like these on our walk back from Saturday market are suddenly showing up everywhere.

Debate going on in the TRNC legislature over changes in the legislation regarding gambling. In particular the government is proposing to allow Turkish Cypriots to enter the North’s thirty odd casinos, which have so far been open only to those who do not hold a TRNC identity card, most obviously tourists, visitors from Türkiye, and those who have driven up from the South. Objections from the opposition seemingly mainly on the grounds that casinos divert money from the pockets of the country’s people in times of economic difficulty. Mixed feelings on this one. The opposition’s reservations are probably justified but to what extent should people be required to operate in their own best interests? Should it extend to what they eat? Or smoke? Or drink?

Friday, April 4/2025

 

Pass the donkey on its own, though presumably tethered, on our way down to the Blue Song. Last week it was in the same field but accompanied by its owner who was picking wild herbs. Stopped for a chat. Like many people around here he was happy to engage, though with very limited English (albeit significantly better than our Turkish). He was gathering fennel, accompanied by a fair number of small snails. Said he didn’t eat the snails although people in the south did. As they certainly do. But does that mean that he personally doesn’t happen to like snails or that they’re not normally eaten in the north? And if so, why not? There was an occasion a few years ago when a Turkish Cypriot citizen was apprehended crossing the border to the South with a sack containing ten kilos of snails. He was fined a hundred euros and the snails were destroyed - or so the customs inspectors claimed. But on what grounds? Were they considered live animals or uninspected meat and fish?

We collected a little fennel of our own. Not the roots - just the feathery bits. Minimal research establishes that wild fennel likes to grow in disturbed fields. Love the phrasing. Does the attention of a placid donkey qualify as disturbed? Seemed pretty peaceful.

Thursday, April 3/2025

Currently three books in our read aloud shelf. The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine by Israeli historian Ilan Pappe. Extremely well documented, with origins going back to the beginning of the state, including minutes from meetings with Ben Gurion. Very good background but heavy reading in more than one way. We’ll finish, but slowly. Digital, so it comes with us.

Still in non-fiction, but a “real” book, is Aprons and Silver Spoons by Mollie Moran. It’s the fascinating reminiscences of a woman who was born in 1916 and at fourteen became an understairs kitchen maid at a grand house in London. She lived to be 96 and the memoir follows her life through to after the end of the war.

And book number three is fiction - The Bastard of Istanbul, written in English by Turkish British novelist Elif Shafak and translated into Turkish and a number of other languages. Uneven, but the best bits are very good. And of political interest as well. The family history of the main characters deals with the Turkish massacre of Armenians in 1915. A touchy subject at best in Türkiye and one that led to Shafak being charged with “insulting Turkishness”. The charge was dismissed due to “lack of insult” but conviction could have meant a three year prison sentence.

Wednesday, April 2/2025

 

More Sahara dust. Not the thickest we’ve ever seen but the most dense this year. Photo from our patio this afternoon is unedited.

We retired in 2000 and began travelling in December of that year. The biggest change in what is approaching a quarter century 😳 is in communication. 

Initially we were pleased to have begun our travels in the days of the internet. Huge step up from our honeymoon days in 1993 when we carried a little short wave radio and hoped amidst the crackle to find news in English. Then hoped it wasn’t Voice of America - slow reading for foreign language students and pretty CIA approved slant. Often it was hard to guess the language of a broadcast let alone decipher content. But the internet! Meant we could, in urban areas, find internet cafés and catch up on anything critical. That was how we found out that grandchild number four had been born (the others were either before retirement or during non travel season).  The first internet cafés were crowded, with grubby keyboards and often poor connections, but they seemed like a miracle. Sometimes the keyboards were unfamiliar, producing odd looking characters even when I abandoned touch typing and tried to focus on their alphabets.

Company varied. Our usual spot in Earl’s Court London full of Australian backpackers and foreign students, for whom it conveniently provided pay phones. Our first booking at a hotel in Cyprus was made from a pay phone at an Earl’s Court internet café. Other locations - for example North Cyprus later that same year - were full of young teenage boys playing online games and shouting encouragement at each other over my head as I crouched over the keyboard. 

Larnaca offered a more sedate café. And in order to attract more girls - who would in turn attract more boys - it offered a lower half hourly rate “for girls”. Have no idea what the law was before Cyprus joined the EU, but was pretty sure that after it would have been violating some regulation to advertise different rates by gender. But rather than dispute the principle I used to primly hand them the “girl” amount, knowing that I was not their target demographic - and that they would be unwilling to say so.

Maggi was responsible for finding us a free internet service in Larnaca. It was a student facility but didn’t require student cards for access. The downside - or one of them - was unbelievably slow computers, not all of which were operational on any given occasion. Oddly, they routinely ignored the posted age requirement - something like sixteen to twenty- five - but were brutally strict about the time limit. Half an hour max even if there were no other would be users in the building. And it was quite easy to use the first fifteen minutes merely getting online. Some censorship involved as well. Newspapers were verboten because they carried sports reports, on which students ought not to be wasting their time. Or gathering info to be used in placing bets? 

The Sunflower was the first place we stayed that boasted free WiFi, although at first only in the reception area. It wasn’t exactly high speed either - though better - and there was a certain low key humour to be had from listening to fellow residents loudly communicating with their relatives in other countries. The most amusing though was when Mr Andreas, the proprietor, asked me if I knew the password. Assuming he was being helpful, I said I did. Well, would I mind telling him what it was? And then in later years each flat had its own access. Though not always with ideal reception. 

Meanwhile in London we had graduated from the internet cafés, which were disappearing in any case. For a while we could drop in to the Canadian consulate, conveniently located in latter years off  Trafalgar Square. Long past the days when one’s embassy was a home away from home, willing to serve as a post restante address for travellers as well as dispense tea and advice. But it was prepared in the early days to allow use of a couple of computers for Canadians to check their email and ran to only slightly out of date copies of The Globe and Mail. And, somewhat surprisingly, when the Icelandic volcano of 2010 closed the skies the Canadian consulate played host to stranded - or in our case not particularly stranded - Canadians, allowing us to make phone calls as well as use the internet and actually serving coffee and quite decent biscuits. Have no idea whether they were shamed into this unprecedented hospitality by rumours of the generosity of other embassies and consulates but in subsequent years it was hard even to persuade them to allow one to come in and view their current art show - if indeed they still run to one. But by then we had graduated to the City of London Library at the Barbican. Where we took our first iPad mini (though not our first tablet) looking for a safe and quiet place to set it up. And that was followed by our Starbucks office. Internet free with the coffee and, at the Queensway location anyway, no need to hurry.

And now here we are in North Cyprus. Internet not at all bad, though trying to use it for VOIP has its limitations and there are occasional power cuts. But most of our books now digital and ones we’ve chosen rather than whatever a second hand book shop could provide in English. No more knocking the bottom out of suitcases hauling a library around. Plenty of news. Analysis from suitably non-mainstream sources. Even humour.

And communication. Before getting out of bed in the morning have WhatsApp messaged the man who delivers gas cylinders. (Everyone here has WhatsApp, including outfits like Turkish Airlines). Yes, he can deliver. Confirm price. Send small map along with address. By the time I have finished messaging to inquire about approximate delivery time, and before I have even considered combing my hair, his truck is outside.

A very different world. Though a tiny bit of regret for the days we spent wandering the globe as anonymous nomads. We wouldn’t have known if World War III had broken out. And there was something to be said for that.

Tuesday, April 1/2025

Online weather info:

‘Last night, a heavy desert dust cloud from Egypt entered Turkey, with Fethiye and its surroundings being among the first areas affected.’

There has been a fair bit of Saharan dust in the air lately but this graphic suggests it’s approaching with malice aforethought.

Meanwhile a second map also showing Rhodes (Rodos) and Fethiye - this time correctly positioned on land and not in the sea - shows rain, approaching Cyprus as is, no doubt, the thick dust. Can only hope that the resulting precipitation is not in the form of mud.

Temps still in the twenties so no complaints.

Monday, March 31/2025

 Honeysuckle threads its way through the lower branches of the orange tree on the edge of the patio.

Second day of Bayram celebrations. Think that banks and government offices remain closed tomorrow as well, Bayram having fallen on a Sunday this year. 

No real holiday from world tension of course. The Republic of Cyprus (South) delighted to announce that schools in Greece will be celebrating EOKA Day on April 1. EOKA was the guerilla organisation that fought not only for Cypriot independence from Britain but for political union with Greece. To quote from my blog of March 2/23:

EOKA was a terrorist organisation active from the fifties to the seventies whose aim was political union with Greece, pitting it against the British, Turkish Cypriots, and many fellow Greek Cypriots. While many independence movements have involved violence, EOKA was not an independence movement and did mean death for Turkish Cypriots. Independence was granted by the British in 1960, and the government of the Republic later outlawed the organisation, which had been responsible for civilian deaths and involved with the assassination of the American ambassador. 

The Americans may have forgiven or forgotten the indignities but Turks and Turkish Cypriots - many of whom were killed by EOKA - have not. Taking the celebration into the schools for the next generation seems unnecessarily provocative. 

So it seemed rather refreshing to see  headline in the TRNC’s Cyprus Mirror (North) reading ‘Erdoğan Vows Accountability for “Sabotaging” Economy’. Humility has never been his strong point and his unusual fiscal policies have seen the Turkish lira fall from seven to the euro three years ago to forty-one to the euro now. Making the Canadian dollar look like an investor’s dream. Takes only a few seconds though to realise that the accountability Erdoğan is vowing is not on his own behalf but a threat to the opposition. Sigh.

As journalist Robin Lustig put it the other day:

‘It was as long ago as 1996, nearly thirty years ago, that the then mayor of Istanbul, a certain Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said this: “Democracy is like a tram. You ride it until you arrive at your destination, then you get off”. He stayed on that tram for a long time, but now he has jumped off. He has reached his destination.’

Sunday, March 30/2025

 

Promised/threatened rain - depending on point of view doesn’t arrive so a small friend takes advantage of the sunshine and poses on the back of a deck chair on the patio.

Meanwhile, a new twist on the usual local explanation for accidents - lost control of the steering wheel. A man driving a rental car in Lefkoşa crashed into the wall of a house (though not at right angles as I first imagined it). His first words as he emerged from the car were ‘They’ve built a house in the road!’ 

Eyewitnesses said that the driver claimed to have lost his sense of direction on the street and to have been surprised to find that the house was so close. Well, it’s not easy to play the roles of driver, navigator and map reader all at the same time.

Not that we’ve been especially tempted but it is against the law here to insult Turkish presidents, and they don’t have to be present or even living to qualify. A man was just arrested for insulting Ataturk, founder of the modern Turkish nation. Actual insult not included in English translation but the offence took place in a gym and not on a soapbox. 

Assume that the applicability of the law is limited to Turkish leaders, and would never in any case have been inclined to say bad things about Ataturk, for whom I have some admiration. And a certain affinity as we once stayed in a hotel in Aleppo where Ataturk had, many years earlier, made his Syrian headquarters. 

There are, however, presidents of some other countries where I might feel insult was called for.

Saturday, March 29/2025

 It’s not Saskatchewan big sky country but the sky here is fascinating. The mountain range is immediately to the south of us  - in fact we’re on the northern slope of the mountains. So weather changes blowing in from the south can suddenly shroud the peak with mist. The photo on the left was taken this afternoon, about three and immediately after several hours of full sun. Taken looking southwest

The sun did return though in time for more drama at sunset.

Second photo taken about three hours later looking pretty well due west. Despite the red sky there are possible rainstorms predicted for tomorrow afternoon. Although apparently the wisdom is that it’s always fine weather for Bayram and Beverley says that was indeed the case during the twenty years she lived in Istanbul.

We can’t see the skies very far to the east but north is a different matter. A kilometre below us is the Mediterranean and then nothing but sea and sky all the way to Türkiye. It’s about a hundred kilometres and on a clear day you can see Türkiye from our north facing window.

Tomorrow is both Bayram, sometimes referred to as Şeker (sugar) Bayram and also the day the clocks go forward for summer time everywhere except North America, where the date for the time change is slightly different. 

Friday, March 28/2025

The weather seems to have a split personality. Begins very warm. Sliding doors open to the patio. Scent of flowers fills the room. (Unfairly, the shrubs overhanging Alexander’s patio next door are in much fuller bloom than ours while Alexander himself is in Russia - but we get to enjoy them in his absence). Lovely walk back after visiting with friends at the Blue Song. Then the wind picks up and gets wildly strong though evening temperatures still close to twenty. A bit eerie once it’s dark listening to odd bits and pieces blowing about. Don’t think there’s much out there other than a couple of small plastic containers swirling around and bumping into the table or the wall but it sounds weird.

This is the beginning of a long weekend as tomorrow is the last day of Ramazan. Sunday should be Eid al-Fitr, most commonly known in Turkish speaking areas as Bayram, Eid being an Arabic term for holiday and Bayram the Turkish, though the word has Persian origins. There is always a little uncertainty on the date as there is at the beginning of Ramazan as the precise moment depends on the official sighting of the new moon. So, like the official first day of spring, it may be a day later in one time zone than in another.

In any case Monday and Tuesday will be civic holidays and the children are off school for ten days. While most shops don’t close for long and supermarkets may not close at all it’s a bit like the time between Christmas and New Year’s in Canada in that some businesses may just shut down for the whole week.Turkish family next door seem to have friends or relatives visiting as they did at this time last year. Much cheery chatter from their garden.

Thursday, March 27/2024

 

Courtesy Cyprus Mail

Protests in the Republic of Cyprus (South) against the use of the sovereign bases in support of Israel as the massacres of civilians in Gaza continue. The bases are UK sovereign territory dating back to the terms of Cypriot independence. How they are used - and this has included flights identifying targets in Gaza as well as allowing military access to the US - is not up to the government of Cyprus. However the Cypriot government has fallen considerably short of bitter protest, and not because they have no proven ability to engage in same.

Meanwhile Amnesty International is warning that states “like the UK” that provide arms to Israel are deepening their complicity in genocide.

Busy times for Amnesty International as they are also monitoring and speaking out on lack of freedom of speech in Türkiye as Erdoğan’s arrests of protestors passes a thousand. 

And presumably Amnesty is now gearing up to criticise ICE in the US for inhumane, racist and illegal treatment of immigrants and visitors. Complaints that Amnesty has had about the US and ICE for some time. 

The weather is lovely, the food is good, the view is spectacular. The world is a mess.

Wednesday, March 26/2025

Sunny and warm. And we look up to find that we’re not the only ones enjoying it. On the patio wall behind J is a cat lying companionably near us, chin resting on the upturned broom. Not a cat we’re familiar with but not looking for an adoptive family either. Unusually, this cat is sporting a collar so it’s definitely not a stray, though apparently not neutered.

The prime minister of Greece has postponed a meeting with Turkish President Erdogan. A spokesperson for Kyriakos Mitsotakis responded to the arrest of Mayor İmamoğlu saying “Our stance on İmamoğlu has not changed. Concessions [compromises] on the rule of law and political freedoms are unacceptable, and convincing answers are needed for any concessions made.” 

An uncompromising statement. Until one notes that Mitsotakis intends to meet on the weekend with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Accusations of genocide understandable, but jailing an opponent a step too far? 

But politics is complicated it seems. During yesterday’s Independence Day celebrations in Greece naval cadets were heard chanting “Cyprus is Greek. F*ck Turkey”. Ankara complained and the Greek government agreed that the behaviour was inappropriate and said the cadets would be disciplined.

Tuesday, March 25/2025

Kazasi means accident. Trafik an obvious loan word. It often seems like there are a disproportionate number of traffic accidents here and maybe there are. On the other hand we do hear about every accident in the  country. Comparable to living in - say - Halifax and reading reports of every traffic incident including ones with no injuries. 

Actually the style of the commentary is more interesting than the forensic details. And that may be in part, though not entirely, a matter of translation. “Lost control of the steering wheel” is frequently cited as the cause of an accident but the authorities do recognise that this only the proximate cause and the phrase is often followed by “due to his [or presumably her, but in fact usually his] carelessness. So one can assume that steering wheels here are no more refractory than in most places. The licence plate numbers of offending - and innocent vehicles often included. And, as in other jurisdictions, gender and age of those involved. 

Today’s accident report also gives the name of the man who “lost control of the steering wheel due to his carelessness” and the fact that the car stopped after hitting an electric pole. No injuries. However here the astonishing information is the ultimate cause of the accident and the reason for the fifty-five year old man’s arrest. He was “under the influence of 425 milligrams of alcohol”. In Canadian terms a blood alcohol concentration of 4.25! Surprising he could find the ignition. For the record, the legal limit here is .05 - sometimes exceeded by drivers but not normally by near lethal amounts.

Monday, March 24/2025

Major protests continue in Istanbul. Protests clearly forbidden by President Erdoğan on social media but mixed reports on whether X - and therefore Musk - acceded to his demands. Probably yes but not on the scale Erdoğan would have preferred. Meanwhile in TRNC over 6000 signatures were gathered in a matter of hours in support of jailed Istanbul mayor and opposition presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoğlu, preferred candidate of the Republican People’s Party (CHP).

Apply for ETA electronic permissions for entry to UK. The app is actually quite good - apparently better than Canada’s. Short number of questions followed by scans and photo on the mobile. Efficient at taking the £10 payment as well. They want to know if we’ve been involved in or suspected of war crimes, genocide, terrorism or support of extremist groups. No, obviously. But extremist groups? One man’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter as the saying goes. And suspected by whom? Will our answers change if the US attempts to annex us? Interesting that they include support for genocide. I can answer no, but think it’s lucky for Keir Starmer that he’s already a UK citizen and doesn’t have to apply to enter.

Sunday, March 23/2025

 

Supermarket sales here are often on weekends. Produce easy enough to identify visually in advertisements. Types of cheese, sausage, etc can be trickier. Google translate of limited help, although sometimes contributes to the day’s entertainment. 

Have figured out, accurately, that hindi is Turkish for turkey. Well, hardly surprising that the Turks don’t refer to the birds they eat as turkey. Nor do most other countries, it seems. The French call it dinde - literally ‘from India’. In Polish it’s similar - indyk. And when you look up turkey the first Turkish translation given is hindi but this is followed by fiyasko and bașarasız [unsuccessful] film. Fair enough. 

And Șokmar supermarket is advertising what it describes as Dana füme kimliki. Translates as smoked meat with bones. Sounds considerably less appetising than accompanying photo would suggest. Presumably refers to smoked meat on the bone.

Meanwhile in Istanbul the clash between Erdoğan and supporters of Mayor Imamoğlu continues with hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in the streets as Imamoğlu is jailed. The opposition CHP party has said it will nominate him as a presidential candidate regardless. Interestingly Erdoğan himself was jailed during the 1990’s but emerged to become president. Charges and countercharges with malice aforethought not especially unusual. The situation as potentially hazardous for Erdoğan as for Imamoğlu though. The lira plunged as the conflict began. It was promptly propped up but at a cost of twelve billion dollars.

Saturday, MARCH 22/2025

Spring again - de jure and de facto. All kinds of flowering shrubs and trees coming into brilliant and aromatic life. Orange wattles along the lane leading into the Saturday market. Lovely yellow blossoms cascading down like weeping willow branches. They’re an acacia and originally Australian. Sadly regarded as an invasive species, not simply because they originated in another continent but because they greedily take more than their fair share of water in a country where water is in short supply.

Unable to resist the fresh strawberries at market. Assuming greenhouse grown, as it’s early but they’re lovely. The scent alone is worth the price. 

Stop and chat with Creigan, who often enjoys a Saturday breakfast at the market. And also with our friends at the bookstall. Beverley has saved us a selection of books by prize winning Turkish  British novelist Elif Șafak. Daphne had had one of her other books in German translation yesterday and B had said that the animal charity bookstall would have some as well. We choose The Bastard of Istanbul for a read aloud. Looks promising.

Friday, March 21/2025

Meet with friends at the Blue Song for our regular Friday afternoon drink. Several of them - particularly Beverley, John, Caroline and Creigan - have lived in Turkey and are interested in the protests. But no particular insider information. Thousands more out on the streets of Istanbul today. But this has happened in the past with nothing resembling civil war resulting. Can be difficult to judge President Erdoğan’s  support by looking at activity in the cities as his real strength is in the rural areas.

Interestingly there was a protest today in Lefkoșa in response to the TRNC government’s recent decision to permit female students to wear a hijab if they choose. The complaint is that North Cypriot state school dress codes have not included head coverings and that the change may be presumed to be in response to pressure from the more conservative and religious elements in Türkiye. TRNC schools are secular by choice and should remain so.

Thursday, March 20/2025

 Not nearly as windy as it was landside, but clearly rough at sea. What I grew up - like most Northern Americans - calling whitecaps, the British usually refer to as white horses. And New Zealanders call sheep. As do the French - in French obviously - moutons. Can see why they might resemble sheep in a distant field but rearing stallions seems more appropriate for a tumultuous sea. Photo from our flat not ideal, but unwilling to walk a kilometre down to the shore to get a better shot.

The Turkish lira fell sharply yesterday, against all other currencies, but partially recovered almost immediately - not quite back to original values but approaching them. The reason is obvious but a bit difficult to get accurate detailed information on. President Erdoğan has had the Mayor of Istanbul and about a hundred protesters arrested. Mayor Imamoğlu was apparently about to be nominated to run for the presidency, although that of course is not the reason given. He has been accused of corruption - a standard charge among warring factions. Also his university degree has been revoked on the grounds that he began it in the TRNC before transferring to the University of Istanbul. (So we have the local angle).  This is particularly serious because it is necessary to have a university degree in order to become president in Türkiye.

After years of the revoking of university degrees being extremely rare it seems that the procedure has become a weapon of choice, and not only in countries with a dodgy history of democracy. In the past revoking a degree would have happened only if it had been obtained by false pretences - cheating on exams, plagiarising theses, altering transcripts. Now it seems that engaging in political protests not in line with the financial sponsors of an Ivy League university can put a well earned degree at risk. As governments and policies change different graduate demographics could be at risk. Will succeeding governments restore degrees revoked by their predecessors? How far back will they go? Those who have had or performed abortions? Draft dodgers? I had ancestors on both sides of the American Revolution. Does that mean protection or extreme risk?

Wednesday, March 19/2025

 

Rain, promised or threatened - actually more promised as it’s been a dry year and the crops need it - arrives in the afternoon. Temperatures expected to drop to the mid teens for the next couple of days and then return to the twenties. Tomorrow the first day of spring. 

Some dispute over search and rescue efforts regarding would be refugees from Syria. There have been three separate events during the last week, the most recent being on Monday when Republic of Cyprus (South) patrols recovered two survivors and seven bodies about sixty miles off Cape Greco as a result of the collapse of a boatload reportedly carrying twenty-one refugees from Syria. The distance would have put it roughly half way between Cyprus and Syria.

UNHRCA, the UN refugee agency says that there have been accounts of Cypriot authorities forcibly returning would be refugees to Syria in defiance of international law.  The Republic of Cyprus denies the allegations of pushbacks.

Tuesday, March 18/2025

Make lemon curd this morning. The deep colour comes from the egg yolks. The contribution of the lemons and butter is pretty light. But the taste is rich, sweet and pure lemon. Some people spread it on toast. We tend to put a large spoonful on top of thick plain yoghurt. 

Day starts out breezy and then gets truly windy. A young cat takes a run for the patio door which is still slightly open as it’s not cold. Probably just trying to get out of the wind but we’re not running a shelter. Warnings out on gale force winds and the sea definitely looks rough. Laura and Nayım’s fence has blown down, Laura reports. 

But cozy inside. Borscht in the pot. Plenty of good reading.

Monday, March 17/2025

Cats occasionally trek across our patio. Some feral and some obviously from homes. Recognise this one as the cat Alexander, our Russian next door neighbour befriended. Alexander hasn’t been here since November, but the cat no doubt checking things out on the off chance. No missing ear tip, so not neutered. And certainly doesn’t look as if it’s been going hungry. May in fact belong to someone. Wouldn’t mind having a cat if we didn’t split our year between two - and sometimes more - places. Apart from the legalities, the last time I moved with a cat - from Regina to Winnipeg - was definitely not a pleasure. For either of us.