Tuesday, February 20/2018

Finish reading Payback, the novel about kidnapping a banker during the Cyprus financial crisis. Fun, and a fast read. If you're a Cypriot, or a Canadian from anywhere other than Toronto or Vancouver, you probably rarely read a book set in a place you know intimately, as must happen to Londoners, say, all the time. So reading Gail Bowen's mysteries set in Regina had a particular resonance for me as the central figure, like Gail herself, lived within six blocks of a house I had lived in, and one book was actually partially set in a university building where I had had an office when I taught there. And much of the pleasure of Payback is in the familiarity of the setting. Not a great literary attribute, but a pleasure. Minor editing failures - leading me to wonder not for the first time if I would have enjoyed life as a copy editor. Like the hero rolling down the car window, enjoying the wind in his face, and lighting a cigarette. None of the five co-authors ever smoked? But fun anyway.

Monday, February 19/2018

Well, today is Green Monday, and predictably only a few tourists are wandering along the waterfront. It’s nothing like as busy as any other holiday, or even a normal weekend day. The locals are either at home barbecuing or, more traditionally, picnicking and flying kites in the countryside. Cypriots have strong rural roots, even the urban dwellers. A little like Canadians of a generation ago, when the phrase going home to the farm resonated with many even if the farm in question belonged to an uncle or grandparent. With Cypriots it’s the village, and you often hear that someone is going to the village (name not specified but understood) on the weekend or a child is staying with grandparents in the village. Unlike Canada, farmers are quite likely to live in a village rather than on an isolated farmstead. 

Many restaurants open today, especially in tourist areas, though our usual café closed. Charity shops, mostly run by  expats, seem to be open, but shops, including supermarkets, closed, apart from the tiny corner shops. Bakeries always open. In fact we discovered our favourite bakery by means of happening to walk past it one Christmas day. Few Cypriots buy their bread at supermarkets (and even there almost all of it is baked on the premises) and deprivation of fresh baked bread is apparently unthinkable.

Sunday, February 18/2018

Well, as always, the day after rain there's almost no sign it ever was wet. The sunny street has an innocent who-me-you-must-have-been-dreaming-of-England look. Sort of like the look the blue lake has the spring morning after the ice goes. It's always been sunny. 

Although this morning's Cyprus Mail has stories of flooding in Limassol, down the coast from us, that will run to hundreds of thousands of euros in clean up and repairs, with tales of people standing on restaurant chairs and tables to escape the water and cars being submerged. They say that infrastructure is not the problem, but this seems unlikely as it doesn't take torrential rains here to flood the streets here, and J's observation is that the drains are often not at the lowest point. We are interested in accounts, as after every rainfall cum flooding, of large numbers of householders calling the fire department to pump out their basements. And our UK friends tell us this would be standard practice in Britain. Can only imagine Canadian firemen having a good laugh before advising one to head to Canadian Tire and buy a pump.

   Limassol  (Courtesy Cyprus Mail)

Saturday, February 17/2018

As per weather warning, today is a day of rain, sometimes heavy. It's also the start of a long weekend, with Monday being Green (or clean) Monday. Green Monday is, in the Greek Church, the beginning of Lent, but with a fairly cheerful fresh start feel to it rather than a penitential one. Traditionally people head for the countryside and fly kites as well as picnicking. During Lent not only meat but eggs and dairy products are not eaten (which takes us, cross-culturally, to the Western Church's pancake day as a day to use up milk and eggs that will be verboten for the next forty days or so) and fish is eaten only on feast days. Happily, if surprisingly, seafood is allowed, so in a country where fresh fruit and vegetables are everywhere this makes for a remarkably unpenitential start to Lent, with family seafood barbecues and large salads. 

Saturday would normally be the day to buy all the food, with the farmers' market thriving, but not many people are out today. And, as usual when there is rain here, the streets fill up pretty rapidly with water, so that the usual problem when caught out in a rainstorm is not wet hair and clothing but having to wade ankle deep across intersections. But we're well supplied, so have a day reading books and looking out the window as passing cars create waves in their wake.

Friday, February 16/2018

Maggi stops in for tea and to lend us a copy of Payback, a novel about the kidnap of a banker in revenge for the levy imposed on Cypriot bank accounts during the 2013 financial crisis. The novel was written jointly by five people from a creative writing class under the nom de plume of Alex Xenon and is set in and around Larnaca, and as Maggi says that in itself is intriguing. We know the landmarks, drink coffee near the scene of the crime, lived kitty corner to the police station - which makes it fun. We were also here at the time of the crisis, when the banks remained closed for an unprecedented twelve days as the country held its breath.

Thursday, February 15/2018

To Famagusta, or Gazimağusa, to use the Turkish name. Dental appointment first, but Fehmi - as always with a civilised pace - has us start with Turkish coffee. Phyllis, his wife joins us and we apologise for having failed to find the son’s restaurant on Friday. More internet mapping since then, and a consensus that - diversion apart - we simply underestimated how far it was and gave up too soon. 

It’s market day - not coincidentally - so that’s our next stop. Always a feast for the eyes first. We buy a half kilo of yoghurt as well as mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and lentils, and give many other attractive things a miss, having been to Prinos yesterday, and mindful of the limitations of our little fridge. 

Then out to Ocean House for lunch. Fehmi and Phyllis’s son is unfortunately ill and not there but Phyllis is, and sees to it that we get the royal treatment - and a fish and seafood platter for four. Delicious, and unlikely to be our last visit.

Wednesday, February 14/2018

Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day. First time since 1945 they've been on the same day, which is slightly bizarre. But this is Cyprus, and Greek Orthodox Easter, and therefore Ash Wednesday, is a week later than the Western. This year, not every year. Don't ask. Meet Maggi for coffee and she comes bearing three small pastries which she has acquired while doing volunteer visiting. Very nice with coffee, and settles the question of which day is being celebrated. M getting ready for trip to Sri Lanka. On the way back pass a motorcycle more studded than adorned. 

Lunch and then to Prinos. Grapefruit, oranges, pears, onions, baby potatoes, garlic, courgettes, cauliflower, tomatoes, yellow peppers - and change back from our €5. Passed on the snails, though.

Tuesday, February 13/2018

There is Gas off the coast of Cyprus, which might in theory be good news, but is, predictably, a cause of conflict. At this point a Turkish warship is preventing drilling in Cyprus exclusive economic zone, which should seem a clear wrong. Almost. Turkey says it is attempting to prevent Cyprus from exploiting resources without sharing the rewards with Turkish Cypriots. And the response from the (South) Cypriot government is that resources will be shared equitably IF REUNIFICATION TAKES PLACE. And if not? As usual, back to a plague on both your houses.

Shrove Tuesday (western, not Orthodox calendar) but we opt for curry rather than a sugar hit supper.

Monday, February 12/2018

Added to the list of much too early deaths, Chris Stockwell, former Speaker of the Ontario Legislature. Conservative MLA who became a superb Speaker, intelligent and  even-handed. Once heard him explain his philosophy on the role. He saw it in terms of sport, with his function being to keep play moving. Thus minor infractions that would not have interfered with the flow could be ignored, whereas breaches of regulation or insults that would interfere with debate had to be called. One of the few Speakers who was a real pleasure to watch. Dead at 60. RIP

Sunday, February 11/2018

To Lidl despite Sunday understaffing and resulting queues. A fairly nice shiraz on for €2.20. Nice except, not unusually, they don’t actually have any.

Bathroom light burnt out last night, so we mention this to Kiki, the receptionist. Turns out the fitting is some special kind that will require replacement by someone other than the regular cleaners. Sounds either inefficient or inaccurate, but no great problem to wait a day. However J can’t resist telling her that it’s scary having to use the loo in the dark. She’s amused by him as usual and asks if he would like a candle.

Saturday, February 10/2018

Saturday, not that days of the week matter enormously in retirement. Made fish chowder Thursday night and so invite Jane and Bill to stop for lunch after their errands.

Friday, February 9/2018

To Famagusta with Jane and Bill. J has a dental appointment to have a ceramic crown put on. We arrive at the same time as our dent, Fehmi, and are admiring some large yellow lilly-like flowers that prove to be part of a massive thick vine which grows along a stone wall, through the garden next door, and up above the second storey of the old building in the garden. Quite astonishing. Fehmi tells us that he planted the vine, and breaks off one of the many flowers for us to examine and a cutting for Bill to plant at home. The flowers are enormous, perhaps six inches across (though the petals seem to fold back even before they reach full size), with five stamens and a pistil in the centre. 

When J is finished we go for coffee in the old city and then head off for lunch at Fehmi’s son’s seafood restaurant, armed with a couple of screen shots from the map I checked as well as explanations and a bit of hand drawn map from Fehmi, who has said he will phone the son. So all is well until we hit road works. British diversion versus Canadian detour. Detour has an obvious Canadian advantage in that it is bilingual. Diversion takes on a certain bitter iron - sounds like entertainment, but after over an hour of mucking about and trying to co-ordinate our efforts with the minimalist map we’re feeling fairly unentertained and give up on it. Rather nice bonus of a tour round the pleasant and extensive campus of the Eastern Mediterranean University. Twice, actually, as we try to regain the main road. 

Fortunately, we know an excellent restaurant which we can find - Minder, our restaurant of last Thursday, as good today as it was then. And well deserved - by Bill as driver at least - Efes (Turkish pilsener) waiting.

Back home with wifi look up the flowers. Solandra Maxima, commonly known as golden chalice. They're not native to Cyprus - originally Latin American - but do well here, flowering in winter and spring.

Thursday, February 8/2018

Harry and Ailsa's fiftieth wedding anniversary. The actual anniversary was on the weekend, but they've kindly waited until we returned from Crete. Heavy dust in the air today and a pretty high particulate count, but still warm into the evening. We meet up with H&A, Jane and Bill and another couple we hadn't previously met (Ian and ?) at Masala, an Indian restaurant on Dhekelia. Nice round corner table and the restaurant is quiet enough for conversation - a welcome rarity in Cyprus. First curry in some time, and hot. Kept hot, too, in individual little pots over burners on the lazy susan. Lots of laughter and lovely evening.

Wednesday, February 7/2018

Spitting rain, but not all that inconvenient as we're leaving today, so no agenda, and the airport bus stops immediately across the road from the hotel. So leisurely breakfast looking out over the narrow street that bends downhill toward the harbour. Women walk up the road carrying bags and umbrellas and a couple of men stop at the tiny café opposite. The occasional dog crosses to see what is happening. 

Had thought that today's might be a quieter flight, but there's a school trip of some sort, so lots of chattering teenagers and few if any empty seats. Larnaca airport has signs in Greek (obviously), English, and Russian. Interesting, as the official languages of Cyprus are Greek and Turkish. English is the world's second language. But Russian? Well, follow the money. 

Tuesday, February 6/2018

Our one day in Crete. Could have set it up slightly differently maybe, but would really rather be back in Cyprus at this point. But a lovely day. Leisurely breakfast and then a walk down the hill to the harbour. We’re headed for the Historical Museum but arrive just as a coach is unloading about sixty old people on the steps. (Well, all right maybe they aren’t any older than we are but they look old and the museum is about to be really crowded). 

So we wander along the waterfront. They’re continuing to excavate the old Venetian harbour with digs that go below the water line and between the fort and the modern fishing boats it’s a fascinating and attractive site. Up the pedestrian walkway and we pause for koulouri, the thin sesame studded bagels. There’s a handy bakery, although in Greece we’re used to buying them from a cart on the street. Pick up the tickets for tomorrow’s bus to the airport from the dispensing machine at Eleftherias Square and back to the Historical Museum, which is almost empty now. We spend the afternoon there. 

Crete has a history that is not only interesting but very long. Knossos Palace is a stunning relic of the Minoan period but the palace at Knossos dates to a period from about 1900 to 1700 bc. Not all that far back in Crete’s astonishing timeline. Remains of a settlement underneath the Bronze Age palace go back to the seventh millennium bc. There are actually stone tools from southern Crete that are at least 130,000 years old. There is speculation that pre-Homo sapiens hominids from Africa crossed to Crete on rafts, making Crete a cradle not only of civilisation but of humanity. 

Obviously no museum could do justice to a history that goes from quartz axes to anti-Nazi resistance but the museum makes a creditable attempt, starting with a time outline and early artefacts - tools, lamps, vases - and proceeding to various theme areas, such as icons and Crete in WW II. Some of the icons are pretty hard to make out, as they’re protected from light almost to the point of making them invisible, but I’m taken with some embroidery (circa 1700) which uses traditional Byzantine stylisation but includes some surprisingly modern faces, apparently silk with minutely embroidered features - right down to eyelashes. And there’s also a room devoted to a modern painter, Jannis Spyropoulos. May I photograph? Of course, without flash. Everyone in the museum relaxed, friendly, helpful. Including the woman in the tiny cafeteria who makes us Greek coffees which we take outside to a little patio. Super afternoon.

Monday, February 5/2018

Anastasiades still president, as the winner of yesterday’s run-off. Not particularly surprising. Could tell there was a winner when the car horns started sounding along Makarios Avenue, and continued for a couple of hours. Reminded me of growing up in Quebec, where victory always sounded first in the streets, long before there was an official announcement on the radio. 

We’re off today to Crete, on what is essentially a visa run. Can only stay 90 days in Cyprus without leaving, though after an absence of any length the 90 days start over. We’re extremely fortunate that Cyprus is not a Schengen Area country like most EU countries, as the Schengen countries function as a single unit for visa purposes. After three months in the Schengen Union you are obliged to leave the whole Schengen area for a three month period. Would totally ruin our winter pattern. Actually, Cyprus is legally obliged to join but has managed to put the obligation off on the grounds that the government cannot control what happens in the North. 

Crete only an hour and a half flight and a fairly friendly place. Historically and culturally somewhat like Cyprus. Bus in from the airport goes within a block or two of the hotel. Evening wander in the squares around the lions fountain and then pick up a couple of chicken pitas from a very good corner spot we remember from last year and take them back with us.

Sunday, February 4/2018

Cambanella’s, our default British Sunday lunch location. Then back to Jane and Bill’s for coffee. Their garden scarcely looks winter any more, and tomato plants are in flower, though Bill is wondering whether they will have ripe tomatoes before they leave at the beginning of May for summer in England. One beautiful bird of paradise out. Then we watch Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino.

Saturday, February 3/2018

Local media pleased to report that Turkish troops have fired at fleeing Syrian refugees at the Turkish-Syrian border. The story is disputed, and may or may not be true. The interesting thing is that it makes it into the limited world news provided in the English language paper and the ten minute English news broadcast daily on Cypriot television. With so much competing world news, one can only conclude that it falls into the category of bad-things-the-Turks-have-done-that-everyone-should-hear-about.

Friday, February 2/2018

Sunday will see the run-off, stage two of the presidential election, which is a separate event, with all Cypriots having a direct vote. In the run-off only the top two candidates remain, in this case the current president, Anistasiades, and Malas, the independent but Communist backed challenger. No pretence of separation of church and state here. The Archbishop of Cyprus has already announced that Malas will lose, presumably simple prediction and not the gift of prophecy. It's not surprising that the archbishop wants Malas to lose (interesting, though, that one would predict the loser rather than the winner) as he does have some skin in the game. Malas has said that the practice of the government consulting the church on the appointment of the minister of education should cease. It's by no means the only way in which the church influences the state in Cyprus, but probably one of the most formalised. As well as being one of the most powerful agents keeping Greek and Turkish Cyprus apart.

Thursday, February 1/2018

Arrive in Famagusta noonish for their Thursday weekly market, our first visit since the construction of the new covered market. Fortunately the roof doesn't keep out the light and the oranges and tomatoes and celery still gleam in the sun. Dried fruit and all kinds of nuts, although J is amused to note that an enormous sack of walnuts in the shell has been shipped from California. Also, round the periphery, clothes, shoes, handbags, books. Outside, as in the old market, flowers and other bedding plants and hardware. 

Stop for coffee at our old café by the mulberry tree. Minder, the restaurant where we went with Fehmi and Phyllis for traditional Cypriot fare, is next on the agenda, but this leaves some confusion with my not necessarily accurate memories of the last visit, Bill's instincts and driver's knowledge of the city, and the little dot on the map not quite in harmony. We resort to asking and a small conference consisting of the café owner and a couple of friends, provides directions. It's very close, as we knew, and they point the way to the back exit from the market, but slightly to our embarrassment they point to a name on the top of a very tall building nearby: Minder. The restaurant is on the ground floor. The men joke that their friend café owner wasn't going to tell us, hoping that we would stay and eat at the café, but are quick to add that Minder is a very good restaurant. 

And it is. It's fairly full, but we're pleased to find that there is a bilingual menu, as last time Phyllis ordered for us in Turkish. Excellent food, including Cypriot meatballs, seasoned rice with bits of liver and roasted chestnut and a starter of içli köfte - minced meat and spices with maybe pine nuts wrapped in a dough made of potatoes and fine bulgar and deep fried. Delicious. At the end of the meal we leave the money, including a modest tip in the small wooden box in which the bill is traditionally presented. As we're standing up to leave the owner comes over. Have we misunderstood and underpaid? Not a bit of it. He's explaining that we've paid too much and fears it may have been accidental. We reassure him and all smiles. Our waitress was a sweetheart and quite helpful. The conclusion is not only that they are honest to a fault but that only locals come here. Cypriot tradition doesn't run to tipping, although it is customary to round up a little and not to tell the waiter to keep small change. 

Then J's dental appointment. The broken tooth is in fact a porcelain one, and Fehmi is reassuring. Yes, it can be repaired. Can we return on Tuesday? Fortunately Bill remembers, as we don't very quickly, that we'll be in Crete on Tuesday. End of week then.