Sunday, May 31/2020

Speculation - and talks - continue on reopening the Cyprus border between North and South. It has now been over six weeks since there was a new case of covid-19 in the North. The North, understandably, considers itself more at risk from the South than vice versa. It has been suggested that the border might be open when the South has gone two weeks with no new cases. However this keeps not quite happening, and there was another new case today, this time of a high school student. The South does have statistics that many places might envy, but many Turkish Cypriot and expats living here feel that they have made sacrifices during a very strict lockdown to achieve a degree of safety that could easily be lost if others are allowed in. On the other hand, the economies of both sides are dependent on borders that are not sealed, and particularly on tourism. It’s the problem the whole world faces but in microcosm. And, as with the rest of the world, there is no totally satisfactory solution.

Saturday, May 30/2020

A cousin emails to tell us of the death of Charlie, a Scottish cousin - technically first cousin once removed. He was my mother’s first cousin, but quite a bit younger as their parents came from a large family (two girls followed by seven boys and a final two girls) and my grandfather was one of the older children while Charlie’s mother came from the tail end of the family. He never married but was a family man in the most inclusive sense, a good correspondent,  a patriot, and a passionate Scots Nationalist decades before the founding of the SNP. We visited him more than once in Gartocharn near Loch Lomond but three years ago he re-retired to Peebles in the Scottish Borders region. That visit will never happen now. But a wee dram now for Charlie. 🥃🥃 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Friday, May 29/2020

Out earlyish in the morning - well, it’s before ten - to check out the pharmacy we used to stop at on the way into Famagusta with Bill and Jane. Suspect the prices no different from the one in the old city, but the chemist in the one I went to with Jane spoke fluent English. There are seven pharmacies within a less than a mile on the same road, but we do identify the one Jane used to go to. However the young man no longer working there, or not today anyway. A woman and an older man. Actually probably not older than us but older than the man I remember. No problem with what we want. Have a prescription from Fehmi but actually far more meds available over the counter here (and in the South) and think people more inclined to consult pharmacist rather than make doctor’s appointments. Everything in blister packs, simply called film. Three prescriptions today cost about the equivalent of a single dispensing fee in Ontario. No problem in either part of Cyprus with quality of medication but suspect that Turkish speakers get no more than the virtually non-existant advice that non Turkish speakers get. Not a problem in this case and often pretty minimal in English speaking countries for that matter.

Stop in the park on the way back. Lovely cool place to sit and good time for a photo op with the giant crow, the crow apparently being a symbol of Famagusta.

Eating lunch when we hear the produce truck arrive. So load up for the next four days. The kind woman across the road who does the baking is there and J lets her know how appreciative we are - at which she disappears into her house and returns with two large portions of pudding, plastic spoons included!

Dental appointments this morning. Really the only place where we can say that going to the dentist is a pleasure, though admittedly this is down to the man himself and not the procedures. Amongst a bit of other work, we’ll be getting partial plates, J’s a replacement and mine new. And before that I need a panoramic x-ray. Fehmi describes the hospital location but this is not an on-the-grid city. I suggest that if I have the name I can call up a map and take a screen shot. Can see that each of us is appalled by the thought of having to use the other’s preferred methods of navigating. I understand his but can’t envisage it, so would memorise the directions - second right, left at the next roundabout, etc, hoping nothing was missing. He knows maps, but doesn’t really see a couple of enlargeable screen shots serving the purpose. J fortunately more versatile. However Fehmi announces that he has called his wife. She’s coming over to bring his lunch and will take us there. As she very kindly does. 

And we’re lucky, because not only do we get there quickly but Filiz comes in with us, which is very handy because she’s fluently bilingual, having been born and grown up in London. The procedure is incredibly fast. Five minute wait. Provide basic info. Say we want panoramic x-ray with both film (for Fehmi) and cd (for us). X-ray done. Wait in lobby. Get film and cd. Pay cashier. No paper work - cashier can see what I have. Eighty-five Turkish lira. That’s $17.16 CAD, €11.26, £10.11. As with most of the world, tax, if any, is included. 

Out for a meal for the first time since the lockdown. Fa Kebob around the corner, a place we’ve eaten in the past. There’s a prominent hand cleaner dispenser and the tables a bit farther apart. When we arrive people are seated outside, although by the time we leave a couple of tables inside are in use. Relaxed, though. Particularly in the case of eleven men enjoying themselves on the deck on the other side of the restaurant. No women, and they occasionally break into song. Their table is so close to the south wall of the city that a man moving his chair back from the table would probably hit the fourteenth century wall behind him. 

Close to nine when we come home and still a warm breeze. And as we approach our place we’re met by the man across the road, with a small container of pastries, still warm. “My mother,” he smiles.

Wednesday, May 27/2020

Things we might have done differently had we expected the world to shut down. Well, surprisingly few. We’re definitely not sorry we came; it’s been and continues to be a lovely interlude. We’re glad we saw friends in London as it may be a very long time before we get a chance again. Packing not bad considering the very short lead in time. Would shift the balance of heavy/light clothes slightly. We left in February and expected to be in Cyprus until about the end of April - not summer, although warm spring. In normal, i.e. non-pandemic, times it isn’t important to get the balance exactly right. If the weather were warmer than anticipated it’s easy enough to pick up a couple of inexpensive t-shirts. Here J’s packing is more varied than mine. I pack almost entirely black because usually for my purposes it is the most versatile. Black jeans with no rivets can almost pass for dress and plain black t-shirts can go to the theatre without looking too casual. Not formal dress, but ok. We didn’t anticipate spending May (by which time we’re usually back in Canada) in Cyprus under lockdown. Unprepared - unsurprisingly - for a situation where for several weeks no stores were permitted to open. 

So today we head out of the walled city in search of a couple of unblack lightweight t-shirts. There are a few shops in the old city that sell clothes, but almost entirely high end brand names - fake or otherwise. And I’m opposed to paying to advertise famous brands. Research online leads me to China Bazaar. A bit of everything, none of it particularly good quality. I describe it to J - think Zellers. And sure enough there’s not a lot there, but enough. Not crowded at all. A girl at the door does the temperature check with wand bit and gives us each a squirt of hand cleaner.  Find a couple of shirts in light colours. Added bonus: the ones that are thin material and don’t advertise big name brands are dead cheap. Perfect. 

Stop on way home at genuine, if smallish, supermarket. Map not always helpful re supermarkets due to tendency of shops to inflate their importance by using the term despite minimal square footage and offerings. In Spain the clue was to search for a hypermart. A supermarket was merely a corner shop, periptero, dépanneur renamed. This supermarket does  have a little more than our regular shops back in the old city, but probably nothing worth going for. J scores a packet of coffee on sale and I pick up a pair of socks. Gives us our smile of the day though. In the fruit department a bin of unprepossessing smallish grapefruit are labelled greyfurt. 

On the way home pass the market, a large roofed structure where men have started unloading oranges and melons for tomorrow’s weekly municipal market. Also pass Minder, our favourite village style restaurant, still closed despite the loosening regulations.

Tuesday, May 26/2020

Temperature back into the more seasonal highish twenties, with humidity still pleasantly low and nice breeze. Interesting the benefits of a very high ceiling. Probably 25 feet. Of course heat rises and hangs out along the distant ceiling. Less useful in winter. But also good during lockdown for making the place feel larger than it is in usable square area. A phenomenon we’ve noticed before. The flat we stayed at in St Petersburg (Leningrad) Russia was not large but was in a building with old fashioned high ceilings - though lower than here - and the effect was similar.

Third day of the three day holiday. Aysel messages to say that her mum has made bulgur koftesi and she is bringing us over some for dinner, which she does. They’re a sausage shaped bulgur and potato casing stuffed with a ground meat, onion and ground nut filling. Then fried - or can be deep fried. Delicious. And Aysel knew we love them.

Monday, May 25/2020

Well, the deed is done. Arrival of email in inbox saying we can now check in online for tomorrow’s flight signals that this is indeed the last moment. So proceed to cancel tomorrow’s flight. Terms have improved. Customer complaints have had their effect, or more likely they have been threatened with the possibility of cuts in government assistance. At any rate they are now offering a choice between a cash refund of the return portion of our tickets, despite the fact that we and not they cancelled the flight, or a credit for almost the entire amount that we paid for the Winnipeg to London round trips, despite the fact that we have already flown on the outward bound portions. Not bad. 

Sunday, May 24/2020

Ramazan Bayramı today. And very quiet. Families must be inside celebrating and the shops are almost all shut, sort of like Christmas Day at home. We go for a walk around six. Restaurants closed. One café open as well as the pastry place down near the port wall. They have a café inside where you can have coffee as well as their pastries and a shop attached that sells pastries and sweets. We don’t  go in but they seem to have a number of customers including some on their upstairs balcony. Social distancing really does discourage browsing. If you’re mostly window shopping without expecting to be all that tempted you’re using a serious customer’s time and space.

Saturday, May 23/2020

We finally meet our host, Aysel, and her partner and young daughter. Aysel has been in Ankara having a bone marrow transplant and has completed her quarantine on returning to the TRNC. She has a Canadian connection as well. She’s an architect and spent two years studying in Winnipeg. We’ve corresponded over the last three months but not met.

We go for a walk in the evening. Nice to see the restaurants beginning to open up. It’s warm with a light breeze and people seem to be eating at outside tables only, a bit more widely spaced than before the lockdown. The old city always fairly quiet at night anyway. Busy with coach tours during the daytime in the pre-pandemic days but empties out at night. But those who are out are cheerful, happy to be able to go to cafés and bars restaurants.

Friday, May 22/2020

About to go into a long weekend of the odd sort that comes from religious holidays on a lunar calendar. It’s three days, but beginning on Saturday evening and running through Tuesday. Ramadan ends at sunset tomorrow and is followed by a feast day, Ramadan Bayram, also called Eid al-Fıtr. Bayram simply means feast, so literally the Ramadan feast. And Eid means celebration, so the celebration of breaking the fast. Usually celebrated with feasting, sweets, and much visiting amongst family and friends. The visiting bit will be somewhat curtailed this year but presumably the feasting will start take place and the restaurants are now open, though with more spacing than previously. 

The three day holiday is national as well as religious, so presumably most things will be closed. Our guess is that our little shop won’t shut three days in a row, but we would be ok if it did.

Talks between North and South on reopening the border. South saying that they intend to ask those crossing for a certificate saying they have tested covid-19 negative. Not problematic in one sense, in that there are no known active cases in the North. Nuisance and expense factor. Also, what sort of tests - molecular? serological? - and certified by whom. Rumour has it that they will start by allowing students and workers with schools and employment in the South cross first. If they are asking for a certificate provided in the last 72 hours, do they expect these people to be retested every three days? Process may need some tweaking.

In this case the South is not looking at measures that would affect only the North. The short version is that as the airports open they expect, with some exceptions, to accept only passengers  from relatively lightly affected countries and to ask for negative certificates. Unsurprisingly, the UK is not on their list. The difficulty with this from our point of view is that few flights coming in from the UK means few going from Cyprus to the UK. 

And the UK, not to be left out, has decided, nearly three months after the rest of the world, to quarantine those flying into the country. Probably not applicable to connecting flights. Not too late to be any use at all, but....And just as they are, probably prematurely, relaxing other regulations and sending children back to school. Online comment: 

“Look, it’s very simple, the people coming into the country who definitely weren’t a significant risk before are now a very significant risk, whilst the millions of school children who definitely were a significant risk before are now not a significant risk at all, and this is all part of a very clever strategy and definitely isn’t a load of hastily cobbled together bollocks at all”.

Thursday, May 21/2020

Thursday weekly municipal market reopens today. Seniors and vulnerable people to go early, think before nine. It’s not that far, but there’s nothing we urgently need. Think the fruit and veg are as fresh on the truck. Fairly obvious that one couldn’t go back and forth comparing produce before deciding which tomatoes to buy - one direction only and keep moving, don’t squeeze the fruit. Fair enough, but not much incentive to leave the house on a hot morning when most of what we want is delivered more or less to the door. The market also used to carry things like inexpensive clothing, gadgets, minor hardware, etc. but will now be limited to food. Partly because it’s a necessity and partly because the stalls will need to be spaced farther  apart and there will, therefore, have to be fewer of them. Be interesting to see the comments of those who do go, though. There may be glitches to sort out for next week.

Have words with ungrateful small black cat who has been sleeping in the shade of the courtyard plants. Cat happy to ask for more food but very fussy about exactly what. J has bought it cat food which hasn’t proved much more satisfactory than the dog food. Tell it that when we buy human food that turns out to be less delicious than anticipated we do not throw it out. We eat it and hope for better luck next time. Small black cat does not seem impressed.

Wednesday, May 20/2020

“Coronavirus: Cabinet to decide on reopening of airports on Friday” reads the headline in the Cyprus Mail. It’s not what they mean, of course. There’s no question of reopening airports on Friday, and Larnaca airport has not, in fact, been closed. Cargo flights have been entering and leaving, just not scheduled passenger flights. Does mean that the Cabinet will meet on Friday to look at resuming regular passenger flights, possibly establishing an actual starting date as well as conditions.

Fall asleep in the afternoon and wake when J asks if I heard the truck beep. I hadn’t but he, fortunately had. So the fruit and veg truck that usually comes on Tuesday had stayed away on the holiday but is here today instead. And may well have explained this to everyone last Friday. More oranges. They’re so good, with each section like a mini cup of juice. Apricots for the first time, small but fully ripe. Though always slightly disappointing because both tinned and dried have so much more intense flavour. 

Someone has been eating the flowers on our passion flower vine. Originally thought it was a bird but now wonder about bats, in part because there are bats swooping around in the evening and in part because the consumption always happens at night. There are eighteen types of insect eating bat in Cyprus as well as one fruit eating type. Although the flowers are rather a long way from becoming fruit. 

Tuesday, May 19/2020

Our road, Coming Back from Corner Shop - Our Place on Right

Just as we’ve comfortably established the rhythm of the fruit and veg truck, it fails to show. Not much we need desperately, but we’re down to one orange 🍊and we usually have one each at breakfast 🍊 🍊. Is this because the municipal market will be starting up this week? Is the truck finished for good? If I go to the shop and buy an orange will that cause the truck to appear in my absence? Eventually I do go to the shop and buy three oranges and two bottles of Efes beer. And no, this does not make the truck appear. And somewhat later we realise that today is a national holiday, officially Youth and Sports Day. Clearly there will have been no youth gatherings and no sports events. And, it seems, no truck. 

Keep an eye out for the neighbours as we wish to make a small contribution to the charitable offerings that are given at the end of Ramadan, particularly for feeding the poor. Ramadan will end at sunset on Saturday and be followed by days of feast and celebration, so it is customary to collect the offerings early enough that they will be available for food before the festivities start. There are various possible charities but we’re handicapped by lack of local knowledge as well as lack of language. However, we decide to put the money in an envelope and write the word fıtre, the term for the donation, on it. Takes a while to spot a neighbour we sort of know, as they all seem to have disappeared behind walls into their air conditioning, but when the man who drives the white truck emerges I don my mask and give him the envelope. “For fıtre”. He hesitates a moment, then smiles and says “I give”. Communication accomplished.

Monday, May 18/2020

Wake up and check weather forecast. Says unreasonably hot. Think well that’s honest, if a little blunt. Can’t compete with my all time favourite - a British presenter referring to an offshore low pressure area “lurking with intent” - but still one for the collection. Then realise eyes not quite awake yet. Forecast actually says unseasonably hot.

Sad news regarding yesterday’s fires. Students were evacuated from a University of the Eastern Mediterranean campus, and British expats appear to have rescued a number of dogs and cats, who may well have had no specific owners. But the worst news concerns the damage to olive trees, some of which were a thousand years old.

Fehmi, our dentist, messaged yesterday to ask if we could come to the clinic today. Yes! The appointment is for eleven and we leave early enough that we get to sit in the shade under the ancient fig tree outside the mosque for a few minutes. Shade appreciated, especially since masks, regardless of fabric, are hotter than not wearing them. While the theory is that masks are always required outside one’s own home the practice seems a little freer. Everyone carries a mask, usually visibly, but most people seem only to slide it up to cover both mouth and nose when entering a building or approaching people outside. In other words they don’t actually have them fully on when driving their cars or walking alone on a city block. Seems likely that the police take a similar view when enforcing the law. Every day the number of infractions are reported, and they do involve charges and fines, but the numbers aren’t enormous and probably apply to those who have entered businesses unmasked or ignored reminders in public areas.

The vines in our courtyard garden are producing flowers now. Have no idea what the vines are, though the flowers look distinctive. And make an interesting linguistic discovery. The English word paradise comes from the Persian meaning enclosed garden.

Sunday, May 17/2020

                        Photo courtesy of CypriumNews


Still hot, although our outdoor thermometer didn’t go beyond 34. Earlier today humidity was given as 11%. Does that make us a desert? Actually, the island of Cyprus is officially at risk of desertification, caused by decreasing rainfall, urbanisation, and increased water consumption. Interior temperatures as high as 42 today and forest fires have broken out in both South and North. While referred to as forest fires, they aren’t on a Canadian scale. Probably closer to being grass fires, though still closing roads and threatening buildings. Cyprus does have forests, but not where the fires are located.

Has resulted in the sad loss of olive trees though. (Photo by Ahmet Said Sayın, FB friend of friend).

Saturday, May 16/2020

Hot. Though how hot depends on which unreliable source you ask. Noon would have been high 30’s, possibly 40. Someone in the TRNC posts at 5 PM saying it is 43 at the time but not clear precise location or that they have avoided placing their thermometer in the sun. Ours, an hour later, registering 32. But the really good news, unexpected as we hadn’t researched it, is that the humidity is very low, probably 20% or a little more - averaging the sources. So, while it is hot there is none of the skin can’t breathe unpleasantness of Vietnam, say, or even Sioux Lookout in a heatwave.

Friday, May 15/2020

Heatwave. Temperatures in the mid-thirties today and predicted similar for the next week. There’s an advantage to being on the coast, though. Temperatures always moderated slightly compared with those inland and there’s usually a breeze here. Famagusta usually a little cooler than Larnaca as well, a difference we sometimes fail to appreciate when here in winter. 

Meanwhile in the South the government has issued a red alert for forest fires. Inland temperatures in places there are expected to reach the low forties over the next two or three days.

More bits of lockdown relaxation being introduced. Schools closed until the end of June but restaurant take aways allowed now and some restaurants will be allowed to open next week. Testing required and terms of opening not yet made public. Suspect they will be more lenient about outdoor dining, though obviously masks not a possibility for customers whilst eating. It has now been three and a half weeks since the last new case was reported, and there have been no active cases In the TRNC since May 11. Testing continues and this could change. The last citizens to come in are still completing quarantine - fourteen days in government facilities followed by seven of self-isolation at home. The weekly open air market is meant to resume on Thursday for the first time since March 12. All sellers being tested. Meanwhile the produce truck continues to stop a few metres from our door on Tuesdays and Fridays in the early afternoon. Could hardly be more convenient. Had expected the orange growing season to be over by now but very pleased that it isn’t.

Thursday, May 14/2020

Feed some tinned dog food to small black cat. Tin acquired by mistake of a sort familiar to many immigrants who don’t speak the language. Had wanted to buy evaporated milk and spotted some tins immediately next to the cartons of UHT milk. Tins about the right size. Picture of little girl hugging dog. Minute print and in any case glasses tending to fog as a result of breathing through mask. 

Discover at home that tin contains small pieces of meat in a sort of gravy. Much more meat than gravy. Assume that cat will be pleased, as we are soup makers and consequently our scraps thin to the point of non-existent. J feeds cat at a spot far enough from our front door that cat will not, presumably, think it is entitled to join us in the kitchen. Discover later that cat, who had followed J out to the feeding station with every sign of enthusiasm, has not been impressed. Most of the food remains for J to dispose of. Has cat, perchance, spotted tin and been offended by doggy picture?  🐾

Coal tits equally uninterested in breadcrumbs, although they seem to be fat and thriving without our assistance. Wonder whether crows at home have been annoyed by our absence. They were almost always pleased about the food.

Wednesday, May 13/2020

Occasional flights have left Larnaca for the UK and other European. Actually very few. The difficulty with the border remains, although there have been one time negotiated crossings, normally facilitated by the British High Commission. The worst part of these is that they usually give very little notice - sometimes hours - and can be cancelled with equally little notice. Indeed it is possible that seats are offered to passengers by airlines that hope not to genuinely have them available. Cargo is simpler and more lucrative and extra cargo possibilities at the last minute may lead to passenger spaces being cancelled. 

This is likely to become much simpler once the Larnaca Airport is officially handling passenger traffic again and scheduled flights resume, albeit on a reduced timetable. The Cypriot Health Minister (South) said two weeks ago that phase three of exiting the lockdown would take place between June 9 and July 13 and would include gradual reopening of airports and airlines. Not necessarily the last word, as response to the pandemic has been a work in place and plans and procedures have changed over time.

Tuesday, May 12/2020

Weather here predicted to be hot over the next few days, probably in the 30’s, which is more typical of Famagusta in June and July than May. We have high ceilings and stone walls, and it’s nice outside in the early morning, late afternoon and evening, usually with a breeze. Meanwhile unenviable records being set in Northwest Ontario - for nighttime lows. Sioux Lookout recorded at -7.4. That’s the lowest since 1943, before either of us was born. Some averaging out wouldn’t go amiss.

“Our” black cat frequently to be found curled up on the doormat, although even if the door is standing open and nobody is paying attention it doesn’t cross the threshold. And across the road there is plenty of activity at the coal tit apartments. At least two are occupied but two more have been in use and we’re not positive whether they still are lived in or were abandoned. Can imagine the domestic disputes - yes it was a lot of work making the nest but the view is better from next door.