Friday, March 31/2023

One of the things we’ll miss most about North Cyprus is the food. Yes, there are some things that are ridiculously expensive and some you can’t get at all, but that is true to some degree of most places and what we do everywhere we stay is eat the foods we like that are available and affordable where we are.

In winter oranges and lemons are everywhere, including in this place, though not everywhere we’ve stayed in Cyprus, in our own garden. In the North the best yoghurt we’ve tasted anywhere - sheep’s by preference, with the added bonus of having more protein and calcium than cow’s or goat’s. Chicken that tastes free range whether or not it’s advertised that way. Lamb, not dead cheap but excellent and available everywhere. Fruit and vegetables that are mostly in fact organic regardless of whether or not they are labelled as such. Yes, available in season, but it’s a mild climate and something good is always in season.  Locally made helim (halloumi cheese in the South). Now qualifying hellim can be given PDO (protected designation of origin) in the EU, preventing the sale of cheap imitations. Then there’s local honey, thick and dark. And local olives - don’t need to be in season as they keep. It is possible, though not always cheap, to get processed food, but why would anyone want to (well, apart from the homemade chicken garlic sausage at the little Russian shop). Natural food here is wonderful.

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Thursday, March 30/2023

 The wind storm brought down a thirty or so foot high banana plant inhabiting a pot which was undoubtedly once big enough to hold it but really isn’t quite now. It looked like a two or more person job to right it with some risk of its breaking in two. Until S arrives, notes that it is in a state of collapse at the bottom of the steps to the deck, and calmly rights it against the wall. But we’d thought it might break. Oh no, it’s a banana plant - they’re bendy. As indeed seems to be the case. And a quick reminder of the silly - and untrue - rumour going around before Brexit that the EU banned bendy bananas.

Stop at Doğan’s office to arrange about getting a visa extension as the one we got on arrival gave us sixty days which is not quite enough. So we’ll do that next week. 

Then to a Sikh restaurant for an Indian meal. Pakoras and bahjis as starters and then we each choose a different main, mine a nice and extremely garlicky chicken dish. Also a mushroom dish to share. Once more we are the only people in the restaurant, partly because it’s mid-afternoon by the time  we go and partly because it has only just re-opened after a wedding trip to India. S teases the pretty young bride who helps us choose the food but she can hold her own. Excellent food and lovely relaxed meal. In fact most meals in Cyprus, North and South, are relaxed. It would be uncivilised to hurry with food. 

Wednesday, March 29/2023

 

Stormy night. Can hear heavy rain at times  but strong winds all night and have to close windows that have blown open. Rain over when we get up but still blustery and can see large whitecaps on the sea below. Wonder whether the blossoms have been blown off the newly blooming trees. 

Had originally planned to go to the weekly market in Girne - the moveable feast that becomes the Thursday market in Gazimagusa, the one we went to regularly and in the end lived beside in the spring and summer of 2022. It ends up in Nicosia at the weekend. Was our source for almost everything three years ago as we came out of extreme lockdown - everything from fruit and vegetables to homemade bread and yoghurt, to sundresses from India and a frying pan.

But today is not an attractive day to be outside even if the rain holds off, and we’re not short of food even if Yowl complains about the standards. Have assumed that the cats would have stayed on the deck for shelter and two of them have but Yowl, always willing to make his life miserable enough to be unhappy, out in the gale until later.

Meanwhile a good day to read books and make soup.

Tuesday, March 28/2023

 Sun on the clay tiles of the roof across from us. Clay tiles look so beautiful. J points out that they are heavy. And we do have a house that collects snow on the roof. True, although I reflect that some houses in the Swiss alps have clay tile roofs. Repair to Google and am informed that some buildings require reinforcement to deal with the weight but that a tile roof can last for fifty years. There’s that weasel word can. And, of course, the likelihood that we ourselves will not last for fifty years.

Cats distinctly unhappy with the new cat food from the village supermarket. Only Noc finishes his, which may go some way toward explaining why Noc is bigger and stronger than the others. Also more placid, the most likely to be found napping in the cardboard box Jamie found for them. Yowl, who could most use the nutrition, least happy with the provisions, and yowls his complaint endlessly. Actually, the kindest course would probably be to provide minimal rations so that they were forced to engage in more foraging. We won’t be here forever and they will be obliged to continue their previous lives as street cats. Which to some extent they do now.

Monday, March 27/2023

 

Blue sky, blue sea, and the intoxicating scent of jasmine in the air. The blossoms are just beginning and remind us of when we were in lockdown in July of 2020 and the lovely woman across the road used to bring us little circlets of jasmine that she had threaded. An aroma that filled the whole house.

Cats point out unhappily that we are out of cat food. And in fact we could do with bread, yoghurt and a couple of other things anyway, so take the hint and trek down to the supermarket for a top up. Arrive just in time to nab the last two loaves of still warm sesame flatbread.

Sit on the stone wall outside and tear a bit off the bread to taste before it cools completely. Start back up the hill and hear a car horn. It’s S, saying that if we’re free now Doğan’s cousin will show us a nearby flat that the family are selling. 

Actually there are two, not quite finished and in a new building. The larger one is really attractive, floor to ceiling windows taking up the whole walls of open plan kitchen/sitting room and larger bedroom with spectacular views of sea and mountains respectively. Also a second bedroom and an enormous deck. Not quite enough to make us take out a cheque book but interesting to get a look at a new flat in the making, and somebody is going to be very happy there.

Sunday, March 26/2023v

 Sunny and warm start to the day. Well, by noon 17 in the shade but 43 in the direct sun.

Noon that is new (summer) time. North America changes time two weeks earlier than the rest of the world for reasons that are unclear, though inclined to blame American exceptionalism, in conjunction with Canadian little brother syndrome. Earlier that is than the rest of the world that still makes the change. Quite a few countries are making noises about discontinuing the change, which was originally a temporary measure introduced during the first World War. Although wasn’t that also true of income tax? Well, more or less in Canada, although not really in UK and US unless you’re talking Napoleonic and Civil wars, and then not permanently left in place.

But as it stands there are significant anomalies in this part of the world, with time zone lines paralleling lines of longitude roughly if at all. And this map ignoring much political reality. Turkey, for example, has one time zone when it might logically have had two, though not by the logic of Ankara. China bends zones even more to suit political reality, with the whole country, which is nearly as wide as continental US on Beijing time, when there ought, politics aside, to be at least three and arguably five time zones there.

Turkey has ceased to make the change from summer time as of autumn 2016, making permanent what had been daylight savings, although North Cyprus, which is on the same time as the Republic of Cyprus, does change like the South. Though this was not always the case. In 2016 when Turkey chose to abandon the time change TRNC did likewise initially. Remember this clearly because we were staying in the South in November of that year and found ourselves arriving for a dental appointment in the North an hour late. Fehmi’s assistant had apparently been puzzled and said to him but the English are never late. However, TRNC has returned to the dual system.

Saturday, March 25/2023

 Impossible to live in the midst of this history without thinking of those who were here before. Ubi sunt?

In the near past (as opposed to bronze age, or even neolithic) we have In an Enchanted Island, the account of William Hurrell Mallock, written in the 1880’s about his trip to Cyprus. He landed in Larnaca, stayed in Nicosia, and visited Kyrenia all before there were connecting roads, when journeys between cities and through the mountain passes were made with guides and by donkey, The house in which we are now living would have been about four hundred years old at that time, so the following excerpts are interesting, if not directly relevant. Transport from the coast of Turkey does seem extreme when rocky hills and mountains are near at hand, although moving heavy items by water is often easier than across land with no roads. But dismantling ancient buildings is not at all unusual, and in fact the older houses in the village of Bellapais east of Kyrenia/Girne were built using stones from the by then disused  Bellapais Abbey.

Friday, March 24/2023

 

Yowl appears early in the morning, yowling more vociferously than usual but possibly with more reason. He’s walking on three legs and obviously having difficulty putting the fourth paw down. Lost another fight? Who knows. He certainly doesn’t know how to avoid them.

Prayer times clearly announced from the nearby mosque. Remember the mid afternoon one Asr, from our lockdown months, as it always served as a reminder that it was time to begin preparing our evening meal, or at least to ascertain that there was something suitable for a quick reheat. Not of course, its religious purpose, particularly during Ramadan. Interesting way of determining the time for this prayer. It’s when the shadow of an object, such as a stick, is the same length as the object. Though no need to keep a suitable stick and worry about cloudy days in modern times. There are printed timetables for the prayer schedule available and online for any location you care to name.

Thursday, March 23/2023

First day of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting during daylight hours. It’s a discipline, and when strictly followed means no food, no drink - even water, no cigarettes, not even chewing gum from dawn to dusk, but after dusk a family meal - or sometimes a communal meal - called Iftar is shared. We have memories of Ramadan when we were in lockdown in Gazimağusa and could see our lovely neighbours across the road gathering around their barbecue after sundown.

We obviously aren’t fasting - not that that, or being non-Muslim would be a bar to attending an Iftar. But S has some recycling to take to the Şah supermarket collection point on the other side of Girne so we’re happy to go along for the ride, buy some heavy rye bread and blue cheese and Turkish ground coffee, and go for lunch. Lunch is at Courtyard Inn, a Pakistani restaurant with four or five outdoor tables in lovely spacious grounds with flowering trees and palms.  Start with pakoras and chutney and could in fact cheerfully have made a whole meal of same. But we order different curries and sample each other’s. All good. The inevitable cats in attendance would be happy to join in as well, but their samples are pretty limited.

Rain holds off almost until we’re home and then belts down, but we’re in for the night.

* Photo from Courtyard Inn website 

Wednesday, March 23/2023

News reports of fifty Nigerian men arrested in a three bedroom apartment in Lefkoşa (Nicosia). The apartment was leased to three Nigerian women, and there are allegations of drug trafficking and prostitution. Hard not to think that fifty men in a small apartment would probably only fit vertically, but then that probably is the most common position for drug dealing. Sad state of affairs all round and presumably not unrelated to the tightening of visa restrictions everywhere. On the other hand it is also true that African students are frequently persuaded to come here as students and allowed to assume, unrealistically, that they will be able to find work to meet their expenses and may at some point be able to move to the EU. Having said which, pimps and traffickers are pleased to make the same unscrupulous profits here as elsewhere.

Meanwhile the Cyprus Mail (South) sees fit to note that « North’s Electricity Demand from Republic [South] Doubles ». It is true, of course, that the South does sell electricity to the North, and that the amount needed has increased over the last three years. It’s just that the term demand has connotations of  Mafia style extortion rather than a commercial agreement. And have the same reaction when journalists refer to union « demands » rather than bargaining positions.

Sigh.

Tuesday, March 21/2023

Jamie and S off to Lefkoşa (Nicosia), Jamie to continue his travels and S to cross to the South and collect his new specs as well as whatever supplies he needs that are only available or are cheaper in the South. As well as to carry over a bit of glass recycling as the North is much shorter on recycle facilities and such as there are don’t run to glass.

Hear the unmistakable sounds of a cat fight in the garden. One of “ours”? J goes to investigate. Unsurprisingly, it’s the obstreperous Yowl (pictured asleep in more serene mode) who has got himself involved - or indeed possibly provoked - a fight he is unlikely to win. J comes to his assistance with the garden hose, dispatching his opponent as Yowl retires to lick his wounds. Not that this is likely to engender either gratitude or more circumspect behaviour in the future. And indeed after lunch we hear aggressive cat sounds and see that an unknown black cat has come onto the deck and is making antagonistic advances on Yowl, previously curled up sleeping. Yowl looks up to us indignantly - you see, it isn’t always me.

Monday, March 20/2023

 S drives us up to St Hilarion Castle ruins high (725 m above sea level). The drive is ear popping but there’s another six hundred or so rough hewn steps to the very top and various stages of castle, the oldest being Byzantine fortifications dating back to the eleventh century. It was used as a watch tower keeping a lookout for pirates as the north shore was subject to Arab raids. We speculate on the system of signal flags that must have been used to warn those in the settlement below. Girne castle is mostly Venetian but incorporates much older fortification.

In later times the castle became a summer palace for royalty. The views are spectacular and the location makes it virtually impregnable. It must always have been extremely difficult to provide goods and building materials and servants. Can imagine the dismay of the eleventh century soldiers on being told that was where they were expected to build a fort.

Have a couple of happy hours exploring and taking photos. We’ve picked a beautiful day for it. Jamie’s last so glad that we got sun. Really this is the land of (almost) endless sunshine, but the last few days have brought us a fair bit of rain and - very briefly - hail.

Then a lovely drive along the mountain road going west from the castle, all cedar and pines scenting the air and the deep blue of the sea far below on our right. And then the pastoral views to the south, out over farmland and off to the Troodos Mountains in the Republic of Cyprus. 

Back down to the sea and by then we’re hungry so stop at the Blue Song restaurant on the water’s edge. Very happy to see they have şeftali sausages, very Cypriot - the spelling changes from North to South but the sausages exist nowhere else and are delicious. S orders cheese burek pastries and helim (halloumi in the South) so Jamie gets a fair range of Cypriot tastes.

Sunday, March 19/2023

 Our Sunday lunch surprise adventure. We’re booked for Sunday lunch at an Italian restaurant which isn’t usually open until dinner time. The surprise part is that the reason they’re open today at lunch is that it’s Mothering Sunday - really UK only - and so they’re doing a traditional British Sunday roast dinner. So, adjustment to taste bud anticipations  and we enjoy the unexpected meal.

Followed by a drive up to the little village of Karmi high above Girne. The Crow’s Nest is open unlike our last visit, it being Sunday and turns out to be quite a nice little pub. Nice walk around the village, which really is charming and which Jamie hasn’t seen before. Each time we’ve seen it there have been more flowers out - and it seems more cats.  Good views down to the city and the sea and also up to the Byzantine castle of St Hilarion on the mountain peak to our east. St Hilarion almost gold as it catches the last of the sunlight. 

And back to our little castle for nightcap, recap and the very nice chocolate bars S has  thoughtfully provided. Sweet ending.

Saturday, March 18/2023

 Genuine thunder storm, rain and all the visual and sound effects. Bit hard lines on Jamie, lured with false promises of the land of endless sunshine, but that’s life. Cats considerably more put out than Jamie is - well, less philosophical by nature. Jamie kindly looks at a storage place underneath the house in search of a refuge suitable for cats and returns with a cardboard box. I unwilling to contribute a pretty new looking pillow slip as liner, but cats seem willing to accept the contribution. 

Friday, March 17/2023

 

Wake up at six and go to use the loo via the outside deck door. Cats who have been spending the night on the deck clearly startled by my unexpected appearance and scatter, the cat who thinks it’s ours and isn’t jumping off the table where he has clearly been sleeping, as we have prudently brought in the cushions from the chairs. They have opted for the shelter of the deck because it’s been a blustery night, and an hour later the winds are joined by rain and thunder and a proper March storm. 

Walk down to the supermarket. Can hear but not see the goats, although the storm long gone. Well gone but not necessarily forever, as the radar shows plenty of dark areas in Turkey and, more problematic in Crete. The ones in Crete look to be slowly moving our direction.

A number of excellent things about Cypriot food, one of the best being the fresh fruit and vegetables. Beautiful and inexpensive in season and often simply unavailable out of season. Think cherries, for example. And sadly we’ll be gone by the time the cherries and apricots are ripe. But always heaps of glorious vegetables. 

Italian Merlot on sale for roughly €3.50 equivalent. (Just over $5 CAD or £3). Find that as I take in the posted price I’ve instantly converted it to euros, my most comfortable currency, and  later can’t remember what it was in lira. Or engage in hybrid thinking along the lines of that loaf of bread is 28 lira but the other one is only a euro. A process not unknown to Canadians of a certain age who can say things like we’re 390 kilometres from Thunder Bay and five miles from Sioux Lookout.

Have wine with the chicken J cooks for dinner. Fairly impressive and well worth trekking up hill with more while the sale is on.

Thursday, March 16/2023

 Day begins very early. Or yesterday ends late, depending on point of view. Jamie comes to visit and arrives at three in the morning, his plane having landed in Larnaca at one. Which is actually impressively good speed as coming to North Cyprus from Larnaca involves a border crossing, but suspect that traffic and immigration queues more or less disappear at that hour. And the day hasn’t truly begun as greetings over we all retire for the rest of the night.

Most unusually for us, we do have a second  bedroom, complete like the first with stone floors, shuttered windows, enormous wardrobe and four poster bed. Its only downside being that it serves as an anteroom for the loo, the door to which is in said bedroom. However, there is an alternative bathroom entrance from the deck. One of the delights of a fifteenth century house where plumbing no doubt a later addition. So tea and visiting postponed until after what in medieval times was known as the second sleep.

Wednesday, March 15/2023

North Cyprus has launched a new airline amid some fanfare and claims that more competition leads to lower prices, which can, of course, be the case, but breath not held. The real problem is that related to, but not precisely caused by, TRNC’s status as a country recognised only by Turkey, planes cannot fly here directly from any country except Turkey. A major inconvenience for many. With apologies, I quote this blog from an entry two and a half years ago:

“More or less because TRNC is not recognised by any country except Turkey, but it’s actually more complicated than that. Taiwan is recognised by very few countries [actually 13 - think Guatemala, the Marshall Islands, Vatican City] but has direct flights to other countries. The short explanation, for those disinclined to read the Chicago Convention and associated commentary, is that China tacitly approves - or at least does not try to prevent - flights to Taiwan. It appears that the Chinese are easier to reach agreement with than the Greek Cypriots. Who would have thought?”

Not all Turkish Cypriots cheering the new airline, either. Quite a few expressing the opinion that the renovations planned to make schools earthquake safe are of more national importance than either a new airline or a new presidential palace. Fair point.

Tuesday, March 14/2023

 Thought the rain was over, but not quite it seems. Refer to radar map and see that it is streaming darkly up the coast of the Middle East, from Egypt through Gaza and northwest Syria into Turkey with only stray blobs of deep colour hitting Cyprus. Rain stops but mist continues partially obscuring the mountains.

Find totally unfamiliar young black and white cat sleeping happily on a cushioned chair on the deck. Then “our” cats return. Marmalade, as is her nature, serenely unperturbed. Yowl utterly enraged and says so. Repeatedly when he finds no sympathetic audience.

Pick up supplies at the supermarket with the best veg. Also cheese, chicken, tonic, wine. S spots a bottle of blood orange gin at same price as the wine. We examine it. Reputable British firm, distilled in Russia. Fortunately am opposed to government imposed sanctions, which have a poor record of achieving intended effects and an appalling record of hurting the most vulnerable, so we’ll give it a try. Oh yes, and cat food of course.

Stop for a meal at a Filipino restaurant. Tempura vegetables very good. And finish with deep fried ice cream - a first, although S says it’s usually served hot, a la baked Alaska and this has obviously had a freezer sojourn after the deep frying. Good, though.

Monday, March 13/2023

First time it’s rained since we arrived in North Cyprus over a month ago. As Cypriots always say, we needed it and they’re usually right as the island is in danger of desertification. Take full credit for today’s rain as we hung out a large  bedsheet to dry late yesterday. Actually it’s pretty close to dry, so not bad.

The cat we have christened Marmalade (spayed female) spends almost the whole day curled up on a cushion on a chair on the deck avoiding the rain. Our other semi-resident cat is a young male, not neutered and much less friendly, though pretty demanding. We’ve named him Yowl, as that pretty well sums up his whole interaction with us. But he’s kind of grown on us just the same, like a grouchy family member. 

Take advantage of a short break in the rain to go down to the supermarket for cheese, wine, onions and tomatoes. And are lucky to find sesame bread still warm from the oven. Can hear thunder on the way home but the rain doesn’t start until we’re in the door - just.

Sunday, March 12/2023

 

The swallows have built a nest behind one of the arches opposite us. Possibly not a wise decision   as that part of the building is not occupied at present but might well be before their nesting time is over. Reluctant to spook them by going over to photograph the nest, so have only a photo taken at a distance and with poor lighting. Nest indicated by red triangle. Brings back memories of the pigeons who nested on our balcony at a hotel in Paphos, though in their case the nest was so large and disorganised that there were eggs in it before we realised what they were up to and it was too late to discourage them. Don’t expect the hotel was particularly sympathetic to incubating parents after we left though. This nest is small and neat and the occupants seem pretty pleased with themselves, although there was a fair bit of excited vocalisation when a third swallow came along earlier. No, she’s mine? Who knows?