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Published: February 11th 2011
Well we finally arrived, or started the journey if we are speaking in technical terms. Etihad served us well and 18 hours, four meals, three red wines and a sleeping pill later we found ourselves on the shores of the birthplace of Aphrodite.
Larnaca airport, the new one, is flash and modern and is a sign of the times of the island Zoe was brought up on. Mum and Dad B were there to greet us complete with ‘welcome’ balloons and koupes (a sort of deep fried sausage with a bulgar wheat casing and a herb mince middle) which made the trip home a tasty experience.
Zoe’s parents live in small village called Asgata about 40 minutes from the airport, a real life working Cypriot village with cobbled lanes, blue window shutters and gossiping ladies. Cyprus is as we would describe a world of contrasts, and Asgata proves this. On one hand you have the 84 year old yiayia (grandma) next door who can tell you stories of the war that divided the island and at the same time welcome the technicians to install Zoe’s parents broadband connection.
Our first week in Cyprus was a mish mosh of
sight-seeing and relaxing, as with Susan’s nearest and dearest arriving soon to join us for a weeks holiday we have had to lay off the truly touristy areas so we can do it as a team. But in the meantime we have visited the hills and small villages around Asgata including Zoe’s old village of Skarinou.
Skarinou was a great example of traditional life complete with fields of olive and orange trees, coffee shops full of coffee drinking old men and a local donkey who resided by the church, but as times have changed so has village life. Now the donkey has gone along with the true essence of the village and instead you are welcomed by gaudy tourist villas which look so out of place amongst the chalky outline of the hills behind…slightly depressing but who can stop progress?
Our explorations have also taken us along the coastal route between Zygi, fish tavern capital of the country and Kiti (or ancient Kition as written in tourist guides) where Susan lit a candle in the oldest known church of the island in memory of her nanas. For Zoe, Kiti has, and always will be, the village where her
best friend’s grandparents lived and to this day she still can’t forget the memory of opening their fridge to be faced by a plate of chicken feet – you won’t read THAT in any guide book!
Another one of our little excursions was up to the Troodos mountain range with its black stoned village houses and cone laden pine trees. Susan was slightly perplexed that Cyprus actually had snow, but yes, there was some up near the highest peak of the island at Mt Olympus (a whooping 1951 meters above sea level). Sam the dog also looked slightly confused by the white cold stuff he has never seen before. We made sure Susan was ok by buying her sweet peanut brittle which is a traditional purchase once up in the cold mountains, we all had to try some too just to make sure we were ok.
In between trips here and there, we’ve been doing the usual of catching up with good old friends and filling up on greek food. Susan had her first experience with kleftiko – a traditional Cyprus dish of chunks of lamb and potatoes cooked in a stone oven for hours, as well as
souvlaki – the national dish – not your gyros or souvlaki like you get in Australia but more chunks of pork cooked over coals and served in soft pita breads with salad, tahini, tzaziki and lots of coriander. She told me she hated both as she gobbled them and washed it down with the local brew, Keo!
Of course, Zoe has to mention she also managed to fit in Liverpool versus Chelsea and of course she was delirious with the one nil win, watching Torres get substituted in the 65th minute and being able to watch a football game that wasn’t on at 3am (oh and the three pints of Keo helped too).
All in all, we feel that the trip has truly begun and can’t wait for more of what Kypros has to offer.
P.s Do you get the feeling our blogs might revolve around food?
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Hannah Giraffe
non-member comment
Haha, omg whenever I wrote my blog it was continuously about the food. The amazing markets, the cheap yet delicious street food and all the socialising that goes along with it. What else is a lady of leisure supposed to do.... It all sounds amazing guys. Live for every experience and take it all in. You'll be amazed at how time fly's. I'm living through your travels as I sit here at work pretending to tackle the list of endless emails. I will however dismiss the section regarding the footie. Ehem. Not our finest days xxx