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Published: December 14th 2008
036 - Cyprus - Lefkosia
11/25/08 - 11/30/08
Cyprus Souvlaki
Cyprus is the daughter island of divorced parents Greece and Turkey, and is currently caught in a bitter custody battle between the two. The island boasts some amazing beaches and scenic views, and its citizens have a bit of a 'horio' (village life) attitude that gives them a more relaxed demeanor than Athenians. Hannah and I stayed with my uncle Mike and his wife Ioanna who graciously hosted us with lodging, a car to drive around in, and all the souvlaki our bellies could digest in just under a week!
Cyprus' national capital, Leskosia, is known as the last divided capital of the world, and, although the borders have loosened dramatically over the last ten years, the segregation of Greek and Turkish customs is readily available. This is best exemplified by the in-laws of my uncle Mike (Ioanna's parents) who we visited on one of the days. These Greek Cypriots choose to live in the one room house they built for all six of their children in a tiny village on the Turkish side of the island. Their food comes in weekly rations from the United Nations,
the same organization that patrols some of the border areas and keeps the peace between the two sides. The village is a Marionite (a type of Catholic) settlement and its land is still somehow owned/claimed by the Vatican (the Turks leave it alone even though it is on their side). All six of the children, spanning in age from 40 to 60 years old, moved from the village and now live on the Greek side of the island, but still visit their parents weekly. In fact, there aren't really any young or even middle-aged adults left in the village since it is practically impossible to find work on the Turkish side as a Greek Cypriot.
Four out of five of Ioanna's siblings all live in Lefkosia. The fifth lives about a half hour drive away. All six brothers and sisters are married, have children, and all the families are very close with each other. When they get together for their weekly souvlaki roasts it's a family affair, and upwards of twenty people show up! We had relatives join us at almost every meal, and it was fantastic to see such tight family values!
Mike took us up to
the mountainous areas of Trodos to visit a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The church was impressively decorated with numerous religious frescos. Hannah and I also drove around Larnaka and Pafos on a couple of the days and explored some parts of the island. This was my first time operating a righthand-drive car on the left side of the road and it was pretty tricky!!
Thanksgiving came while we were in Lefkosia and Hannah made a true American dinner for eight people in the family: turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce. It was delicious, and we exposed the family to a genuine American tradition and gave them break from souvlaki for once!
All in all, a fantastic few days visiting Mike, Ioanna, Chrisovalando, and the rest of the family. Now, we leave our family behind for the first time since September, and travel to the holy land of Israel. Next stop, Tel Aviv!!
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Mary
non-member comment
Cyprus Souvlaki
Wow, the Cypriot souvlaki looks delicious! Hope you can make it for us when you get back. Hannah, the Thanksgiving dinner looked excquisite! What a great way to introduce the family to one of the most meaningful holidays celebrated in the States. Love, love, love. Mom