Two wet picnics

Note to self: if you are planning an autumn picnic in Cyprus, never assume the blue skies will last forever!  Last weekend we had two picnics planned, the first on Saturday with the school in the Troodos Mountains, and then a 'souvla picnic' with Ross' work colleagues on the Sunday in a forest near a monastery in the foothills above Nicosia.  Both events ended up being completely rained out, although each day started out with perfect blue skies and balmy temperature.  

Photographic evidence of Anna actually
wearing a jumper - it must have been cold!

It's a novelty to see clouds after the best part of 5 months of clear blue skies.  Even more so when those clouds actually produce some precipitation.  And what precipitation it was.  By the time arrived at the top of Troodos to the picnic ground on Saturday, the thermometer had dropped below 10 degrees, the clouds and fog descended and then the rain and hail came.  Hard to believe that less than 50 minutes earlier, we were leaving Nicosia in blue skies and 33 degrees.  So pronounced was the cool change that even Anna succumbed to wearing a jumper (no small feat given her stubbornness of late!).  And so the families at the picnic huddled together in a small hut wishing that someone had some dry firewood to burn.  A quick lunch was consumed, and then most families beat a hasty retreat back to their cars and down the mountain (or to a nearby village cafe to get warm).

Sunday started out with the same blue skies, and so with a measure of what in hindsight may have been misplaced optimism, we set off the second picnic in as many days.  This one was larger, approx 50 people coming from Ross' work, with some Cypriot colleagues transporting large charcoal bbq pits to the picnic site to cook 'souvla' for us all.  The forest site is a beautiful place in the mountains.  Lots of room for the kids to run around, and very popular with large extended families from Nicosia for a long Sunday picnic.  Alas last Sunday, the weather conspired against us again, and by the time we had arrived at the site (after leaving Nicosia in blue skies) it was already raining.  From then on, the rain just got harder and in the end became a deluge, the likes of which we have not seen before in Cyprus.  Small rivers flowing through the picnic site, 25kg of souvla cooking on a spit, drinks, kids, mud, small landslides.....I'm sure you get the picture.  After much animated discussion about the likelihood of the rain stopping (this is Cyprus afterall, the island of sunshine), we ended up abandoning the site when the real lightning started(!) and headed to a colleague's house who kindly agreed to host our drenched party.  

Kristos, our souvla 'masterchef'

It's not often that you would get rained out in Cyprus, much less likely that it would happen twice in as many days.  Since we've lived in Cyprus, you could count on one hand the times we have needed an umbrella.  In fact I don't think we even have one here. We certainly could have used one last weekend!


  

Time for a strong drink??

The blessing of the pets

Last Sunday we experienced a ritual in our church known as the 'Blessing of the Pets'.  The custom is conducted annually in remembrance of St Francis of Assisi's love for all creatures.  St Francis, whose feast day is October 4th, was known to preach to the birds and animals.  It is written that he and his early brothers, staying in a small hovel, once allowed themselves to be displaced by a donkey.

And so we arrived at church last Sunday with great anticipation of the animals that may be present.  People are encouraged to bring their pets to church (or a picture of their pet if the animal can't be present).  As part of the service the pets receive a special blessing and are sprinkled with holy water in a ceremony either inside or outside the church.  A somewhat strange custom to us, but one that is significant in some denominational traditions. 

On the same occasion last year, there was a decent representation of cats, dogs and birds in the church but alas this year the representation was somewhat thinner.  Our kids pondered on their various pet options beforehand, and there was some fairly robust discussion about the merits of taking a pet bug, worm or lizard to receive a special blessing.  Likewise whether they could take a photo of their now deceased mice or guinea pigs from a few years ago.  In the end a modicum of sanity prevailed and the kids agreed to just take a photo of their nanna's dog Toby.  

And so it was, that Toby received a long distance blessing and a drop of holy water from Cyprus.  Here's hoping he had a good day back in Australia! 

Greater love hath no parent

Picture the scene....... three days away with friends at a lovely house near Paphos on the western side of the island, long days in the sun, late nights playing cards, fresh fish by the beach and all 7 kids generally happy.  Anna and her best friend Katie were particularly content playing their never-ending game of 'mums and babies' interspersed with breaks of "I'm hungry" and teary complaints of not sharing.  We like to call them Thelma and Louise for their fierce independence however sometimes they are more deserving of titles like Ethel and Edna (no offence to late relatives intended!).  Anyway, my friend Ellie and I remarked today on how special it was for 3yr olds to have such a special friend in each other.

Anna and her best friend Katie sharing a drink

Now whilst the opening for this blog sounded quite idyllic, please don't be fooled.  In true early bird form, Anna came into our bed this morning at 5am, thereby waking Sam like she normally does.  The fairly complicated sleeping arrangements in our room (5 beds) meant that Sam woke up to the realization that he had been moved during the night and thus wanted to immediately move back to his original bed which was now being occupied by Jessie.  Oh dear; a house full of sleeping people and a very unhappy 5yr old who can't seem to cry quietly and refuses to be soothed by choices, bribes, hugs or threats of draconian punishment.  As we didn't want to wake the house, we felt the only solution was to put Sam & Anna in the car and take a drive.  A little early (!) and very dark at 5.15am but exciting nonetheless at the prospect of an early swim together down in the old harbour of Paphos.

No Sam, the waterpark doesn't open for
another four hours.........

Of course, whilst we were waiting for the dawn to actually arrive, Sam was somewhat unjustifiably rewarded by a stop-over at the town's 'Aphrodite' Waterslide Park.  The fact that it was pitch black didn't seem to dull his enthusiasm, as he talked us through every feature in the park (he'd already done some heavy research prior), including the 'graffiti slide', which he was confident Angus would be particularly interested in.

Our turn finally came with the dawning of a new day: the water still in it's post-summer warmth and blissfully clear.  We were joined by about 60 or 70 locals who were also swimming at the same spot for the sunrise.  Ross was particularly impressed by the fact that none of them seemed too interested in swimming for exercise, but rather just lolling about in the clear Mediterranean and generally chatting with friends.  They don't call Cyprus the island of 'siga siga' (slowly slowly) for nothing!

A dawn swim in the harbour

After a busy opening to the school year, the long weekend was delightfully restful for us all and a great chance to spend time with good friends and enjoy the milder tail end of summer.  Ross got a couple of extra naps in and Sarah managed a spectacular but hilly ride to Pissouri beach about 20km away.

Ross also enjoyed the fact that the house we stayed in was under the final approach flight path for Paphos airport, so plenty of good plane watching to be had.

A casual fish dinner at sunset in a spectacular location

Transaero 747 from Moscow on final
approach to Paphos

I Wish I'd Learnt Greek

This evening I joined one of the Nicosia bike clubs on a sunset ride around Athalassa Park.  A beautiful evening to be out with about 40 other cyclists.  It's a great way for me to feel safe riding on lots of bush tracks where I mostly don't have a clue where I'm going.  I'm finding that on my solo rides I can't get very adventurous because of my horrid sense of direction.  Gradually I'll get more daring no doubt with time but I really need a cycling buddy.

Anyway, I had this thought as I was listening to all the cyclists chat on about who knows what.  I thought 'Oh how I wish I'd learnt Greek;  it would really help me get to know some other cyclists'.  It was a fleeting thought.  Only seconds passed and a kind cyclist came up beside me to practice his English.  I could be useful in that club after all!

An aborted climb

The view from the range on a clear day!

Last Sunday we set off with a few other families to climb Buffavento Castle, which is located on the mountain range to the north of Nicosia in the Turkish controlled territory.  Buffavento is situated at an altitude of almost 1000m, and has spectacular views of the island and all the way to the Turkish mainland on a clear day.  It stands between St Hilarion castle to the west and Kantara castle to the east, all of which were built in the 11th century as a defence against Arab raids.   As both of the other castles are visible from Buffavento, it was used to pass signals between them.  We've climbed St Hilarion castle several times, but alas Buffavento has eluded us until now.

The road to Buffavento travels close to the large Turkish-
Cypriot flag painted onto the mountains north of Nicosia 

Given the altitude of the castle the weather can change quickly.  We left Nicosia in bright sun, but by the time we had driven up the somewhat precarious path to the base of the climb (calling it a road would be generous!), we found ourselves in cloud we decided it would not be worth the climb to see nothing but fog. So we switched to plan B, which was to skirt around the northern side of the range and head for Bellapais.

Bellapais is a small village on the mountains above Kyrenia, and is the location for a beautiful old abbey that was build by monks in the 13th century.  Bellapais was also made famous by Lawrence Durrell, who lived there during the 1950's and wrote about it in his book 'The Bitter Lemons of Cyprus'.  The book makes reference to the 'tree of idleness', which was the place the villagers came to drink coffee each day (and all day)!  The supposed tree is still there today, and is understandably surrounded by a number of coffee houses and restaurants.

The Abbey at Bellapais
Author: www.martin-liebermann.de 
Prints from martin-liebermann.fineartamerica.com

An apt description of Bellapais can be found in the writings of W Hepworth Dixon, who in 1897 wrote:

"Perched on a mountainside, her terraces looking down into the gardens of Cerinia, and across the waters of Adana towards the glens and pastures of the Bulghar Dagh, her situation is no less lovely and secluded than herself.  Her name is Peace.  Nestling in woods, high above the port , her Anglo-Norman builders called her Peace - convent of Peace, or Cloiture de la Paix; a beautiful and soothing name, which the intruding Cypriots corrupted into Delapays, and their Venetian masters into Bellapaese.  Here during many ages, gallant Western man and pious Western women found their rest".

Bellapais is quite stunning, particularly at the end of the day when the light softens on the Abbey and you can sit and watch to sunset over the Mediterranean far below.  The recent September weather has also been a welcome change from the intense heat of summer.  Still warm with most days around mid 30's, but mornings and evenings cool.  We're enjoying this season and wanting to make the most of swimming before the weather cools off further in October.

Bellapais

Back to school

First day at 'school' for Anna

The kids all returned to school last week after the long summer.  They're all still at the American Academy, and in general are happy to be back with friends.  Many new faces in their classes this year, which is quite normal in Cyprus given level of transition over summer with UN/diplomatic staff etc.  Of course the standard transition issues for the kids over the past week: missing their sleep in, lunches to be packed, homework to do, Angus not keen to get a haircut (we currently call him the strawman, although Ross thinks Gus' current hairstyle looks more like iconic 1970's surfer George Greenough - google him if you have a chance).  

The other special thing has been Anna's commencement at school.  It's actually preschool, but it's all in the same facility so now she can proudly go off the school with the other three.  Very proud of herself, and loves the routine of schoolbag, lunchbox etc.  

Just quietly I think Sarah is also loving the fact that she has some time to herself for the first time in 10 years!  All quite new, but a lovely change.  I'm sure she will write a blog about this soon.

Angus 'Greenough'

A month of bikes

We've just arrived back in Cyprus after travelling for a month in western Europe.  It was a great break for the family, and we were fortunate to enjoy a somewhat late arrival of summer conditions in Europe.  We flew in and out of Brussels, drove up through Denmark, across Sweden and then down to Germany and back to Belgium, stopping for up to a week at various places on the way around.  It seemed a little strange coming back to Cyprus after such a long break, but the kids are glad to be home, and it's also good to back in some warmer weather.  

Here are a few brief highlights of the holiday:

- A visit to Legoland in Denmark.  Quite a remarkable place.  A fantastic day out as a family, enjoying some innovative rides and amazing lego constructions. 

- Copenhagen, where we stayed with good friends Scott, Pernille and family.  This was the first of our biking experiences, and we enjoyed touring the city on two wheels. Actually, Ross and Sarah enjoyed the bike tour and the kids endured it wondering how far they had to go.  Angus came into his own when we visited the Freetown Christania, which is a large alternative community right in the heart of Copenhagen.  The main reason for his interest.....a large 'skate-ramp house' that has been built right in the heart of the community.  Sarah was in heaven all the way through Denmark; the royal family, Danish culture, the healthy bread, shopping for nice jewellery and the general scenery was awesome.

- Staying in a summer house belonging to Pernille's family at a small coastal town called Rågeleje about an hour north of Copenhagen.  Imagine, a house in the thick woods with a private road leading to a beautiful beach!  We loved swimming in the clear Baltic Sea everyday, catching crabs, eating smoked herring, and generally relaxing together around the old beautifully renovated house.

Daily transport to the beach

- A week on a small Danish island called Bornholm, which lies off the southern coast of Sweden.  Bornholm is a stunning place, covered with forest, beaches, colourful cottages in old villages and a general feeling of serenity everywhere you went.  To our delight, there were bike paths through forests everywhere.  We all had bikes for the week, and spent our days riding, swimming, shopping (to appease Jessie) and visiting some of the lovely old towns on the island.

A windy trip across from Sweden

The forests of Bornholm

Can't get enough of those long twilights

- Berlin, where we once again found ourselves on two wheels taking in the city.  Berlin has always been one of Ross' favourite cities, and it was fascinating to see how the city has changed since 1989.  A brief dose of some remarkable history for the kids also:)

Brandenburg Gate

A remnant of the Berlin Wall

A hot sunny day in Alexsanderplatz in East Berlin

- Belgium, where we spent the final part of the holiday.  For the first week we stayed in Liege with good friends Gene, Boris and their 6 boys. The kids were elated, after 2 long days of driving, to find a backyard to play in and Gene kept her promise to them about the Belgian Chocolate Breakfast Experience.  We were also treated to walks both in nature and the city of Liege, waffles in the centre square, shopping & lunch for the girls  on Jessie's birthday, watersliding for the boys (much to Sam's delight), various lunches and dinners with Gene's family including a Belgian Beer and Cheese night. It was really special to celebrate Jessie's 10th birthday with a big dinner all together - our family and Gene's.

The last week we spent resting in a place called Lac de l'Eau d'Heure, which is a series of large lakes and green rolling hills.  A riding adventure for Angus and Sarah in which a 1.5hr bike ride turned out to take more than 4hrs. Jessie delighted all with her courage at the Nature Park as she donned a harness and flew across the lake on a zip wire.

Gene, Boris and the gang

A visit to Gene's family's butchery.  This is Benoit, Gene's brother

Liege waffle, time to share Sam....

A birthday for Jessie; (surrounded by older men!)

So overall we are very thankful to have had the opportunity for some good rest, and also to have some respite from the August heat in Cyprus.  

Anna's preferred transport attire

Bornholm sunset